The Bureau of Meteorology has released its long-range forecast for autumn, indicating that Western Australia is poised for unusual seasonal conditions that deviate significantly from normal trends.
Warmer Temperatures Across Southern WA
According to the forecast, higher than average temperatures are expected across the southern two-thirds of Western Australia in the coming months. BOM Meteorologist Caroline Crow explained to PerthNow that West Australians can anticipate warmer than average autumn days and nights across most of the state as summer draws to a close.
Over the coming weeks, temperatures throughout WA are forecast to fluctuate both above and below seasonal averages, but the overall trend points to a warmer autumn period.
Drier Conditions Expected
Alongside the warmer temperatures, drier-than-usual conditions are predicted across most of Western Australia over the next few months. Ms Crow elaborated that for much of the southern two-thirds of WA, rainfall is looking more likely to be below average.
"The chance of achieving that median rainfall is below average for the bottom two thirds of Western Australia," Ms Crow stated, highlighting the significant departure from typical autumn weather patterns.
Regional Variations in Rainfall
While southern WA faces drier conditions, rainfall in northern Western Australia is expected to hover around average levels. Ms Crow noted that for parts of the Kimberley and Pilbara regions, there isn't a strong favored outcome, meaning rainfall could potentially be above, below, or closer to average.
"Parts of the Kimberley and parts of the Pilbara there's not a strong favored particular outcome, meaning roughly that it could be above, below or closer to average," she explained, indicating more uncertainty in northern rainfall predictions.
Perth Specific Forecast
Ms Crow confirmed that Perth is forecast to experience hotter and drier conditions than usual as autumn approaches. "We're looking at likely below average rainfall for the Perth region and the temperatures, there's a pretty likely chance of exceeding the maximum average temperatures," she said, providing specific guidance for the capital city.
Perth 7-Day Weather Outlook
The immediate forecast for Perth shows consistently warm conditions:
- Friday: Sunny, 16-32
- Saturday: Mostly sunny, 19-33
- Sunday: Partly cloudy, 17-27
- Monday: Cloud clearing, 17-28
- Tuesday: Sunny, 15-29
- Wednesday: Sunny, 19-34
- Thursday: Sunny, 21-34
This extended period of sunny weather with temperatures frequently reaching into the 30s underscores the warmer trend predicted for the autumn season across Western Australia.
