Relief for farmers as storm cell brings rain

FARMERS in drought-ravaged regional NSW are hoping to receive the first considerable rainfall in months as a storm cell passes through the area. Showers that hit Sydney this morning though will clear up this afternoon.

Sam McBeath

3 min read

August 6, 2018 - 10:44AM

Sprinkling of rain offers minor relief for some New South Wales farmers

NSW

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FARMERS in drought-ravaged regional NSW are hoping to receive the first considerable rainfall in months as a storm cell passes through the area, with further cold fronts expected to skim across the south over the next two days.

Facing one of the driest winters on record with approximately 99 per cent of the state covered by one of the three drought categories — 40 per cent drought-affected, 44 per cent in drought and 15 per cent in intense drought — the desperation for rainfall is heightening in regional NSW, and this morning the skies opened, albeit briefly.

Farmers struggling through the drought could get some much-needed rain. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

Facing one of the driest winters on record with approximately 99 per cent of the state covered by one of the three drought categories. Picture: Dannika Bonser

Up to 2 millimetres of rain has fallen on Tamworth and surrounding towns like Narrabri in the last hour with meteorologists hopeful that up to 10mm could fall by the end of today — making it the biggest rainfall in the area in months.

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Bathurst and Orange have also received steady rainfall.

“At the moment there is a band of showers and rain activity and embedded in that band are a few thunderstorms,” said BOM meteorologist Gabrielle Woodhouse.

“In terms of rainfall around the northern slopes since overnight we have had a couple of millimetres throughout the region,” Ms Woodhouse said.

Other towns in the drought-ravaged North West Slopes and Plains like Walgett and Narrabri have received much needed rain this morning as a result of these thunderstorms with Walgett receiving almost 2.5mms since 9am.

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Suffering regions in the Central West are also receiving the first taste of rain in a long time with parched towns like Dubbo, Parkes, Forbes and Coonamble are all experiencing morning showers.

The Riverina region and South West Slopes are also experiencing much-needed showers.

Unfortunately the small amount of rainfall has not extended to the far west of NSW, with towns like Broken Hill receiving a forecast of “dusty and dry”.

Ms Woodhouse said the tiny figures would do little to alleviate drought-affected farmers.

Showers are expected across most of greater Sydney this morning however the wet weather will be short-lived with most regions clearing by this afternoon.

Sydney’s CBD has seen a few light showers. Picture: John Grainger

Sydney’s CBD will see a few light showers in the morning and will be partly cloudy and windy, with a high temperature of 20 degrees.

Up to about a millimetre of rain is expected to fall in the CBD.

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Bondi has a 40 per cent chance of rain which is also expected to clear by the afternoon, with strong winds of up to 40km/h also forecast for the middle of the day.

Areas in Sydney’s west like Penrith, Blacktown and Parramatta have seen similar forecasts with early rain expected to clear after lunch and max temperatures of about 19 to 20 degrees.

The rain will subside across the greater Sydney area for the rest of the week with chances of showers on the weekend.

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