Parts of west, central and southeast Victoria and the southern coast of SA are expected to have increased bushfire risk over winter.  

The regions have been flagged amid persistent dry conditions and an abundance of flammable material in grass and forest areas, according to the Australasian Fire and Emergency Services Authorities Council’s seasonal outlook.  

“We don’t normally think of winter and bushfire together in southern Australia,” council CEO Rob Webb said.

“The prolonged drought conditions mean communities across parts of Victoria and SA may see more activity than normal for this time of the year.

“Fire authorities will monitor the landscape conditions and climate influences closely this season to manage bushfire risk and identify opportunities for mitigation activities such as planned burning.” 

Temperatures across the country are expected to be warmer than usual between June and August, with higher average rainfall predicted for most of the mainland except the southeast and southwest.  

The Bureau of Meteorology’s El-Nino Southern Oscillation outlook remains at neutral, although the Indian Ocean Dipole is expected to turn negative over the coming months.  

See AFAC’s outlook here.