Deficiencies ease following a wet November

For the 6-month period from June to November 2007 an area of serious to severe rainfall deficiencies covered much of central and northeast SA, together with patches in the southern NT, southwest Queensland, southern NSW, Victoria, scattered parts of WA and an area in eastern Tasmania. Large areas of lowest on record covered South Australia which has experienced its sixth driest winter-spring on record with a state-average of only 56 mm. Above to very much above average November rainfall resulted in the easing or removal of deficits across large parts of northern Victoria, western NSW and southwest Queensland in comparison with the situation at the end of October.

Rainfall deficiencies for the 7-month period from May to November 2007 were widespread across the southern half of Western Australia as May rainfall was also below average in this region. SA was also affected, but to a lesser extent than for the six-month period. There were relatively small areas of lowest on record in both WA and SA.

The deficiencies discussed above have occurred against a backdrop of multi-year rainfall deficits and record high temperatures that have severely stressed water supplies in the east and southwest of the country. Several years of above average rainfall are required to remove the very long-term deficits. Furthermore, the combination of heat and drought during the past five to ten years over the MDB and southeastern Australia, is outside the typical range of variability experienced during the previous 100 years.

For more information go to a recent Special Climate Statement on the six years of widespread drought in southern and eastern Australia, November 2001 to October 2007.