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The Bushfire and Natural Hazard CRC has this morning released the details of the latest bushfire outlook for Northern Australia.

The annual Northern Seasonal Bushfire Outlook for 2016 provides information to assist fire and land management agencies in making decisions on resource planning and prescribed fire management, to reduce the impacts of bushfire.

The outlook was produced following the Northern Australian Fire Managers Forum held in Alice Springs in June.

Many parts of far northern Australia had a weaker than normal wet season, with an exception being the southern Top End through to the South Australian border.

A notable feature has been record heat, with a mean temperature record set across northern Australia.

In Queensland, drought continues in many areas, but unseasonal rain has created enough growth to lead to increased fuel loads in some areas.

The Northern Territory has experienced diverse conditions, with record rainfall in some areas, and lowest on record in others. No areas are classified as above normal fire potential, with below normal fire potential assessed in some southern areas due to rain in recent months reducing the curing of vegetation.

Western Australia has no areas of above normal fire potential. The Pilbara and East Kimberley experienced a drier than normal wet season, resulting in normal to reduced grass fuel loads, while in the Central and West Kimberley, a mosaic of early dry season fire scars and late wet season burning has reduced the fuel loads.

Source: Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC. To view the full detailed outlook statement click here: www.bnhcrc.com.au/hazardnotes/18