Where the rain has fallen across eastern Australia in 2020

Parts of northern NSW that were in drought only months ago are leading the charge when it comes to rain in 2020, according to data from 170 weather stations. See where the rain has fallen.

PARTS of northern NSW that were in drought only months ago are leading the charge when it comes to rain in 2020, an analysis of data from more than 170 weather stations in eastern Australia has shown.

Of the 179 Bureau of Meteorology weather stations in southern Queensland, NSW, Victoria and South Australia monitored by The Weekly Times, nine have received more than 500mm, or 20 inches, of rain for the year with 72 topping 250mm. At the other end of the scale, 28 are yet to record 100mm of rain for the year.

The wettest centres have been in the northern NSW and southeast Queensland coastal hinterland with the small NSW dairying community of Dorrigo picking up a whopping 1165mm — or 1.17m — of rain in the past three months. Nambour, in the Queensland Sunshine Coast hinterland, has recorded 942mm of rain for the year.

West of the Great Dividing Range in NSW, the best falls have been at Coonabarabran, north of Dubbo, which has recorded 523mm of rain so far this year — 200mm more than it did for the whole of 2019 and 156mm more than in 2018.
Other centres in NSW to have already eclipsed their 2019 rain totals include Armidale with 456mm (compared to 315mm in 2019), Tamworth with 411mm (compared to 264mm in 2019) Warialda with 409mm (more than double the 190mm it received last year) and Guyra with 408mm (compared to 331mm).

Similarly in Queensland, Roma’s 409mm is more than double the 197mm it received last year and ahead of the 395mm it recorded in 2018. Charleville has received 375mm compared to 231mm last year, 230mm in 2018 and 175mm in 2017.

In Victoria, the wettest centres include the Latrobe Valley (250mm), Geelong (247mm), Lake Eildon (241mm), Redesdale (239mm), Yarram (237mm), Avalon (236mm), Castlemaine (223mm), Bairnsdale (221mm), Sale (209mm), Ballarat (207mm) and Rutherglen (205mm).
In South Australia, Mt Barker is leading the charge with 152mm, followed by Mt Gambier (140mm), Clare (103mm), Port Augusta (98mm), Lameroo (92mm), Karoonda (91mm), Coonawarra (87mm) and Kingscote on Kangaroo Island (87mm).
Of the 179 weather stations, Broken Hill in western NSW was the driest with just 21.8mm of rain falling for the year so far. Murray Bridge, east of Adelaide in South Australia, and Cummins on the Eyre Peninsula, have each recorded just 49mm.

RIGHT RAIN

2020 rainfall totals to 9am April 6

1. Dorrigo, NSW — 1165mm

2. Nambour, QLD — 942mm

3. Grafton, NSW — 858mm

4. Taree, NSW — 740mm

5. Lismore, NSW — 723mm

6. Sydney, NSW — 685mm

7. Brisbane, QLD — 646mm

8. Nowra, NSW — 622mm

9. Coonabarabran, NSW — 523mm

10. Beaudesert, QLD — 507mm

11. Taralga, NSW — 481mm

12. Armidale, NSW — 456mm

13. Rolleston, QLD — 445mm

14. Dunedoo, NSW — 431mm

15. Casino, NSW — 429mm

16. Woolbrook, NSW — 414mm

17. Pilliga, NSW — 412mm

18. Tamworth, NSW — 411mm

19. Roma, QLD — 409mm

20. Warialda, NSW — 409mm

21. Guyra, NSW — 405mm

22. Rockhampton, QLD — 402mm

23. Merriwa, NSW — 402mm

24. Lithgow, NSW — 400mm

25. Inverell, NSW — 392mm

26. Orange, NSW — 389mm

27. Maitland, NSW — 385mm

28. Mitchell, QLD — 384mm

29. Wellington, NSW — 376mm

30. Charleville, QLD — 375mm

31. Moss Vale, NSW — 374mm

32. Glen Innes, NSW — 368mm

33. Narrabri, NSW — 357mm

34. Quirindi, NSW — 355mm

35. Barraba, NSW — 349mm

36. Murrurundi, NSW — 348mm

37. Bundaberg, QLD — 348mm

38. Melbourne, VIC — 347mm

39. Collarenebri, NSW — 346mm

40. Surat, QLD — 346mm

41. Mudgee, NSW — 340mm

42. Dubbo, NSW — 336mm

43. Blackall, QLD — 336mm

44. Texas, QLD — 333mm

45. Emerald, QLD — 333mm

46. Moree, NSW — 330mm

47. Tenterfield, NSW — 324mm

48. Stanthorpe, QLD — 320mm

49. Toowoomba, QLD — 317mm

50. Coonamble, NSW — 317mm

51. Gunnedah, NSW — 314mm

52. Braidwood, NSW — 313mm

53. Goondiwindi, QLD — 307mm

54. Monto, QLD — 303mm

55. Oberon, NSW — 297mm

56. Parkes, NSW — 297mm

57. Miles, QLD — 292mm

58. Scone, NSW — 291mm

59. Applethorpe, QLD — 291mm

60. Condobolin, NSW — 288mm

61. Biloela, QLD — 285mm

62. Trangie, NSW — 283mm

63. Mungindi, NSW — 280mm

64. Bathurst, NSW — 271mm

65. Warwick, QLD — 261mm

66. Taroom, QLD — 260mm

67. Thargomindah, QLD — 258mm

68. St George, QLD — 254mm

69. Springsure, QLD — 253mm

70. Forbes, NSW — 252mm

71. Dalby, QLD — 251mm

72. Latrobe Valley, VIC — 250mm

73. Geelong, VIC — 247mm

74. Girilambone, NSW — 245mm

75. West Wyalong, NSW — 242mm

76. Lake Eildon, VIC — 241mm

77. Redesdale, VIC — 239mm

78. Brewon, NSW — 238mm

79. Yarram, VIC — 237mm

80. Avalon, VIC — 236mm

81. Goulburn, NSW — 236mm

82. Meandarra, QLD — 233mm

83. Cowra, NSW — 231mm

84. Canberra, ACT — 227mm

85. Gatton, QLD — 226mm

86. Tumbarumba, NSW — 225mm

87. Castlemaine, VIC — 223mm

88. Bairnsdale, VIC — 221mm

89. Bega, NSW — 220mm

90. Mt Hope, NSW — 220mm

91. Walgett, NSW — 220mm

92. Narrandera, NSW — 217mm

93. Tambo, QLD — 217mm

94. Albury, NSW — 216mm

95. Peak Hill, NSW — 216mm

96. Cootamundra, NSW — 213mm

97. Sale, VIC — 209mm

98. Ballarat, VIC — 207mm

99. Rutherglen, VIC — 205mm

100. Omeo, VIC — 202mm

101. Temora, NSW — 198mm

102. Hillston, NSW — 197mm

103. Dirranabandi, QLD — 196mm

104. Gundagai, NSW — 195mm

105. Young, NSW — 195mm

106. Lightning Ridge, NSW — 192mm

107. Bendigo, VIC — 190mm

108. Gabo Island, VIC — 190mm

109. Yarrawonga, VIC — 188mm

110. Cobar, NSW — 187mm

111. Wangaratta, VIC — 185mm

112. Barcaldine, QLD — 185mm

113. Gelantipy, VIC — 182mm

114. Longreach, QLD — 182mm

115. Benalla, VIC — 178mm

116. Shepparton, VIC — 172mm

117. Griffith, NSW — 172mm

118. Grenfell, NSW — 166mm

119. Bourke, NSW — 165mm

120. Echuca, VIC — 163mm

121. Cunnamulla, QLD — 161mm

122. Mortlake, VIC — 160mm

123. Deniliquin, NSW — 157mm

124. Lake Cargelligo, NSW — 156mm

125. Wagga Wagga, NSW — 155mm

126. Birdsville, QLD — 153mm

127. Mt Barker, SA — 152mm

128. Tocumwal, NSW — 151mm

129. Kerang, VIC — 148mm

130. Hopetoun, VIC — 147mm

131. Warrnambool, VIC — 142mm

132. Charlton, VIC — 141mm

133. Mt Gambier, SA — 140mm

134. Cooma, NSW — 140mm

135. Westmere, VIC — 140mm

136. Ivanhoe, NSW — 135mm

137. Bombala, NSW — 129mm

138. Ararat, VIC — 128mm

139. Casterton, VIC — 127mm

140. Horsham, VIC — 123mm

141. Portland, VIC — 122mm

142. Wilcannia, NSW — 121mm

143. Nhill, VIC — 119mm

144. Hamilton, VIC — 117mm

145. Walpeup, VIC — 114mm

146. Balranald, NSW — 109mm

147. Longerenong, VIC — 108mm

148. Stawell, VIC — 106mm

149. Hay, NSW — 106mm

150. Ouyen, VIC — 104mm

151. Clare, SA — 103mm

152. Port Augusta, SA — 98mm

153. Lameroo, SA — 92mm

154. Karoonda, SA — 91mm

155. Edenhope, VIC — 89mm

156. Coonawarra, SA — 87mm

157. Kingscote, SA — 87mm

158. Swan Hill, VIC — 87mm

159. White Cliffs, NSW — 86mm

160. Warracknabeal, VIC — 82mm

161. Menindee, NSW — 81mm

162. Strathalbyn, SA — 78mm

163. Morgan, SA — 74mm

164. Kingston SE, SA — 71mm

165. Edithburgh, SA — 70mm

166. Adelaide, SA — 69mm

167. Mildura, VIC — 68mm

168. Cleve, SA — 63mm

169. Tibooburra, NSW — 63mm

170. Meningie, SA — 62mm

171. Kadina, SA — 61mm

172. Loxton, SA — 60mm

173. Renmark, SA — 60mm

174. Keith, SA — 57mm

175. Naracoorte, SA — 54mm

176. Eudunda, SA — 52mm

177. Cummins, SA — 49mm

178. Murray Bridge, SA — 49mm

179. Broken Hill, NSW — 22mm