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Australian summers have become twice as long as the most recent winters, according to new analysis from The Australia Institute.
Key points:
- The report found climate change had changed the length of Australian summers and winters
- Sydney now has an extra 28 days of summer and 15 fewer days of winter compared to the 50s and 60s
- Regional areas are experiencing the longest summers, with 48 days of summer in Port Macquarie, NSW
Researchers at the Canberra-based think-tank have crunched weather data from the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) from between 1999 to 2018 and compared it to Australian weather records from 1950 to 1969.
The analysis found all Australian capital cities experienced longer summers and shorter winters, with summer 31 days longer than it was in the 50s and 60s, with winter about three weeks shorter.
Two researchers examined the BOM data from 70 weather stations across the non-tropical parts of Australia.
The discussion paper, titled Out of Season, concluded climate change had led to significant changes in Australian seasons.
Climate and Energy Programme director from the Australia Institute Richie Merzian said the average temperatures previously recorded around the start of December were setting in much earlier.
"If summer feels like it's getting longer and longer it's because it actually is, especially if you're an older Australian," Mr Merzian said.
"Those average summer temperatures are starting a lot earlier and they're finishing a lot later, so summers have become twice as long as winters in the last five years."
The paper found Sydney was experiencing an extra 28 days of summer and 15 fewer days of winter, compared to the 50s and 60s.
Summer came earlier in the national's capital too with 35 more summer days recorded in Canberra in the past five years and 35 less days of winter.
Melbourne has had an additional 38 days of summer temperatures and 19 days less of winter.
To calculate these results, researchers worked out what the average temperature was for the start of summer in the 50s and 60s and then determined what the date was when the same temperature was reached in the past two decades.
The Australia Institute discussion paper also found the trend for longer summers was more pronounced in some regional areas, including the northern NSW town of Port Macquarie.
"Summers in Port Macquarie have increased by 48 days, while the catastrophic 2019 fires near Port Macquarie occurred before summer as defined by the calendar," the report summarised.
The Lindfield Park Road Fire near Port Macquarie first sparked in July 2019 and burnt for almost seven months.
Responding to the report, NSW Rural Fire Service Mid Coast District Officer and Port Macquarie resident Stuart Robb said the bushfire danger period may get longer if we continue to see an increase in the number of summer days.
"This would put additional pressures on landholders and agencies to undertake hazard reduction works ahead of the summer months," he said.
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