Northern Australia seasonal bushfire outlook 2013

Fire Note 113: Large areas of northern Australia face the prospect of an above normal bushfire season this year, due to generally below average rainfall in the months leading up to the main fire season.

This is the major conclusion of the Bushfire CRC Northern Australia Seasonal Bushfire Outlook for the Northern Territory, northern Queensland and Western Australia.

The bushfire risk is greatest for the north west Northern Territory, central Queensland and the central region of northern Western Australia. These conditions are due to an unusual wet season, which saw rainfall in short intense bursts, followed by high humidity, isolated afternoon thunderstorms and sunny days. This short burst of wet weather followed by long exposure to sunshine was ideal for vegetation growth.

This bushfire outlook is an output from the Bushfire CRC, which brings together fire and land managers from across Australia and the Bureau of Meteorology each year to discuss fire potential across the country.