Drought Statement

MEDIA RELEASE - ISSUED 4th OCTOBER 2001 Statement on Drought for the 5, 7 & 10-month periods ending 30th September 2001 Deficiencies continue to affect W.A., Queensland and Victoria The Bureau of Meteorology announced today that rainfall deficiencies expanded in southern Victoria following below average September rainfall. There was little change to the patterns of deficiencies affecting southeast Queensland and the west of Western Australia. The first map below shows the regions in southern and western W.A. that have serious to severe deficiencies for the seven-month period from March to September. Rainfall was generally average to above average during September across much of the affected region, but there was little change in the extent or intensity of the deficiencies. In some places, totals were the lowest on record for this particular period. Most of this area also experienced rainfall deficiencies during the 2000 growing season. There was little change in the pattern of Queensland rainfall deficits which reflect continued below average falls following poor summer rains. For the ten months from December 2000 to September, serious to severe rainfall deficiencies affect most coastal areas from Rockhampton to the NSW border, as well as a broad sweep of country centred on a line from Roma to Gladstone. Very much below average September rainfall in Victoria's East Central and Western & Southern Gippsland districts resulted in a re-intensification of rainfall deficiencies near and to the east of Melbourne. Serious to severe deficits exist for the five months from May to September. Melbourne's water reserves remain severely depleted after nearly five years of generally below average rainfall. 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: Grant Beard on (03) 9669 4527 Robert Fawcett on (03) 9669 4603

Click on the map for full resolution.
A black and white version is also available.


Click on the map for full resolution.
A black and white version is also available.


Click on the map for full resolution.
A black and white version is also available.