Hazy days in Ipswich

Felicity Caldwell | 3rd July 2009

Sarah Keayes

HAZY, dusty conditions, which descended on Ipswich yesterday, should clear today as residents prepare themselves for drier than normal conditions.

An el Nino effect is considered “likely” for the second half of this year, bringing dry conditions.

Bureau of Meteorology forecaster David Grant said the dust had travelled to the south-east corner of the state from west Queensland, whipped along by cold winds travelling behind a cold front.

Mr Grant said the front pushed across South Australia Wednesday and yesterday, and was currently sitting in the Tasman Sea.

“And the cold winds behind this front stirred up some dirt and dust, and transferred it across the coast for us,” he said.

Mr Grant said we should have clear skies today with winds dropping over the weekend, and Ipswich residents can expect a minimum of three degrees on Sunday.

“Once the winds start to drop out by the weekend the overnight temperatures will start to drop as well,” he said.

Queensland Climate Services manager Jeff Fabburg said climatologists were carefully monitoring temperatures in the Pacific Ocean to determine whether the region could be facing an el Nino.

Mr Fabburg said sea surface temperatures in the Pacific were becoming warmer, which indicated it was likely we would face a drier than usual second half of the year.

Kalbar lucerne farmer Trevor Dieckmann is looking forward to drier conditions as constant drizzle could cause diseases.

“We need a dry spring to get in and get some planting done,” he said. “If you keep getting rain like that everything goes - crops like sunshine.”