Climate Change Impacts in Victoria

Climate change impacts become harder to quantify on regional and local scales. Nonetheless, the Victorian Government has produced a series of reports on how climate change will influence Victoria and its various regions.

Current Impacts

• 2007 hottest year on record
• Maximum and minimum temperature increase of 0.8 oC since 1950
• 13% decline in total rainfall
• Increased incidence of severe droughts during El Nino events - it is believed that the impacts of the 2002 drought are likely to have been enhanced by climate change

Future Impacts

• Temperature increase by another 0.8oC and 1.4-2.7 ^oC by 2030 and 2070* respectively
• 4% and 6-11% decrease in annual rainfall by 2030 and 2070* respectively with winter and spring rainfall is likely to decrease, while summer and autumn rainfall is less certain

*(2070 increase is range for low and high emission scenario)

Future Impacts in Port Phillip and Western Port Bays: 2070

• Hotter - greatest increases in temperature are expected in summer
• Drier - greatest decreases in rainfall are expected in spring
• Temperature increase 1.3-2.6 oC from today
• Fewer rainy days but increasing rainfall intensity
• Decrease of 6-11% in annual rainfall
• Decrease of up to 50% in runoff to the Yarra, Maribyrnong, Werribee and Bunyip Rivers

References and Further Readings

Department of Climate Change - www.climatechange.gov.au

Victorian Climate Change Program - www.climatechange.vic.gov.au

International Panel on Climate Change - www.ipcc.ch

United Nation Framework Convention on Climate Change - www.unfccc.int

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Last updated: 29 March 2011

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