MEDIA RELEASE - ISSUED 3^rd MAY 2001

Statement on Drought for the 13 & 15-month periods ending 30^th April 2001

Further worsening of W.A. rainfall deficits

The Bureau of Meteorology announced today that below average rainfall during April caused a worsening of the rainfall deficiencies in southwestern W.A. There was little change in a smaller and less intense region of deficits in southeast Queensland.

The period of severe rainfall deficiencies in Western Australia has now extended to 13 months after April rainfall was less than 20% of the long-term average across much of the southwest. For the period from April 2000 to April 2001, deficits exist in southern Western Australia in a band stretching from near Carnarvon in the north, to Albany and Esperance in the south (see first map below). A large area in the south of the affected region has recorded lowest on record for this particular 13-month period.

Deficiencies for the 15 months from February 2000 to April 2001 remain in southeast Queensland over a region of the Darling Downs stretching northwest from Warwick (see second map below). April rainfall in this region was generally close to the long-term average which meant there was little change in the affected area.

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: