In vielen Orten fielen im Winter und Frühling die geringsten Niederschläge seit Beginn der meteorologischen Messungen und im November 1982 musste der Wasserverbrauch in Melbourne eingeschränkt werden. ###>In many places, rainfall over winter and spring had been as little as half the previous record low in a record dating back to the 1870s and severe water restrictions were imposed in Melbourne in November.