Huge variations in rainfall across the state for winter

It’s proved to be a winter for discontent for large areas of southeastern Australia where only isolated pockets have recorded their average rainfall.

It’s proved to be a winter for discontent for large areas of southeastern Australia where only isolated pockets have recorded their average rainfall.

And while weather stations are the official record of what has fallen, the patchiness of the season means even those measurements are not universal in that district.

While Albury, NSW, has officially recorded 151mm, just 45km away at Brocklesby, there’s been just 70mm for the whole of winter.

In centres monitored by The Weekly Times, Gippsland had some of the most reliable falls: Bairnsdale had 185mm, or 123 per cent of their normal winter rainfall, Sale recorded 119mm or 96 per cent of what it normally expects over the colder months and the Latrobe Valley had 163mm, 85 per cent compared to average winters.

The biggest winter rainfall totals were at Lake Eildon with 209mm, followed by Hamilton with 169mm, falls which have changed the fortunes of those in that area after a tough autumn.

Winter 2024 rainfall across the south.

But it’s not been such good news everywhere, with Wangaratta recording 116mm or 63 per cent of normal winter rain, and in the west, Horsham rain totals were 60mm or 49 per cent of what they usually record in the area. Mildura had one of the lowest winter rainfall figures of just 44mm.

Myrtleford stock agent Dan Ivone said the winter was one of the toughest he could remember.

Some of his clients were weaning calves as young as three and four months, while others were hoping rain would come soon.

“We really need to get rain in the next two weeks to be able to grow feed,” Mr Ivone said.

“There’s no moisture in the ground and we have had no real rain over winter and nothing is on the forecasts.

“It’s not disastrous but we need to be cautious in what we do from now on.”

The dry winter was in stark contrast to last year, which was too wet and affected feed too, he said.

But the season could be about to change according to the nation’s weather forecaster.

In its latest long-term forecast, the Bureau of Meteorology has predicted spring will be wetter than normal.

The BOM said there was a 60-80 per cent chance there would be above average spring rain for most of eastern Australia.