Patrick Hockey, Castlemaine
As we gasp through yet another blistering summer some commentators have expressed confusion as to how we can still be experiencing cold frosty winters if average temperatures are rising.
One explanation is that deep frosts are favoured by clear, dry, cloudless skies.
A lack of cloud cover can and frequently does lead to colder night-time temperatures during winter and spring.
This may be especially pronounced during an El Niño year when, in addition to often drier conditions, our farmers may also have to contend with very damaging late season frosts.
In fact, the Australian record for cold of −23.0 °C was recorded at Charlotte Pass near Mt Kosciuszko on June 29, 1994, in an El Niño year.
Climate change is disrupting all of our climate systems and leading to damaging extremes.
Only as public opinion throws its weight behind clean energy investment will we see the hope of a return to more stability.
