A warmer and wetter than average December is on the way according to the Bureau of Meteorology's long range forecast.
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00:00So Australia has entered its high-risk weather season and we will expect over
00:04the next four months to see tropical cyclones, bushfires, severe weather, floods
00:09in some part of the country. Looking at the Bureau's long-range outlook we're
00:14looking at increased odds of a wet December particularly across most of the
00:17east and into the northwest of WA. We're also seeing evidence that we will see a
00:24warmer than average summer with a risk of extreme heat particularly across the
00:28north. With warm oceans around Australia it's likely to be quite sticky and
00:32humid at times and that is quite a big significant factor if you are vulnerable
00:37in some way so that's the elderly or those with medical conditions who are
00:40sensitive to extreme heat. So that wet December will raise the risk of
00:45flooding this summer particularly in the east and it will also raise the
00:50possibility that the tropical cyclones that we will see will be more severe
00:54than those that we've seen in the past. Typically Australia sees about four
00:58tropical cyclones make landfall over the high-risk weather season and we're
01:02expecting a typical season in that regard. We should also just mention that
01:07fire is still an attendant risk in Australia. We are entering the summer
01:11period with some regions with low rainfall and soil moisture. We have seen
01:15some rain in recent days and are looking for a wet December however that does not
01:19mean that major fires will not follow in January and February particularly if
01:24things dry out and we have seen that in the past. So just to re-emphasise
01:28Australia experience these hazards over summer and it is up to communities to
01:32really think about these events and prepare for them particularly if you're
01:36in the relevant zone. Please check in with the Bureau's weather forecast, its
01:41warnings and its long-range forecast as well which is updated every week because
01:45as we can see conditions can change rather quickly depending on where you are.
01:54you