Outlook details northern Australia fire season

The fire season outlook for northern Australia is detailed in the Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC Northern Australia Seasonal Bushfire Outlook 2015, released today as a Hazard Note.

The Outlook provides information to help fire authorities make strategic decisions in resource planning and prescribed fire management to reduce the negative impacts of bushfire.

The above normal outlook is due to high rainfall in parts of Western Australia and the Northern Territory during the wet season, leading to strong vegetation growth. This is despite the wet season ending relatively early. It is a similar story on the central Queensland coast, with Severe Cyclone Marcia resulting in locally significant rain and subsequent strong vegetation growth. In north west Queensland the above normal outlook is due to rainfall deficiencies for the past three wet seasons. This is combined with above average temperatures that are expected over coming months.

The Outlook is a product of the Northern Australian Fire Managers Forum, which was held in Cairns, Queensland in June 2015. All the presentations from the Forum are online here.