Southern NSW emerges as the raining champion

THE Murray River separated the good from the ordinary in terms of rainfall this year.

Parts of drought ravaged NSW have had relief after some good rains .

THE Murray River separated the good from the ordinary in terms of rainfall this year.

Bureau of Meteorology figures reveal that while several centres in northwest Victoria struggled to achieve half their average rain during the year, large swathes of southern NSW, the North East and East Gippsland defied the strongest El Nino pattern in decades to record a wetter-than-normal 12 months.

In southern NSW, Wagga Wagga recorded 646.6mm of rain this year, or 113 per cent of its average 570.9mm long-term average. The nearby centre of Narrandera recorded 485mm or 111 per cent of its average, followed by Cooma (595.5mm or 110 per cent), Griffith (435.2mm or 108 per cent), Hay (372mm or 101 per cent) and Albury (621.6mm or 101 per cent).

Hay’s achievement was all the more remarkable given it recorded no rain at all during March.

Victorian centres recording a wetter-than-average year included­ Yarrawonga, which received­ 485.6mm or 104 per cent of its long-term average, Orbost (853.4mm or 101 per cent) and Bairnsdale (652.6mm or 101 per cent). At the other end of the scale, rainfall in parts of northern and western Victoria were well down on average thanks mostly to a dry spring that forced many farmers to cut their grain crops for hay and cart water for thirsty livestock.

Echuca fared the worst, recording just 56 per cent of its average rain with 239.7mm.

Swan Hill recorded just 183mm or 61 per cent of its total, followed by Horsham (229.6mm or 63 per cent), Warrnambool (578.8mm or 64 per cent), Ballarat (453mm or 66 per cent) and Lake Eil­don (584.4mm or 69 per cent).