THE SQUIZ
If you feel like you’ve been drenched in hyperbole by our weather presenters for the last few weeks/months/years about it being abnormally wet in parts of the country, it’s now extra real. Despite there still being 85 days of 2022 to go, it’s officially the wettest year ever recorded in Sydney with more than 2,200mm of rain falling at Observatory Hill since 1 January. The previous record was set in 1950 when 2,194mm was measured over 12 months. For comparison, our second most populous capital Melbourne recorded its wettest year in 1916 with 967mm… Apart from being downright annoying, the persistent precipitation continues to threaten communities and livelihoods across eastern Oz, with dams and rivers already full. And those concerns won’t ease up anytime soon with more rain expected.

IT’S NOT ALL ABOUT SYDNEY?
No way – there’s a lot of rain coming to so many places. In NSW, Wollongong is almost as wet as Sydney, as are many towns north and south of the capital. And the state’s northwest is expected to be super wet this weekend, which is a problem for campers headed to the Bathurst 1000 motor race. Canberrans can expect a drenching today and over the weekend, and there are flood warnings for southern Queensland. Melburnians will likely see a few heavy showers, but the rest of Victoria might get a lot more than that. Tasmanians are facing flooding and winds in the north, and it’ll be hot and stormy across Darwin. South Oz is expected to get away with some light drizzle, the lucky ducks. And while northern Western Oz is also facing storms, Perth and those in the south of the state should enjoy some sun tomorrow. Good luck to ‘em…

GEEZ LA NIÑA’S A PAIN…
You’ve got that right – the 3rd time is not a charm… But there are other reasons for the soggy conditions, including a negative Indian Ocean Dipole. What the what? It’s a bit like the El Niño-La Niña cycle, but in the Indian Ocean rather than the Pacific. And when it’s negative, we get wetter than normal conditions in the continent’s east. Another issue is a positive phase of the Southern Annular Mode, which in the summer cycle brings more rain to – you guessed it – eastern Australia. Can whoever broke the mirror/walked on the crack/crossed paths with a black cat please apologise so we can all move on, please?