We break down areas worst hit by drought in the past one, two years

Parts of Victoria and South Australia have recorded their lowest rainfall on record in the past 24 months. Discover which regions are under the most pressure.

Southwest Victoria and parts of South Australia’s Eyre and Yorke peninsulas have recorded their lowest rainfall on record over the past 12 and 24 months, highlighting the extent of southern Australia’s deepening drought.

In Victoria, Warrnambool and surrounding districts stand out as the driest in the state, while in South Australia, areas around Ceduna and Kyancutta have received some of the lowest totals ever recorded.

The past few seasons has been tough for many farmers across all states of Australia, for varying reasons. Costs have risen for all, and commodities prices have been on a wild ride.

Some areas, such as Queensland, were hit by massive floods. Others have had below average rainfall and then out-of-season downpours.

The latest drought statement, released this week by the Bureau of Meteorology, reports that

persistent low rainfall conditions have affected much of southern Australia.

“Since early 2023, rainfall deficiencies — totals in the lowest 5 per cent since 1900 — have developed in Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania,” the BOM stated.

“Rainfall deficiencies have been especially significant in regions with western-facing coastlines, including the southeast of SA.

“During this time, soil moisture content, runoff, streamflow and water storage levels have all decreased across much of southern Australia.”

In addition, for Tasmania, January to April rainfall was 48 per cent below the 1961–1990 average, the driest start to the year on record since the national dataset began in 1900.

The BOM also stated that regarding climate change, there had been a “shift towards drier conditions across southern Australia, especially for the cool season months from April to October” and the “declining trend in rainfall is associated with a trend towards higher surface atmospheric pressure in the region and a shift in large-scale weather patterns”.

Many farmers, including Scott Harlock at Bool Lagoon, in South Australia, agree they have noticed the rainfall patterns have been “out of whack”, with rain arriving outside the normal growing season, making it less useful for production systems geared around annual production cycles.

But talking drought, there is no arguing with the raw numbers.

According to data crunched for The Weekly Times by the weather bureau, we break down the driest of the dry regions in the hardest hit areas of Victoria and SA over both the past 24 months, and the last 12.

Victoria – 24 months from 1 May 2023 to 30 April 2025

Severe deficiency:

* Most of the South West district and parts of southern Mornington Peninsula extending towards Wonthaggi.

Lowest on record:

* Warrnambool and surrounding districts.

In the past 24 months rainfall totals were:

Warrnambool Airport: 1000.6mm

Port Fairy: 1008.0mm

Mortlake Racecourse: 899.6mm

12 months from 1 May 2024 to 30 April 2025

Severe deficiency:

* Most of the South West and Wimmera districts and parts of central and west and south Gippsland districts.

Lowest on record:

* Warrnambool

In the past 12 months rainfall totals were:

Warrnambool Airport: 454.2mm

Port Fairy: 453.6mm

Mortlake Racecourse: 389.6mm

South Australia – 24 months from 1 May 2023 to 30 April 2025

Severe deficiencies:

* Most of the West Coast, Eastern Eyre Peninsula, Lower Eyre Peninsula, Mid North, Yorke Peninsula, Kangaroo Island, Mount Lofty Ranges, Adelaide Metropolitan, Murraylands and South East, as well as southern Flinders and Riverland districts.

Lowest on record:

* Ceduna, an area south of Kyancutta, south of Kadina, between Clare and Adelaide.

In the past 24 months rainfall totals were:

Ceduna: 298.8mm

Kyancutta: 368.9mm

Clare: 650.4mm

Elliston: 660.2mm

12 months from 1 May 2023 to 30 April 2025

Lowest on record:

* Around Ceduna and Elliston, parts of eastern Eyre Peninsula, most of York Peninsula, between Clare and north of Adelaide and around Murray Bridge.

In the past 12 months rainfall totals were:

Ceduna: 128.6mm

Clare: 278.0mm

Kyancutta: 154.4mm

Elliston: 291.0mm