The climate of south eastern Australia, including the Murray-Darling Basin, is highly variable. The region spans several different climate zones:
As well as the differences in climate between zones, large differences in temperature, rainfall and evaporation also occur within zones on a seasonal and annual basis, and over periods of several years.
This variability is reflected in streamflows across the region, which has, historically, been subject to both extreme floods and droughts. The River Murray System provides water to irrigators, communities and the natural environment in the southern part of the Murray-Darling Basin. It has highly variable inflows from just over 1 000 GL in the driest year (June 2006 to July 2007) to more than 30 000 GL in wet years.
While land and water managers and farmers have largely adapted to this variability, climate change is expected to result in changes to both average rainfalls and temperatures and in the frequency and severity of floods, droughts and fires. These changes are likely to have significant social, economic and environmental consequences.
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Climate variability and climate change in south eastern Australia fact sheet | Download PDF 82 KB