MEDIA RELEASE - ISSUED 3^rd AUGUST 2000

Statement on Drought for the 6 & 46-month periods ending 31^st July 2000

Rainfall deficiencies expand in Queensland but ease in southern Australia

The Bureau of Meteorology's Deputy Director (Services), Dr Geoff Love, said today that July rainfall helped to ease short term rainfall deficiencies (6 months) in southern Australia, but was insufficient to prevent an expansion of the rainfall deficient region in southeast Queensland. However, there was little if any change in the pattern of long-term deficiencies dating from late 1996.

Above average rainfall in July in the southwest of Western Australia and the east of Tasmania brought about an easing and contraction of rainfall deficiencies dating from February this year. The pattern of rainfall deficiencies for the six months from 1/2/00 to 31/7/00 is shown in the first map below. However, in southeast Queensland below average July rainfall caused deficiencies to intensify and expand in that region.

Very long-term deficiencies (46 months from October 1996) persist over an area extending from the southern Eyre Peninsula in South Australia to Sale in eastern Victoria, and also in northern and eastern Tasmania (see second map below). In some of these regions the rainfall has been lowest on record for such a period. Also, relatively small areas on the Queensland coast between Rockhampton and Bundaberg have serious rainfall deficiencies for this 46-month period.

There will be no further statements about rainfall deficiencies in southern Victoria and southeastern Tasmania dating from April 1999, as these areas are essentially covered by the very long-term deficiency period.

Rainfall deficiency maps for standard periods (3, 6, 9, 12, 18, 24 and 36 months) are updated monthly on the Bureau's web site, at http://www.bom.gov.au/cgi-bin/silo/rain_maps.cgi .

Note: The terms used to describe rainfall in these Drought Statements have the following meanings -

Well below average - rainfalls in the lowest 10% of historical totals
Below average - rainfalls in the lowest 30% of historical totals, but not in the lowest 10%
Average - rainfalls in the middle 40% of historical totals
Above average - rainfalls in the highest 30% of historical totals, but not in the highest 10%
Well above average - rainfalls in the highest 10% of historical totals
Serious deficiency - rainfalls in the lowest 10% of historical totals, but not in the lowest 5%
Severe deficiency - rainfalls in the lowest 5% of historical totals

For more information regarding this rainfall deficiencies statement, please contact the following climate meteorologists during normal business hours (EST) Monday to Friday: