The role played by the Indian Ocean High in affecting winter precipitation over Victoria, Australia

Abstract

The interannual rainfall variability over the southeast Australian state of Victoria is known to be influenced by a number of large scale and regional phenomena, including the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD), Southern Oscillation Index (SOI), and Southern Annular Mode (SAM). However, the role of ‘upstream’ regional circulation or pressure anomalies has received only modest attention. The amount of winter (May-August) rainfall over the state has declined over the past few decades, especially from 1960 to 2017. Using the Center of Action (COA) technique this study examines the relationship between winter precipitation over Victoria and the characteristics of the Indian Ocean High (IOH) over the period 1951–2021. We show that variations of the IOH are strongly linked with those of precipitation over Victoria. The strongest link is with the Indian Ocean High pressure (IOH_P) and its longitudinal position (IOH_LN), whereas the Indian Ocean High latitude (IOH_LT) has little impact. Less precipitation is observed across the state when IOH_P anomalies are positive, whereas the eastward shift of the IOH_LN is a major factor in the reduction of precipitation. Using correlation and multiple regression analyses, we find that the IOH indices explain 54 % of the winter precipitation variation. The strength of this relationship is somewhat weaker in the northern part of the state, partly because of the additional influence of ‘north-west cloud bands’ north of the Great Diving Range. Finally, we perform composite analyses of anomalous high (low) years of IOH to establish evidence of IOH influencing Victorian rainfall. This allows us to reveal the dynamical mechanisms behind the revealed associations.