  DISCUSSION: The Madden Julian Oscillation (MJO) is an area of deep convection that forms along the equator and propagates eastward around the globe. The Australian region is currently experiencing an especially strong convectively-active westerly phase of the MJO. The active MJO phase is termed the westerly phase because a large-scale area of persistent anomalous westerly winds at the surface occur in association with the enhanced convection. The top figure above from the Bureau of Meteorology shows the forecast surface winds valid at 5 am AEDT 5 February 2018 showing westerly winds across and north of the northern part of Australia. The westerly winds help provide moisture to the convection and help drive storm systems and moisture into northwest Australia. One such storm (an ordinary tropical low, not a tropical cyclone) that occurred early last week dumped almost half a meter of rain in 24 hours on Broome, Western Australia. Broome is located near the black dot in the top figure, and the bottom picture from the WA News shows a flooded golf course that resulted from that much rain falling in such a short time. This storm system was also associated with severe winds. Dramatic storm systems like tropical cyclones and blizzards often grab our attention. But, it is important to remember that less dramatic or potentially less publicized weather events can also wreak havoc like this tropical low that was associated with a strong active MJO phase.
To learn more about other high-impact weather events occurring across the South Pacific Ocean and Australia, be sure to click here! © 2018 Dr. Ken Leppert II
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DISCUSSION: Over the past few days, a progressively stronger low-pressure system has been barreling directly towards central and southern portions of New Zealand. As a result of this increasingly stronger low-pressure system approaching the island nation of New Zealand, this system consequently began to generate increasing larger ocean swells. Thus, as this increasingly deeper low-pressure system continued approaching central/southern New Zealand, this promoted increasingly more intense wave action along the immediate coastline. As with all intense coastal wave action from incoming low-pressure systems, this also consequently induced pronounced inland flooding (especially around inland towns/cities which lie at a similar elevation as that of the immediate coastline).
It is also worth noting that regions including (but certainly not limited to) the East Coast of the United States of America are not unfamiliar to such events during the Winter season by any means. This is primarily due to the increased propensity for Winter-time coastal low-pressure systems during the Winter months (i.e., December through March). When such storm systems do occur, they often deliver quite a nasty punch to coastal towns and cities. Often times, leaving many thousands (and sometimes even millions) of people without power for an extended period of time. Attached above is raw footage of strong wave action along part of the coastline of southern New Zealand during this recent event. As you can see, the wave action was quite ferocious during this evening and undoubtedly led to substantial beach erosion. Also attached above is a neat slideshow rendering of the progression of this recent low-pressure system over the course of roughly 48 to 60 hours per surface analyses in the vicinity of Australia and New Zealand. Therefore, if and when you are ever in the path of a coastal low-pressure system and are asked to evacuate immediate coastal regions, be sure to heed the warnings accordingly. To learn more about other high-impact weather events occurring across the South Pacific Ocean and Australia, be sure to click here! © 2018 Meteorologist Jordan Rabinowitz |
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