The season is being quoted as ‘brilliant’ across the northern areas, with above average rainfall recorded through the winter, and reasonable falls continuing to keep the top soil moist enough for crops and emerging spring pasture.
In the Coonamble district, Delta sales consultant, Phil Skuthorpe said the country has been very wet for the past two and half months after a dry autumn.
“Most of the crops here are now well established, although there has been some damage due to water logging,” Mr Skuthorpe said.
“With another six mms yesterday, we are not looking for followup rains at the moment, and it looks as good as it ever could.
“The crops are showing great potential, and the season hasn’t looked better for a long time.”
The crops are showing great potential, and the season hasn’t looked better for a long time.
- Phil Skuthorpe
East in the Upper Hunter, conditions are also extraordinary for stock producers and croppers.
MacCallum Inglis, Scone, agronomist Dan Clydesdale reports ten mms rain yesterday in the Upper Hunter, with a forecast of 15-20 mms on Wednesday.
“We have had good rain through August, and pasture conditions are now as good as we could expect for this time of the year,” Mr Clydesdale said.
“The rain we have had with the forecast rain will set us up for a great spring after a very tough start.”
Spokesperson for the Bureau of Meteorology said rainfall is forecast across most of the state, with highest falls predicted in the north-east, northwest slopes and plains and western areas.
“The indication is for falls in those regions of 20 to 30mms, and in some places it could be higher, up to 100mm,” the spokesperson said.
“Across the Illawarra and some parts of the Central Coast could see falls of 30 to 60mms.”
In the northwest, conditions between Narrabri, Burren Junction and Moree, have been exceptionally wet during late winter, and predicted rain over the next couple of days will certainly add to an already full soil moisture profile.
Narrabri Farm Centre, agronomist, Alan Goode said 34mm rain was measured on Monday night in Narrabri, with lighter falls around Burren Junction and Gunnedah.
“The forecast is for heavier falls over the next few days, and with rainfall streaming across western Queensland, we are anticipating around 15 to 20mms Tuesday night and Wednesday,” Mr Goode said.
“Cereal crops are exceptional, and this rain will be good for the spring growth, and stock owners could not be happier with pasture growth.
“Unfortunately, there are areas which were too wet for farmers to get their full winter cereal program completed, but with a full moisture profile, many could be looking at increasing their summer cropping program.”
The season has never been better across the central west, according to JN Straney and Son, Condobolin. stock agent ‘Blue’ Reardon,.
“We had 12mms last week, and more rain is predicted over the next couple of days.”
Strong chance of a wet spring
New South Wales has a 75 per cent chance of more than 200 millimetres of rain falling across the state by the end of spring, according to newly available data from the Bureau of Meteorology.
New modelling available on the bureau’s web page says the prevailing negative Indian Ocean Dipole is having far more influence on eastern Australia’s weather patterns than the Pacific Ocean temperatures.
BOM forecaster Andrew Haigh said the was a fairly good chance of lower-than-average temperatures across NSW for the next three months.
He was quick to point out those conditions were for NSW, not the globe.
The whole of eastern Australia has a 65 to 80 per cent chance of above average rainfall, but Western Australia was looking like it would not fare so well, with a strong chance of lower-than-average rainfall.
This month, the bureau's model suggests the Pacific may have reached borderline La Niña conditions.