Issued on 4 July 2001
Dry spell intensifies in southern W.A.
The Bureau of Meteorology announced today that autumn rainfall deficiencies in southern Western Australia intensified and spread around the southwest coast up into the Pilbara following very low rainfall in June. A large part of the southwest experienced its driest June in the last 100 years.
4-month rainfall deficiencies
Regions around Albany and Esperance extending northwards to the Goldfields and northwestwards to Carnarvon and beyond have serious to severe deficiencies for the four-month period from March to June. In some places, the four month totals were lowest on record. Much of this area also experienced rainfall deficiencies during the 2000 growing season as well.
Over the same period, serious to severe deficiencies also exist in an area extending from Canberra southeastwards to the NSW coast.

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7-month rainfall deficiencies
For the seven months December to June, serious to severe rainfall deficiencies exist in southern Queensland coastal districts from Marlborough to Gympie. An adjoining area stretching from Roma to Gladstone is also affected.
High June rainfall totals have largely removed the deficiencies in northwestern New South Wales however.

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