Driest, warmest start for Albany

Albany looks set for an uncharacteristically warm, dry winter this year after recording its driest start to the year in close to 50 years.

Bureau of Meteorology Albany station manager Jason Balhorn said it was the city’s driest start to a year since record-keeping began in 1964.

While Albany averages 94ml of rainfall each May, only 51ml has fallen so far this month at the Albany Regional Airport station.

“Every month has been well below average this year,” he said. “We are 46 per cent below the monthly average rainfall and 47 below the average annual rainfall.”

The bureau is forecasting more of the same this season, with a warmer, drier winter than usual, with a 30 per cent chance of reaching average rainfall and 70 per cent likelihood of above-average temperatures.

katherine.mountain@albanyadvertiser.com