Sunspots herald change in the weather with bulk of drought behind us

After the dust and smoke clears Eastern Australia will return to a wet period. Will we be in a position to harvest that water or will it just run away?

The first sunspots to appear in a long time are like early sparrows arriving in spring - a sure sign that a new solar cycle is upon us, bringing the hope of rain says long-term forecaster Dr Rob Baker,.

The adjunct Associate Professor of Geography and Planning at the University of New England in Armidale says that while the next six to 12 months may offer some respite with scattered rain, the potential for drought remains for another two years - including another El Nino event.

The two new sunspots, designated as NOAA 2753 and 2754, were seen on Christmas eve by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory.

The Solar-Terrestrial Centre of Excellence in Brussels, Belgium, reported that the period from November 14 to December 23 was the longest stretch of spotless days on the face of the sun in more than 20 years. The predicted end to the current solar cycle is not until April.

Last week there were good falls of 30mm and 40mm in parts of the rain-deprived New England, particularly around Armidale and Guyra. These were received as a sign of things to come, along with the passing of ex-tropical cyclone Blake in the west and its merged cloud band with a cold front across the south.

The collapse of the positive Indian Dipole has helped form warmer sea surface temperatures off northern Australia.

Those keen to track the exact progress of new solar cycle 25 are reminded to study the Southern Oscillation Index and sea surface temperatures because these readings will herald the flip from which time we can expect wet weather.

Dr Baker says the change is typically sudden, over a period of a few weeks

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