Where the rain fell in 2020: NSW records big turnaround in season

Some parts of southeast Australia recorded five times more rain during 2020 than the previous year. We analyse more than 170 centres to discover where it fell and who missed out.

SOME parts of southeast Australia recorded five times more rain in 2020 than they did the previous year.

According to Bureau of Meteorology, most centres in southern Queensland, NSW, Victoria and South Australia’s South East recorded a wetter-than-average year as successive years of drought heartbreak in many areas were replaced by record-breaking bumper crops.

Of the 171 weather stations in southeast Australia monitored by The Weekly Times, 123 recorded a wetter-than-average year with 12 recording more than 50 per cent rain than normal.

The biggest turnaround in seasons was in NSW and Queensland with some centres recording their most rain since the flood year of 2010. Moree in northern NSW and Birdsville in southwest Queensland both recorded more than five times the amount of rain last year than they did in 2019 with Condobolin, Grafton, Walgett and Warialda in NSW each receiving more than four times more rain than in 2019.

Of the 171 monitored weather stations, Nowra on the NSW South Coast had the wettest year compared to its long-term average with 1673mm – or more than 90 per cent more rain than normal. Moss Vale in the Southern Highlands measured 1186mm or 75 per cent more than it normally would.

In the state’s central west, Condobolin’s 670mm was 67 per cent more than it would normally expect while Forbes (794mm) and Coonabarabran (1062mm) recorded 65 per cent more rain than average.

Other significant totals were recorded at West Wyalong (709mm or 64 per cent more), Dunedoo (990mm or 63 per cent more) and Gunnedah (844mm or 60 per cent more).

The wettest centre in southern Queensland comparable to the long-term average was Birdsville with its 201mm for the year more than 50 per cent more than normal, followed by Thargomindah (321mm or 20 per cent more) and Blackall (520mm or 12 per cent more). South Australia’s wetter-than-normal centres included Port Augusta (319mm or 52 per cent more), Kingscote on Kangaroo Island (517mm or 17 per cent more) and Lameroo (355mm or 16 per cent).

In Victoria, the wetter-than-average centres included Avalon (609mm or 34 per cent more), Nhill (443mm or 33 per cent more), Ararat (758mm or 30 per cent more), Geelong (669mm or 28 per cent more) and Hopetoun (372mm or 27 per cent more).

Grain Growers Limited chairman Brett Hosking said while there were isolated pockets of eastern Australia, including in Queensland’s Darling Downs region, that missed out on the rain, the bumper year provided a well-overdue boost to farmer confidence after years of devastating drought.

“In the main it was a great year,” Mr Hosking said. “There’s been some great yields. Harvest is still going in some of the southern cropping zones and I’ve heard of canola crops going six tonnes to the hectare, which is just phenomenal.”

National Farmers’ Federation vice president David Jochinke, of Murra Warra north of Horsham, said crop yields in his part of the Wimmera were “absolutely solid”, edging out a “cracking season” in 2019 to be the best since 2010. He said some wheat crops in the district were averaging up to 6.8 tonnes/ha and “there was a lot of talk about three tonnes/ha lentils”.

“We saw absolutely incredible wheat yields,” Mr Jochinke said. “It is not too often that wheat outyields barley in our neck of the woods and it did so convincingly this year.

2020 VISION
2020 rainfall as a percentage of its long-term average

1. Nowra, NSW – 1673mm (192% of long-term average)

2. Moss Vale, NSW – 1186mm (175%)

3. Condobolin, NSW – 670mm (167%)

4. Forbes, NSW – 794mm (165%)

5. Coonabarabran, NSW – 1062mm (165%)

6. West Wyalong, NSW – 709mm (164%)

7. Dunedoo, NSW – 990mm (163%)

8. Gunnedah, NSW – 844mm (160%)

9. Grafton, NSW – 1528mm (155%)

10. Birdsville, QLD – 201mm (154%)

11. Port Augusta, SA – 319mm (152%)

12. Ivanhoe, NSW – 349mm (151%)

13. Merriwa, NSW – 916mm (148%)

14. Lismore, NSW – 1705mm (147%)

15. Armidale, NSW – 1089mm (147%)

16. Braidwood, NSW – 909mm (145%)

17. Tamworth, NSW – 894mm (145%)

18. Taralga, NSW – 1152mm (144%)

19. Dubbo, NSW – 793mm (143%)

20. Narrabri, NSW – 771mm (143%)

21. Goulburn, NSW – 763mm (143%)

22. Wellington, NSW – 873mm (142%)

23. Bega, NSW – 888mm (141%)

24. Parkes, NSW – 870mm (140%)

25. Taree, NSW – 1519mm (139%)

26. Narrandera, NSW – 591mm (138%)

27. Young, NSW – 798mm (136%)

28. Canberra, ACT – 790mm (136%)

29. Hillston, NSW – 496mm (135%)

30. Avalon, VIC – 609mm (134%)

31. Mt Hope, NSW – 514mm (134%)

32. Walgett, NSW – 554mm (134%)

33. Nhill, VIC – 443mm (133%)

34. Wilcannia, NSW – 348mm (133%)

35. Mudgee, NSW – 864mm (133%)

36. Scone, NSW – 781mm (132%)

37. Temora, NSW – 687mm (131%)

38. Dorrigo, NSW – 2436mm (131%)

39. Bathurst, NSW – 780mm (130%)

40. Pilliga, NSW – 720mm (130%)

41. Ararat, VIC – 758mm (130%)

42. Coonamble, NSW – 670mm (129%)

43. Trangie, NSW – 631mm (128%)

44. Geelong, VIC – 669mm (128%)

45. Cootamundra, NSW – 734mm (127%)

46. Hopetoun, VIC – 372mm (127%)

47. Mortlake, VIC – 729mm (127%)

48. Orange, NSW – 1111mm (126%)

49. Tibooburra, NSW – 226mm (126%)

50. Woolbrook, NSW – 961mm (125%)

51. Cobar, NSW – 404mm (122%)

52. Sydney, NSW – 1471mm (121%)

53. Collarenebri, NSW – 598mm (121%)

54. Lithgow, NSW – 1038mm (121%)

55. Shepparton, VIC – 522mm (121%)

56. Thargomindah, QLD – 321mm (120%)

57. Melbourne, VIC – 775mm (120%)

58. Oberon, NSW – 997mm (119%)

59. Grenfell, NSW – 737mm (119%)

60. Barraba, NSW – 817mm (119%)

61. Hay, NSW – 434mm (118%)

62. Bendigo, VIC – 595mm (118%)

63. Cowra, NSW – 753mm (118%)

64. Deniliquin, NSW – 423mm (118%)

65. Murrurundi, NSW – 975mm (117%)

66. Warrnambool, VIC – 852mm (117%)

67. Castlemaine, VIC – 687mm (117%)

68. Moree, NSW – 652mm (117%)

69. Kingscote, SA – 517mm (117%)

70. Albury, NSW – 705mm (117%)

71. Peak Hill, NSW – 654mm (117%)

72. Griffith, NSW – 460mm (117%)

73. Lameroo, SA – 355mm (116%)

74. Warialda, NSW – 788mm (115%)

75. Bourke, NSW – 340mm (115%)

76. Balranald, NSW – 371mm (115%)

77. Hamilton, VIC – 704mm (115%)

78. Redesdale, VIC – 663mm (115%)

79. Wagga Wagga, NSW – 653mm (114%)

80. Inverell, NSW – 873mm (113%)

81. Maitland, NSW – 929mm (113%)

82. Echuca, VIC – 477mm (112%)

83. Blackall, QLD – 530mm (112%)

84. Yarrawonga, VIC – 515mm (112%)

85. Edithburgh, SA – 419mm (111%)

86. Casterton, VIC – 720mm (110%)

87. Mt Gambier, SA – 783mm (110%)

88. Casino, NSW – 1134mm (110%)

89. Kerang, VIC – 409mm (110%)

90. Guyra, NSW – 978mm (109%)

91. Lake Eildon, VIC – 925mm (109%)

92. Lake Cargelligo, NSW – 454mm (109%)

93. Horsham, VIC – 397mm (109%)

94. Strathalbyn, SA – 454mm (109%)

95. Cooma, NSW – 573mm (108%)

96. Westmere, VIC – 629mm (108%)

97. Bairnsdale, VIC – 687mm (108%)

98. Rolleston, QLD – 685mm (108%)

99. Brisbane, QLD – 1091mm (107%)

100. Glen Innes, NSW – 924mm (107%)

101. Sale, VIC – 626mm (106%)

102. Swan Hill, VIC – 319mm (106%)

103. Portland, VIC – 887mm (106%)

104. Nambour, QLD – 1803mm (105%)

105. Birchip, VIC – 370mm (105%)

106. Tumbarumba, NSW – 1023mm (105%)

107. Wycheproof, VIC – 395mm (105%)

108. Mitchell, QLD – 596mm (105%)

109. Menindee, NSW – 255mm (105%)

110. Emerald, QLD – 567mm (104%)

111. Latrobe Valley, VIC – 764mm (104%)

112. Meningie, SA – 487mm (104%)

113. Longerenong, VIC – 430mm (104%)

114. Roma, QLD – 582mm (104%)

115. Mt Barker, SA – 787mm (103%)

116. Rutherglen, VIC – 600mm (103%)

117. Cummins, SA – 431mm (103%)

118. Morgan, SA – 276mm (103%)

119. Charleville, QLD – 499mm (103%)

120. Bombala, NSW – 562mm (101%)

121. Coonawarra, SA – 569mm (101%)

122. Clare, SA – 545mm (101%)

123. Mungindi, NSW – 502mm (100%)

124. Omeo, VIC – 628mm (98%)

125. Goondiwindi, QLD – 627mm (98%)

126. Ouyen, VIC – 322mm (98%)

127. St George, QLD – 450mm (98%)

128. Loxton, SA – 248mm (97%)

129. Karoonda, SA – 328mm (96%)

130. Tocumwal, NSW – 431mm (96%)

131. Benalla, VIC – 645mm (96%)

132. Ballarat, VIC – 660mm (96%)

133. Stanthorpe, QLD – 732mm (96%)

134. Murray Bridge, SA – 334mm (96%)

135. Renmark, SA – 222mm (95%)

136. Naracoorte, SA – 461mm (95%)

137. White Cliffs, NSW – 238mm (95%)

138. Miles, QLD – 499mm (95%)

139. Charlton, VIC – 397mm (95%)

140. Cleve, SA – 332mm (94%)

141. Toowoomba, QLD – 655mm (94%)

142. Keith, SA – 428mm (93%)

143. Texas, QLD – 605mm (93%)

144. Surat, QLD – 528mm (92%)

145. Stawell, VIC – 432mm (92%)

146. Eudunda, SA – 406mm (91%)

147. Wangaratta, VIC – 550mm (91%)

148. Yarram, VIC – 657mm (91%)

149. Barcaldine, QLD – 449mm (90%)

150. Applethorpe, QLD – 671mm (89%)

151. Mildura, VIC – 254mm (89%)

152. Taroom, QLD – 585mm (88%)

153. Gabo Island, VIC – 818mm (87%)

154. Warracknabeal, VIC – 337mm (87%)

155. Longreach, QLD – 372mm (86%)

156. Rockhampton, QLD – 700mm (86%)

157. Edenhope, VIC – 524mm (85%)

158. Kingston SE, SA – 495mm (85%)

159. Tenterfield, NSW – 713mm (84%)

160. Adelaide, SA – 370mm (84%)

161. Gelantipy, VIC – 655mm (84%)

162. Dalby, QLD – 496mm (84%)

163. Biloela, QLD – 485mm (83%)

164. Warwick, QLD – 560mm (81%)

165. Cunnamulla, QLD – 296mm (79%)

166. Springsure, QLD – 544mm (79%)

167. Monto, QLD – 533mm (72%)

168. Broken Hill, NSW – 174mm (70%)

169. Tambo, QLD – 368mm (69%)

170. Bundaberg, QLD – 655mm (65%)

171. Gatton, QLD – 455mm (59%)

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