Drought and the dry
This current very big dry is certainly depressing indeed. My son, David, and grandson, Ryan, passed through Moree a month ago then returned home last week via Emerald, Roma, St. George and Lightning Ridge and said he had never before seen it so very bad.
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On Monday October 7th, Moree had it's hottest day for early October with 39.5 on record, breaking an old record which had stood for 91 years. Last month was the third successive September which was significantly warmer than average, the mean maximum temperature of 27.3, being nearly three degrees above normal and the warmest in September since 28.0 in 2013 and 28.1 in 2000. Further back 28.3 in both September 1910 and 1928. Other very warm Septembers were in 1882 and 1888.
With these findings there is no escape from a significant hotter than normal conditions for this coming summer. Moree has now had 91 days without any rain, the longest ever such spell in 140 years of records and it appears this big dry looks like continuing forever. However, there is a ray of hope. In October 1972, there was a very hot day on the 10th when the temperature reached 38.4, the third highest for early October in the last 140 years.
Much needed rain fell during the third week of October and more during the second week and fourth week of November 1972; but the 1972-73 summer was hotter than normal with maximum temperatures reaching 46 early January 1973.
Peter Nelson, Moree
Climate change
Ian Holford (letters 11/10/19) states "Apparent sea level rises around low lying Pacific islands are probably due to sinking caused by the removal of groundwater for domestic use".
Most low lying Pacific islands are coral atolls. Coral atolls have formed on extinct volcanoes (seamounts). They have a porous limestone base. No matter how much water they remove from their wells, there will always be water in the well. Trouble is, with a rising sea level, it will be salt water.
Whilst Ian's statement - in my opinion - indicates a significant deficit of basic scientific facts, he has highlighted the extreme concerns of the people who have inhabited these "low lying islands" for centuries.
The islanders will be long gone before the waves start rolling over their homelands. Salt water is more dense than freshwater. Therefore the islanders take the water from the surface of their wells. As sea levels rise the top water in the wells will become brackish, eventually it will be undrinkable. Sea levels do not have to rise much before the intrusion of saltwater on the fresh water aquifers renders the islands uninhabitable.
Mark Jenson, Tamworth
Too little too late
Well, isn't it great to see everyone patting themselves on the back for the planed new Dungowan Dam. Years of devastating drought, farmers gone to the wall, businesses in town shutting for good and all of a sudden we get the money for a new dam and every one wants to say how well they've done. Maybe three years ago you might have deserved the praise. Don't get me wrong folks, real happy to see it happen but should have happened years ago, and we still have a few years before it's built. So unless we get good rain, a few more years of drought.
Mark Hamlin, Tamworth
