Rainfall 2022: Good follow-up rain forecast after widespread autumn break

After last week’s well-timed autumn break, there is more rain on its way for southeast Australia. See where it’s expected to fall.

A wet autumn for farmers in NSW is set to continue with major grain growing regions forecast to receive more than 50mm of rain in the next week.

Parts of Victoria, too, could be in for good follow-up rain following last week’s autumn break across much of the state with 25mm-plus on the horizon.

According to the Bureau of Meteorology’s eight-day outlook, the best rain is expected to fall in centralwest NSW and parts of the Western Division, which are expecting upwards of 50mm or two inches on the old scale. Most of the rest of the state is on track to receive at least 25mm.

In Victoria, the best rain is expected in the east of the state, with the North East, central Victoria and Gippsland tipped to receive more than 25mm. Areas of far western Victoria are forecast to receive 10-25mm. There is also good rain forecast for Queensland and Tasmania.

The forecast rain comes as good follow-up to last week’s break, with Victoria’s major grain growing regions benefiting from soaking falls that will help kickstart winter cropping programs.

The best rain was recorded in the Mallee, Wimmera and northern Victoria with the North East also picking up handy totals in the seven days to 9am Monday.

In the Mallee, Swan Hill picked up a whopping 69mm for the week with Ultima recording 40mm, Ouyen 39mm, Birchip 38mm, Sea Lake and Werrimull 37mm and Mildura and Annuello each measuring 31mm.

Jeparit topped the pops in the Wimmera with 42mm, ahead of Rupanyup (38mm), Warracknabeal (34mm) and Navarre (29mm) while the best falls in northern Victoria were at Stanhope (61mm), Rochester (60mm), Echuca (51mm), Kerang (49mm).

Across the Murray River in NSW, Wentworth picked up 51mm, Hillston 43mm, Cootamundra 38mm, Deniliquin 35mm, Griffith and Temora 34mm, Gundagai and Narrandera 33mm, Broken Hill 32mm and Balranald 31mm.

Meanwhile, recent rain has tipped an increasing number of centres over their long-term average totals within the first four months of the year. Nowra in NSW is leading the pack with 1364mm since January 1 representing 156 per cent of its long-term 12-month average. Other centres to have already recorded a wetter-than-average year include Broome in Western Australia (878mm or 141 per cent) and the NSW towns of Moss Vale (853mm or 125 per cent), Casino (1060mm or 103 per cent) and Grafton (1011mm or 103 per cent). Bega, on the NSW South Coast, is sitting on 99 per cent with 634mm of rain recorded since January 1.