Mainland Australia had the rare experience of no rain and largely cloudless skies yesterday - and meteorologists forecast this weather will continue for weeks.
A satellite photo taken above the Australian continent just before midday yesterday showed nearly every state with no cloud or rain, reports Weatherzone.
The exceptions were a small corner of north west Tasmania that had showers, while there was rain off the north coast of Queensland in the Coral Sea.
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Meteorologists said it was rare to see Australia free of showers in late August, especially in the southern third of the nation, from southwest Western Australia to eastern Victoria.
But the conditions are forecast to continue for the remaining days of winter, with no significant outbreak of cold wet wintry weather likely.
Weatherzone said this week a mass of swirling warm water off Australia's north-west could be the strongest indicator yet that the country should brace for a long, dry summer.
A positive Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) pattern is beginning to emerge, "increasing the likelihood of abnormally warm and dry weather over large parts of the country this spring".
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The IOD measures sea surface temperatures in the tropical Indian Ocean.
Weatherzone said the last positive IOD event was in 2019.
And yesterday's conditions across Australia was a good example of weather during a positive IOD.
Most forecasting models suggest that a positive IOD will continue into spring, with plenty more cloud-free days in coming months.
