Areas of Victoria still waiting for autumn break well into June

A wet week is forecast across most of Victoria but one cropping area still waiting on their autumn break may miss out.

Rainfall of more than 150mm is forecast for parts of Victoria this week, but cropping areas still waiting on a break may miss out.

Parts of southeast Australia are on track to receive more than 150mm of rain this week as other regions continue to wait for the all-important autumn break – two weeks into winter.

According to the Bureau of Meteorology’s eight-day rainfall outlook, areas of East Gippsland and the high country could receive between 100mm and 200mm over the next week, with handy falls of more than 25mm predicted for much of the North East, central Victoria and the Western District.

Most of the Wimmera and Mallee, however, can expect just 1-10mm. Farmers in the major grain growing districts are waiting on a good soaking to kick-start their winter cropping programs following a drier-than-average autumn during which some centres recorded just 13mm of rain or 20 per cent of what they would normally expect.

While there were some handy falls on Monday as the rain band crossed the state, farmers said there was not enough for it to be considered a seasonal break. Stawell recorded 10mm in the 24 hours to 9am yesterday with Horsham and Kanagulk each measuring 9mm and Charlton and Hopetoun both picking up 7mm,

According to BOM’s seasonal report released last week, rainfall totals for autumn were below to very much below average across large parts of western Victoria, with Mallee receiving less than 40 per cent of its autumn average.

Autumn was also drier than average in most of the North East, but wetter-than-average in Gippsland.

Balook in South Gippsland was Victoria’s wettest centre during autumn receiving 541.8mm.

Orbost recorded its wettest autumn on record with 292mm – breaking a 20-year record – while Sale, Darriman and Giffard recorded their wettest autumns in more than three decades.

Other good falls in the west of the state on Monday included 29mm at Portland, 26mm at Cape Nelson, 21mm at Dartmoor, 12mm at Mortlake and 10mm at Hamilton. In northern Victoria, Bendigo and Redesdale picked up 9mm and Kyabram recorded 7mm.

Meanwhile, the BOM’s climate outlook released last week pointed to above-average winter rain for much of eastern Australia. It said the El Nino-Southern Oscillation models were neutral but large parts of the eastern Indian Ocean were warmer than average, which could favour above-average rainfall for parts of Australia.