Weekly Rainfall Update
for 7 days to 9am 9th February 2010

Product Code: IDCKGFWA00

Commentary on Recent Rainfall

For the week ending 9th February 2010, rainfall was mostly recorded in northern and eastern Australia. As a low pressure system associated with the remnants of Tropical Cyclone Olga headed southwards through the week and weakened, it produced widespread heavy rainfall across Queensland and NSW, while a frontal system that crossed southeast Australia late last week also produced rainfall. This rainfall over eastern Australia has eased, and in some cases removed, long term rainfall deficits over southeast Queensland, and parts of southeastern Australia.

Falls in excess of 25 mm were widely recorded over most of Queensland, NSW, northern WA, the northern NT, eastern SA, and over areas of Victoria and Tasmania (see map below). Falls in excess of 120 mm were recorded over northern Tasmania, while the Kimberley region in WA and the Northeast District in Victoria saw falls reach 90 to 100 mm. The highest falls for the week were in the east, with Clagiraba in Queensland and Katoomba in NSW measuring 449 mm and 385 mm, respectively.

Falls of between 5 and 25 mm fell surrounding the heavier falls in the tropical north and eastern Australia, as well as in scattered parts of southern WA and western SA. Most of southern WA, western and southern SA, southern NT and western Queensland saw little or no rainfall at all.

Weekly Rainfall Map

larger colour map with place names | b/w map | larger b/w map with place names
WA | NT | Qld | NSW | Vic | SA | Tas
map information | quality control information

Impact of Recent Rains on Deficits

The Drought Statement issued on the 5th February 2010 discusses rainfall deficits over Australia for the 7 and 13-month periods ending 31st January 2010. The rainfall deficit maps are available for the 7-month and 13-month periods and are currently available for standard periods.

For the period from 1st July 2009 to 9th February 2010, rainfall in the past week over southeast Queensland and the south coast of NSW has eased and in some cases removed, deficits that existed for the period ending 2nd February. Rainfall deficient areas in the South Coastal District of WA, between Albany and Esperance remain similar to last week, having seen 50 to 80% of their estimated mean rainfall for the period. Further east, parts of southeast Queensland have recorded less than 60% of their mean rainfall in the worst affected areas and close to their average at other sites that had recorded deficits for the period ending 2nd February. A small area of the NSW south coast has seen between 60 and 90% of its mean.

For the period from 1st January 2009 to 9th February 2010, rainfall in the past week over the Riverina and South Coast Districts in NSW, the Gippsland region of Victoria, and over southeast Queensland has eased deficiencies in these regions. Deficiencies for southwest WA remain similar to last week. Rainfall deficient areas in the far southwest of WA, as well as southeast Queensland have measured 60 to 90% of their estimated mean rainfall for the period. Rainfall deficient areas in the far south east of Victoria, as well as the bordering regions of the NSW south coast have generally recorded 60 to 80% of their expected rainfall. Parts of the Riverina in NSW have also recorded low rainfall through the period, having seen between 60 and 70% of their mean rainfall.

Please Note: The Australian Bureau of Meteorology is not responsible for drought declarations. Drought declarations are the responsibility of the State Governments, and take account of other factors in addition to recent rainfall patterns. Some links to state government departmental web sites are given below.

Table of Highest Weekly Totals

The table below lists the highest rainfall totals for each state and territory for the past week. These are based on real-time rainfall reports, and only limited quality control has been performed on the data. Rainfall district names are given in parentheses. Please also note that some station names have been shortened by taking away words such as post office and airport. To view a map of the Bureau of Meteorology rainfall districts click here. In creating the weekly rainfall map, the automated analysis technique averages the rainfall observations onto 25 km squares. Consequently entries in the table below may be higher than the rainfall ranges shown on the map for those locations.

Some Useful Links

• maps of recent rainfall ( month to date totals - issued daily )
• rainfall deficiencies statement ( archive ) - issued monthly
• three-month rainfall probabilities ( archive ) - issued monthly
• ENSO Wrap-Up

External Sites

• Drought Situation Reports for Queensland - issued by the State of Queensland Department of Natural Resources, Mines and Water
• Areas of NSW suffering drought conditions - maps produced by the State of New South Wales Department of Agriculture
• Drought Information for Victoria - information prepared by the State of Victoria Department of Primary Industries
• Dry Season information in WA - prepared by the State of Western Australia Department of Agriculture and Food
• Drought Information for Tasmania - information prepared by FarmPoint