Sub-tropical Ridge (STR)
Meat & Livestock Australia October 20, 2023
The Sub-tropical Ridge (STR) is a band of high pressure that influences seasonal weather variability across Australia.
During summer the STR is positioned to the south of Australia and brings dry, warm and stable weather conditions. This can have a significant impact on farming across southern Australia, as it can lead to drought conditions, water shortages and reduced crop yields. We may need to adopt strategies such as irrigation, crop rotation and soil conservation to cope with these conditions.
The following video explains the impact of STR and how it behaves.
Key points
- The STR is a band of high pressure which blocks cold fronts in summer, leading to dry and stable weather.
- Between November and April each year, the STR sits across southern Australia creating a hot, dry climate.
- The STR begins to move north from March/April, allowing cold fronts to return to southern parts of Australia.
- Recently, the STR has shown increased strength due to rising average global temperatures, leading to longer periods of hot, dry weather and later autumn breaks.