The areas where above average rain fall is an 80 per cent chance

The nation’s weather forecaster has just released its predictions for above average rainfall for some areas coming into spring. See the sweet spots.

Predictions of above average rainfall in late winter and spring could change the farming fortunes of south-eastern Australia, if they materialise.

The Bureau of Meteorology this week released its climate outlook and said there was a 60-80 per cent chance of above average rainfall for most of eastern Australia.

And parts of northern Australia were also expected to receive high rainfall in August and September, traditionally the dry season which has low tallies.

The more immediate outlook from the BOM from July 21-August 3 forecasts all areas but the Mallee should have 10-15mm, but large areas of Victoria and the eastern Riverina are set for 15-25mm.

But the forecasts for the remainder of the country are not so certain, with most of Western Australia and eastern Tasmania, only having an equal chance of above or below average rainfall and a greater chance of below average rainfall in western Tasmania - an area which has been dry for some time.

Forecasts of rain will also be welcomed by irrigators, with dam levels needing to be replenished to ensure allocations lift.

Of the Murray storages, Dartmouth Dam is 66.7 per cent of capacity compared to 94.4 per cent last year, while Hume Dam is 41 per cent compared to 70 per cent last year.

Goulburn storages are also back, with Lake Eildon currently at 58 per cent capacity compared to 87 per cent 12 months ago.

In its wrap of the past month, the BOM said temperatures were lower than average for areas of south-eastern Australia including parts of Victoria.

Above average rainfall was received in south-western Victoria while soil moisture levels remain average or below average across much of the state.

In the past week, some of the best falls were in south-west Victoria with Portland receiving 38mm, Lorne 52mm, and Penshurst, which came on top of 104mm at that centre in June.

Other good falls include Mt Baw Baw with 53mm, Eurobin with 29mm and Boho with 19mm.

But key cropping areas missed out again on significant falls with Charlton receiving 6.2mm, Birchip 2mm and Sea Lake 3mm.

And in the far western Mallee, Murrayville received just 0.8mm for the week, bringing its total for this year to just 50mm.

Meanwhile feed created by rain and floods in western Queensland earlier in the year have created ideal conditions for some species of locusts.

A spokesman for the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry said there was likely to be high density populations of the spur throated locust in Queensland, while migratory locusts had been seen in swarms swarms in the Queensland regions of Emerald, Alpha, Clermont, Longreach, Muttaburra and Aramac areas.

“These adults are likely to lay eggs in these areas where vegetation and soil conditions are favourable for breeding, and some high-density nymphs are expected to hatch from late August onwards,” the spokesman said.

“Although these adults may fly some distances during daytime, they won’t be able to conduct any long-distance migration at night due to cold conditions and they are likely to remain in current infestation areas and adjacent regions.”

The spokesman said it was unlikely there would be significant locust swarms of any species this spring in Victoria, but small bands or swarms of plague locust could be seen in parts of NSW where spring rainfall was above average.