Predicted storms to boost totals as the north measures big

Up to 180mm of rain has fallen in different parts of northern NSW, while another week of wet weather is on the way.

Storms over the next week could play havoc with harvest, but boost pastures and confidence across eastern Australia.

Big rain totals of more than 50mm are forecast across large parts of Queensland, NSW and Victoria over the next seven days as part of a late spring storm surge.

The predicted rain comes as an analysis by The Weekly Times of more than 200 weather stations across Australia shows a big variance in year-to-date rain.

The better-performing centres in the south during 2023 have included Rutherglen, which has already recorded more than its annual rainfall with 643mm including a welcome 65mm in October that topped up crops. Other southern centres to have already eclipsed their annual average totals include Ivanhoe NSW (295mm), Albury (707mm) and Shepparton (462mm).

The big hitter nationally is Camooweal, in Queensland, which has measured 705mm to date this year — representing 176 per cent of its annual rainfall.

Rain gauges are expected to fill in the next few days. Picture: Heidi Lewis

But not all areas of Queensland have been so fortunate, with Roma recording less than 10mm from August to October, though it picked up 23mm in the recent rainfall.

NSW agronomist Tony Lockrey, of Moree, said there had been falls between 10 and 180mm in his region in a 24-hour period earlier this week.

The heaviest falls had been in the Mungindi, Boomi, Garah and Ashley areas, which had received 60-120mm.

East and west of Moree measured 20-50mm, but just 10-15mm fell around Bellata.

He said the rain was almost perfect timing as harvest was all but finished. “Grain quality, yields and cash flow from the winter crop were not affected,” Mr Lockrey said.

“Areas receiving more than 60-70mm in the past three falls over the past two weeks will have linked the soil planting moisture up to the deeper stored flood moisture from November last year. This allows planned summer cropping to proceed.”

Mr Lockrey said dryland cotton and sorghum had been sown in the past week into good moisture or patchy conditions “in case this forecast would eventuate”.

“This rain will secure those crops and allow more plantings to kick off once paddocks are trafficable, so we are organising seed on farms for this to proceed,” he said. “There is definitely a spring in the step today with the prospect of another crop and associated cash flow from the rain.”