It's Going To Be A Hot Summer!

With meteorological indicators pointing towards a positive Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) and El Niño year, Australian pool owners are facing the prospect of a very hot and dry end to the year. 

If you haven’t heard of the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) before, you’re not alone. The Indian Ocean climate event isn’t as well known as its Pacific Ocean counterpart, El Niño, but it should be!

Just like the Pacific, the Indian Ocean also experiences alternating phases of sea surface temperatures.

In most years, conditions are neutral, but occasionally, prolonged periods of either warmer or cooler weather manifest in the Indian Ocean.

Although IOD events are shorter in duration than El Niño and La Niña in the Pacific, they can be more severe in intensity. When the IOD is positive, as we’re experiencing now, conditions often get very dry in Australia. This is because precipitation follows the warming waters around the Horn of Africa, while moving away from the cooling waters of Indonesia. 

Approximately half of all positive IOD events also coincide with El Niño, and when they do, their effects tend to be amplified. Unfortunately, it appears that the drying effect of both El Niño and the positive IOD may coincide this spring.

The Bureau of Meteorology is closely monitoring the situation and is expected to declare El Niño soon. If this happens, it’ll be the first time that we’ve experienced El Niño and a positive IOD together in 8 years. In previous years when this phenomenon has occurred, Australia has experienced widespread droughts and strict water restrictions. 

With increased evaporation is likely to be an issue, it’s a good time to talk to your clients about taking some practical steps to mitigate water loss and control household expenses. 

Investing in a pool cover is a simple solution that can help them to significantly reduce water loss and running expenses. With our pool covers capable of preventing up to 99% of evaporation, they could potentially save up to 10,000L of water a month!

Plus, we’ve developed our covers for Australian conditions, making them a durable option for protecting pools from debris and the harsh UV rays of the sun. This will help you clients to spend less time and money on chemicals and cleaning, and more time on enjoying their pool. 

Want to learn more about the benefits of our pool cover range? Check out our training resources on the dealer portal. If you haven't already registered for a login, reach out to your Daisy representative or contact Daisy HQ at [email protected] to get set up today.