YET ANOTHER La Nina weather system is poised to roll over Australia, bringing more rain to soaked eastern seaboard states.
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It would spark the third spring in a row of above-average rainfalls.
Central Victoria has so far avoided the flooding that has ravaged other parts of the country including in parts of New South Wales.
The Bureau of Meteorology says there is a 70 per cent chance of a La Nina system developing over September.
It has been careful to distance itself from claims by other experts that Australia is already in a third La Nina.
"This reporting does not reflect the complexity of Australia's climate and is not entirely accurate," the bureau said in a statement.
But it has upgraded its "La Nina WATCH" warnings to a "La Nina ALERT" as the odds increase of a wet spring and summer.
A third consecutive wet spring and summer would conceal a broader drying out triggered by climate change.
Fifty-three per cent less water flowed into the major catchments the city relied on in the 23 years to 2020, according to figures amassed by the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning.
It had created challenges for water managers who once banked on incredibly reliable rains, Coliban Water chief executive Damien Wells said recently.
"You could almost set your watch by it," he said.
"The season would come, the water storages would fill and Bendigo's water security was excellent."
Coliban expects central Victoria's climate to get hotter and drier over the coming decades and wants to upgrade its vast network of pipes and water treatment to ease risks of water running out.
Farmers are happy but cautious about reports of a third La Nina, especially if it brings substantial deluges that damage crops.
Many are wondering what recent research suggesting La Ninas could become the norm in eastern states might mean for them.
The study by UNSW suggests climate change is slowing down the conveyor belt of ocean currents that carry warm water from the tropics up to the North Atlantic.
It found the potential collapse of this system - called the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) - would shift the Earth's climate to a more La Nina-like state.
Tandarra beef farmer John Twigg said while this could be good for some, residents in NSW and Queensland were copping the brunt of La Nina.
"If we keep getting seasons like this it's good...," Mr Twigg said.
"There's a lot of moisture around and at the moment that's great for us, but if you get metres of rain like them, it's just not feasible."
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