Southern NSW in seasonal box seat as SA, Victoria hit-and-miss

Southern NSW is in the seasonal box seat but South Australia and Victoria are feeling the effects of a lack of crucial autumn rain. See where the rain has and hasn’t fallen.

Southern and pastoral areas of NSW are in the box seat season-wise with some centres recording a year’s worth of rain during the first six months of 2024.

An analysis of more than 200 Bureau of Meteorology weather stations shows the likes of West Wyalong, Broken Hill, Hillston, Condobolin, Forbes and Lake Cargelligo are faring among the best of the southern winter rainfall-dominant centres when compared to the long-term average.

West Wyalong in the Riverina has already received its yearly average of 447mm, adding 47mm to the tank during June. Broken Hill has received 237mm so far this year or 95 per cent of what it would expect in 12 months.

Condobolin and Hillston are each tracking at 94 per cent of their yearly average with 376mm and 348mm respectively. Forbes has recorded 451mm or 91 per cent of its annual average followed by Lake Cargelligo with 377mm (90 per cent), Ivanhoe with 208mm (89 per cent), Dubbo with 482mm (87 per cent) and Hay with 296mm (81 per cent).

In Victoria, the best rain has fallen at Shepparton, which has recorded 313mm of rain for the year or 73 per cent of its average and Kerang with 244mm (66 per cent).

In the summer rainfall-dominant north, Victoria River Downs Station in the Northern Territory has received almost double or 192 per cent of its annual average rainfall total already. It has measured 1279mm so far this year, with 654mm of that fall during January and another 354mm during March.

Other northern centres to have recorded a significantly wetter start to the year include Tennant Creek (864mm or 185 per cent of its average) and Daly Waters in the Northern Territory (1141mm or 168 per cent), and the Queensland centres of Camooweal (674mm or 168 per cent) and Burketown (1269mm or 163 per cent).

On the flip side, parts of South Australia, Tasmania and western Victoria are doing it the toughest from a failed season with Kingston SE and Clare in South Australia recording just 15 per cent of its annual yearly rainfall total, with 86mm and 81mm respectively, while Coonawarra has measured just 90mm (16 per cent).

In Victoria, Casterton has recorded 120mm for the year or 18 per cent of its annual average after six months of the year, followed by Portland (193mm or 23 per cent), Hamilton (142mm or 23 per cent) and Ballarat (187mm or 27 per cent).

In Tasmania, King Island has recorded 165mm so far this year (19 per cent of its annual average) with Cape Grim and Flinders Island faring slightly better with 210mm (26 per cent) and 214mm (29 per cent) respectively.