Extreme spring rainfall that caused flooding in parts of the country has driven the seasonal Australian Actuaries Climate Index to its third highest value. 

The Central Slopes region, which covers inland parts of NSW and Queensland, and the Southern Slopes in Tasmania both recorded the highest ever extreme rainfall index value, with a La Nina event, negative Indian Ocean Dipole and positive Southern Annular Mode influencing conditions. 

The sea level index for Australia as a whole recorded the third highest value for spring, with impacts particularly pronounced in south-eastern Australia, but the Actuaries Institute says rises largely went unnoticed due to the east coast flooding. 

“Sea level increases are predicted as a significant issue in decades to come, and is a certain indication of climate change,” Actuaries Institute CEO Elayne Grace said. “This is going to become an increasing issue given about 87% of Australia’s population live within the coastal zone.”  

Ms Grace says the spring climate index reading underscores the importance of the step change Australia is finally seeing in investment and commitment at all levels of government, business and community to adapt to and manage the consequences of climate change. 

The overall index is made up of a number of contributing components and is calculated at the end of each season by Finity Consulting following the release of data from the Bureau of Meteorology. 

The extreme high temperature index was negative for most of Australia, with the Wet Tropics, covering the most northern parts of Queensland an exception. 

“When we experience extremes, we don’t experience them across the board,” Actuaries Institute Climate Risk Working Group Chairman Rade Musulin said. 

“What we have seen in the spring quarter is extreme rainfall but moderate temperatures. Next spring quarter we will probably be talking about the opposite, with El Nino expected to bring low rainfall, dryer conditions and very high temperatures.”