Southern Australia Drought Is Worst on Record, Australian Says

By Angela Macdonald-Smith

Oct. 11 (Bloomberg) -- Southern Australia's 12-year drought is officially the worst on record, the Australian newspaper said, citing the Bureau of Meteorology.

Rainfall figures for the region are similar to a severe drought in 1939-45 and to the Federation drought in 1895-1903, the newspaper said, citing David Jones, head of climate analysis at the Canberra-based bureau. The current drought is hotter than both previous ones, with temperatures about 1 degree Celsius higher, he said.

Weather data suggests that for every degree of warming, there is a 15 percent drop in river flows in the Murray-Darling Basin in the southeast, the Australian said, citing Jones. Flows into the Murray River system in the two years to Aug. 31 were half the previous record low set in 1943-45, it said.

To contact the reporter on this story: Angela Macdonald-Smith in Sydney at amacdonaldsm@bloomberg.net