Weekly Rainfall Update
for 7 days to 9am 21 May 2013

Weekly Rainfall Map

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

Table of Highest Weekly Totals

State Weekly Rainfall Bulletins (updated daily):

Northern WA | Southern WA | NT | Queensland | NSW/ACT | Victoria | SA | Tasmania

The table above 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 rainfall recorded at sites across Australia is analysed onto grids and diplayed as a map. In data-rich areas, such as southeast Australia, or in regions with strong rainfall gradients, such as across mountain ranges, "data smoothing" may occur, resulting in gridpoint values differing from the exact rainfall amounts measured at the contributing stations.

Commentary on Recent Rainfall

For the week ending 21 May 2013 rain was recorded in all States and Territories. At the beginning of the week, a cut off low brought rain to southern Victoria and northern Tasmania, while a surface trough generated rain and thunderstorms in northwest WA. An upper level trough and associated cloud band also produced rain in eastern Queensland during the first half of the week, with a cold front generating rain in southwest WA midweek. A complex system of lows and surface troughs developed over western WA at the end of the week, with a band of rain extending between northwest WA and northwest SA, in addition to generating further falls along the WA south coast.

The highest weekly rainfall total was 241 mm, recorded at Cygnet Bay in northwest WA; a large part of the Kimberley coast recorded weekly totals of 100 to 300 mm. Falls greater than 50 mm were also recorded in parts of northwest and southwest WA, in the southwest NT, in northern Tasmania and southern Victoria, and in the Rockhampton region of Queensland.

Falls of between 15 and 25 mm were recorded across most of the Kimberley and Pilbara regions of WA, extending into much of western central Australia, in addition to much of southern coastal WA and parts of the Top End of the NT. Falls greater than 15 mm were also recorded across most of Tasmania, southern and northeast Victoria, southeast SA, the alpine regions of NSW, and along much of the eastern coast and adjacent inland of Queensland between Cairns and Hervey Bay.

Falls of between 5 and 15 mm were recorded surrounding areas of higher falls and much of the remaining areas of WA, in addition to parts of central and southern SA. Most of NSW, southern and western Queensland, and the eastern NT recorded little or no rainfall during the week.

Impact of Recent Rainfall on Deficits

The Drought Statement, issued on 2 May 2013, discusses rainfall deficits over Australia for the 7-month, 9-month and 13-month periods ending 30 April 2013. The rainfall deficit maps are available for the 7-month, 9-month, and 13-month periods as well as for standard periods.

The maps below show the percentage of mean rainfall that has been received for the rainfall deficit period for the 7-month, 9-month and 13-month periods ending 21 May 2013. Only the areas that experienced serious or severe rainfall deficiencies for the corresponding period ending 30 April 2013 are analysed, the rest of the map is masked in grey shading.

Rainfall to date for 7-month period	Rainfall to date for 9-month period

Rainfall to date for 13-month period

Rainfall for period 1 October 2012 to 21 May 2013

For the period 1 October 2012 to 21 May 2013, rainfall during the past week has resulted in a further easing of rainfall deficiencies in western Victoria and southeast SA, most of which has recorded between 30 and 70% of normal rainfall. Rainfall deficiencies in central Queensland remain similar to last week.

Rainfall for period 1 August 2012 to 21 May 2013

For the period 1 August 2012 to 21 May 2013, 9-month rainfall deficiencies remain similar to last week across most of the affected regions of SA and NSW, while deficiencies have eased somewhat along the south coast.

Rainfall for period 1 April 2012 to 21 May 2013

For the period 1 April 2012 to 21 May 2013, recent rainfall has resulted in a slight easing of 13-month rainfall deficiencies in coastal regions while deficiencies further inland remain similar to last week. Much of northwest Victoria, pastoral SA and southwest WA have recorded between 30 and 60% of normal rainfall for this period.

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 in the right hand column.