A drier than average February is posing a concern for the autumn outlook, with expected delays in the onset of rainfall.
A Bureau of Meteorology spokesperson said higher than average minimum and maximum temperatures expected for March could potentially lead to an extended fire season and delay rainfall.
In the Australasian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities Council (AFAC)'s 2023 seasonal bushfire outlook for autumn, bushfire potential is expected to be normal in most of the State, but is expected to be higher in the Gascoyne and Mid West regions.
This is due to vegetation growth drying out during the start of the year, leading to high bushfire fuel loads.
According to the bureau, February's rainfall was 30 per cent below average in nearly all of the regions, making it the driest February since 2019.
For the South West Land Division, rainfall was four times below average.
No rain was recorded in the South West regions, while less than 10mm of rainfall was recorded in the south east.
This trend is expected to continue for March in all regions, with predicted rainfall recordings of 10mm or less.
The bureau also predicted the above average warmer temperatures will stay put this month and potentially into April and May.
The mean maximum temperature for February was 1.8 °C above average, while the mean minimum temperature was 0.6 °C above average.
The central and south east of the State saw a low intensity heatwave between February 16-23, while Eucla recorded the month's maximum temperature, reaching 46.8 °C on February 22.
Perri Polson
Perri is an agriculture journalist with Farm Weekly. Born in regional Victoria, Perri developed a love of regional and rural news at a young age, and is now passionate about advocating for the agricultural industry. Her interests include science, agronomy, livestock and food production.
Perri is an agriculture journalist with Farm Weekly. Born in regional Victoria, Perri developed a love of regional and rural news at a young age, and is now passionate about advocating for the agricultural industry. Her interests include science, agronomy, livestock and food production.
