Rainfall deficiencies affect all states

The Bureau of Meteorology announced today that rainfall deficiencies continued in northwest W.A., eastern Queensland and around the N.S.W./S.A./Victoria border region following average to below average falls during April. This third area expanded extensively and a small area in the southeast of S.A. had the lowest rainfall on record for the five-month period from December to April.

There was also an increase in the rainfall deficiency near the coast in the sectors Cooktown to Townsville and Rockhampton to Grafton, and the emergence of a region of serious deficiency on the northwest coast of Tasmania. Rainfall deficiencies persisted in the far northern fringes of the Northern Territory.

For the three-month period from February to April, rainfall deficiencies are evident over most of Tasmania, much of southern South Australia, parts of western Victoria and some of coastal and far western Queensland. Parts of Tasmania and SA have registered record low rainfall for this three-month period.

Statements will no longer be Issued for the period beginning in November, as most of the areas of deficiency are smaller than, and contained within, the larger five-month areas.