A PROLONGED spell of unusually warm and dry weather in NSW has prompted an early start to the bushfire season in some northern parts of the state.
During the first six months of 2018, most of NSW received less than half of its average rainfall and maximum temperatures were more than two degrees warmer than usual.
More recently, the statewide average rainfall during June was 31 per cent below the long-term average, making it the sixth consecutive drier than usual month in NSW.
This extended run of dry and warm weather has taken a toll on vegetation growth across NSW and much of south-eastern Australia.
The Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), which measures the amount of live green vegetation using satellite data, shows that vegetation greenness was markedly below average across all of NSW during June.
Below average NDVI values typically indicate a higher proportion of dead vegetation compared to what’s normal for that time of year, which can mean that bushfire fuel loads have become elevated in that region.
While most of NSW had a relatively dry June, northern parts of the state saw the largest departures from their long-term averages last month. Inverell, Gunnedah, Quirindi and Coonabarabran all had their driest June since 1986.
According to the NSW Rural Fire Service, the the Armidale Regional, Clarence Valley, Glen Innes Severn, Inverell, Kyogle, Lismore, Richmond Valley, Tenterfield, Uralla and Walcha local government areas will enter their Bush Fire Danger Rating Period (BFDP) on Wednesday, August 1 this year.
Permits are required for some burning activities during the BFDP in NSW. Visit the NSW RFS website for more details.