The drought that warmists said might "never break" just did

The warmists who once claimed the drought was caused by global warming are now claiming they predicted these floods.

Which reminds me. What is one of the leading warming catastrophists, David Jones, now saying? Let's check:

As the floodwaters recede, there are lingering questions about whether the worst has in fact passed.

David Jones, the manager of climate monitoring and prediction at the Bureau of Meteorology, says perhaps not. He says eastern Australia remains in the middle of a very strong La Nina system that will continue until at least the autumn. And, while La Nina events usually last for 12 months, they can last a lot longer. "A strong La Nina can last for a number of years as happened in 1998, 1999 and 2000."

We may have heavy rain for years yet? Hmm. But how does that prediction square with this warming alarmism from Jones of three years ago, eagerly reported by the Sydney Morning Herald:

This drought may never break


Richard Macey


January 4, 2008

IT MAY be time to stop describing south-eastern Australia as gripped by drought and instead accept the extreme dry as permanent, one of the nation's most senior weather experts warned yesterday.

"Perhaps we should call it our new climate," said the Bureau of Meteorology's head of climate analysis, David Jones.

He was speaking after the release of statistics showing that last year was the hottest on record in NSW, Victoria, South Australia and the ACT…

"There is absolutely no debate that Australia is warming," said Dr Jones. "It is very easy to see … it is happening before our eyes."

The only uncertainty now was whether the changing pattern was "85 per cent, 95 per cent or 100 per cent the result of the enhanced greenhouse effect".

"There is a debate in the climate community, after … close to 12 years of drought, whether this is something permanent. Certainly, in terms of temperature, that seems to be our reality, and that there is no turning back..."

(Thanks to reader Mark. No comments during holiday.)