MEDIA RELEASE - ISSUED 4^th APRIL 2001

Statement on Drought for the 12 & 14-month periods ending 31^st March 2001

Little change in W.A. & Queensland rainfall deficits

The Bureau of Meteorology announced today that rainfall during March had little effect on the patterns of rainfall deficiencies in either southwest W.A. or southeast Queensland. However, above average falls in Tasmania were sufficient to ease the situation in the southeast of that state.

Twelve-month deficits from April to March persist in southern Western Australia in a band stretching from near Carnarvon to Albany and Esperance (see first map below). Another month of below average rainfall in March caused a minor expansion of the affected area.

Deficiencies for the 14 months from February 2000 to March 2001 remain in southeast Queensland over a region of the Darling Downs stretching northwest from Warwick (see second map below). March rainfall in this region was patchy and variable but was mainly within about 20% of the long-term average.

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
Lowest on record - lowest since at least 1900 when the data analysed begin

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