Temperatures forecast to nudge 40C in parts of Victoria and NSW

CROP yields are expected to take a hit with the mercury forecast to nudge 40C in parts of southeast Australia this weekend.

23/10/2009 NEWS: General primary production on Yorke Peninsula, South Australia. Farming wheat crop near Ardrossan. View from ground of wheat crop and blue sky.

CROP yields are expected to take a hit with the mercury forecast to nudge 40C in parts of southeast Australia this weekend.

The NSW Riverina and Victoria’s Mallee, Wimmera and northern country are tipped to bear the brunt of the warmer temperatures — up to 12C above average for this time of year — which follow a drier-than-average start to spring in line with strong El Nino con­ditions in the Pacific Ocean.

Mildura is forecast to hit 36C on Saturday and 38C on Sunday and Monday. Ouyen is also going for 38C on Monday, with Swan Hill expecting 37C and Hay in NSW 36C.

Bureau of Meteorology duty forecaster Stephen King said the warmer temperatures were likely to persist into early next week, with minimal rain on the horizon. “On the back of a dry September, a hot start to October is not looking good,” Mr King said.

Rainfall figures show most centres struggled to record half their long-term averages during September. Some towns, such as Wangaratta in the North East and Sale in Gippsland, received less than a quarter of their normal September rain. Benalla recorded just 17.8mm or 28 per cent of its long-term average, followed by the Latrobe Valley (25.6mm or 33 per cent), Bega in NSW (11mm or 34 per cent) and Wagga Wagga in NSW (18.2mm or 37 per cent).

The best falls in Victoria were recorded across the major grain-growing regions but early in the month. Nhill picked up 25.2mm or 92 per cent of its long-term average. It was followed by Stawell (42.8mm or 87 per cent), Ararat (50.4mm or 84 per cent), Longerenong (31.2mm or 77 per cent) and Horsham (26.6mm or 71 per cent). Despite this, Victorian Farmers Federation president Peter Tuohey said parts of the state’s grain belt were “severely tonguing for rain”.

There have been reports of farmers already baling or turning sheep on to failed crops. “Things have started to fizzle up pretty quickly,” Mr Tuohey said.

Berriwillock grain grower Garry Bibby said his season “was not too bad” despite there being no subsoil moisture for his crops. “We have the chance of an average season if we get rain soon,” Mr Bibby said.

In its three-month climate outlook, released last week, the BOM said October to December was likely to be drier than average for southeast Aus­tralia.