Rain goes missing across Victoria’s grain belt

UPDATE: MORE than 50mm of rain fell across areas of Gippsland yesterday, with more forecast today.

Gippsland gets a soaking

UPDATE: MORE than 50mm fell across areas of Gippsland yesterday, with more forecast today.

The highest totals are expected in the Snowy, Cann and Genoa catchments while lesser falls are expected in the Mitchell and Tambo catchments.

Southern Rural Water is releasing water from Cowwarr Weir (4550 megalitres per day) and Narracan (10,000 megalitres per day), while the release from Lake Glenmaggie remains at 3500 megalitres per day.

The Bureau of Meteorology said there were “significant stream rises” with minor flooding likely to develop.

There are moderate flood warnings for the Latrobe River and a minor flood warning for the Snowy River.

There is a flood watch for east Gippsland (Mitchell, Tambo, Snowy, Cann and Genoa rivers and Gippsland Lakes).

There is also a flood watch for west and south Gippsland (Latrobe, Thomson, Macalister, Avon and South Gippsland rivers and Gippsland Lakes)

Gippsland rainfall totals for the 24 hours for 9am today include: Traralgon 42mm, Warragul 33mm, Sale 53mm, Latrobe Valley 41mm, Balook 65mm, Genoa 64mm, Lakes Entrance 48mm and Buchan 23mm.

Western Victoria again missed out on rain, although the bureau is today forecasting the likelihood of totals of 10-20mm in the Wimmera on Tuesday and Wednesday next week.

The parched southwest received some welcome falls last night with 10mm at Bacchus Marsh.

Other Victorian totals include: Flowerdale 16mm, Kilmore 16mm, Omeo 16mm, Inverleigh 10mm, Coleraine 4mm, Penshurst 6mm, Woodend 14mm, Shepparton 8mm, Stanhope 4mm, Benalla 11mm, Kerang 6mm, Kyabram 5mm and Yarrawonga 4mm.

Meanwhile, on Thursday morning a Donald grain grower woke to find 8mm of rain in his gauge.

“It was a welcome surprise. The forecasters were off again weren’t they?” he said.

The young farmer, who The Weekly Times has chosen not to identify, said all the state’s grain growers were watching the forecasts intently.

The Bureau of Meteorology issued its latest climate outlook yesterday saying there was an increased chance of a wetter-than-average season over much of southern and central WA, the southern NT, SA and extending into parts of western NSW, Victoria and Queensland.

In far north Queensland, spring is likely to be drier than average.

Most of eastern Australia has a roughly equal chance of a wetter or drier season, the bureau said.

“Even one good shower at this stage of the game can make all the difference,” the Donald farmer said.

There was little of the promised rain anywhere else across the Victorian grain belt yesterday where crops are “still holding on” while waiting for the critical finishing spring rain.

The bureau forecast showers and the chance of thunderstorms in the northwest on Wednesday.

A few drops at Mildura and 2mm at Walpeup was the only sign of rain.

Swan Hill had 1mm and Ultima 0.6mm.

Away from the Mallee, the southern Wimmera did best of all with that 8mm from Donald also being recorded at Warracknabeal.

Birchip had 10mm and some farms in the Charlton area had about the same, although the town recorded 7mm.

Central Victoria mostly missed out again with 0.8mm at Rochester.

Casterton recorded 0.2mm, Skipton 4mm and Mortlake 1mm, but there was little else in the west.

Shepparton had 3mm, Barnawartha 20mm, Albury 11mm, and Cheshunt 24mm as the northeast had some good falls.

Rutherglen had 20mm overnight and Lake Eildon 12mm.

Warragul had 9mm, Traralgon 6mm and Thorpdale 12mm as Gippsland continued to rack up rain.

Across in the Riverina, the past week has seen 43mm in Broken Hill, 3mm at Balranald, Pooncarie 31mm, Wagga Wagga 31mm and Hay 20mm.

River officials already expect the heavy rain across NSW’s south coast will do little to bolster Murray-Darling Basin storages, now about half full.

The bureau is now saying the best chance for early spring rain for western and central Victoria will come on Tuesday or Wednesday next week.

But even at this early stage, rain totals are expected to be low.