News

June cloudband eases rainfall deficiencies

Beef Central, 11/06/2013

Above average rainfall in May and the first week of June has helped to ease drying conditions for many parts of the country, however large areas remain in need of a soaking to ease rainfall deficiencies.

Rainfall in May was generally above average across the northern half of Australia, while other areas including the south-eastern corner of WA and northern-western South Australia also benefited.

A significant northwest cloudband in the first few days of June brought substantial daily rainfall totals to parts of the northwest and southeast of the continent (Click on video below to view).

 

Up until that event, rainfall received for the nine months from October to May across a large area of inland Australia – taking in much of Queensland, NSW, Victoria, SA and the Northern Territory – had been 60pc below averages. However the rainfall received so far in June has halved that area.

The Bureau of Meteorology’s latest drought statement released late last week shows that rainfall deficiencies continue in western Queensland, southern Queensland, central New South Wales west of the Great Dividing Range, an area of the Nullarbor Desert on the South Australia/Western Australia border; and across most of Victoria and adjacent southeastern South Australia.

The majority of Victoria has received rainfall in the lowest 10pc of records for the October to May period, with 58pc of the State having had rainfall in the lowest 5pc of records.

In recent days a weak trough has brought rainfall to NSW's central west, with some places recording their highest June totals in almost 20 years.

Condobolin recorded 15.6mm to 9am, bringing the monthly June total to 89.4mm, the highest for the month since records began in 1994.

Forbes received 17.6mm overnight, bringing its June total to 92.6mm, which is currently the wettest June since 1996. It is also the highest monthly total in any winter month since 1996. 19.6mm fell in 24 hours to Parkes, making its June total 105.4mm, the most rain the town has seen in June since at least 1997.

WeatherZone’s Sam Brown said further rainfall was expected in the next few days as a low pressure system and trough moved over the region on Wednesday.

“Rainfall will resemble similar totals recently seen, with some areas potentially exceeding 25mm.

“These falls will bring a renewed supply of fresh water into the Murray-Darling Basin.”

Widespread rain and storms are also expected to move through South Australia in coming days, adding to recent rain.

The majority of agricultural regions in the state are expected to receive more than 5mm as a low pressure troughs combines with a low pressure system and moves east across the state, with totals likely to peak in central parts of the state.

 

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