Issued 6 February 2002
Deficiencies develop in northwest WA, northern NT & in NSW
The Bureau of Meteorology announced today that a slow onset to the monsoon had resulted in rainfall deficiencies developing across much of northwest Western Australia and the north of the Northern Territory. Some areas of rainfall deficit have also emerged in New South Wales over the same period.
3-month rainfall deficiencies
The greatest impact has been in the Pilbara and Gascoyne between Carnarvon and Port Hedland in the northwest of W.A. Most of this area has severe rainfall deficiencies for the three months with some large regions of lowest on record. Patches of serious or severe deficiencies are also evident near the remainder of the tropical W.A. coast as well as in some small areas of the Top-End of the N.T. The issue of rainfall deficits in southern W.A. will be re-examined at the end of autumn.
The November to January period has also been significantly drier than average in NSW, parts of the ACT and in far northwest Victoria. Serious deficiencies have developed in the region bounded by Canberra, Nowra, Cowra and West Wyalong, as well as to the west and southwest of Bourke in the far northwest of the State. Also, serious to severe rainfall deficiencies have developed near and to the northwest of Mildura.

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