Drought
Rainfall deficiencies and water availability

Rainfall deficiencies persist in Tasmania, emerge near the west coast of Western Australia

May rainfall was below to very much below average across much of Western Australia, with large areas along the west coast and in the interior in decile 1 (lowest 10% of historical observations). Rainfall was also below average for large areas of South Australia in the west, south, and central east; northwestern New South Wales; and for much of Victoria away from the west, northern country, and far east. Following below average rainfall near the west coast of Western Australia in April, deficiencies are now emerging.

The Northern Territory, the northern Kimberley, and parts of northwestern to central northern Queensland also observed below average rainfall for the month, but May forms the first month of the dry season for northern Australia, and average rainfall is typically low for the months May to September. While areas of southwestern Queensland and the southeastern Northern Territory experienced a dry end to the wet season; significant rainfall totals are not likely before the return of the wet season.

3-month rainfall deficiencies

The west of Western Australia has experienced below average rainfall for both April and May, seeing the emergence of serious and severe rainfall deficiencies for the 3-month period in a broad area between Exmouth and the region north of Perth. Serious rainfall deficiencies have also emerged in pockets of the southern South West Land Division in Western Australia and on the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia. The Climate Outlook for June to August indicates that a drier than average winter is likely across the south of both Western Australia and South Australia.

In Tasmania rainfall deficiencies remain at the 3-month timescale, covering the western highlands region.

NULL

Soil moisture

Soil moisture in the lower layer (from 10 cm to 100 cm deep) decreased for May compared to April across the west and south of Western Australia, the Northern Territory, western Tasmania, and eastern New South Wales. Soil mositure increased across the interior of Western Australia and central South Australia.

Soil moisture for May was below average for the South West Land Division, western Gascoyne and western Pilbara in Western Australia; the Eyre Peninsula and pockets around Gulf St Vincent in South Australia; western and southern Tasmania; and a large area extending through the southeast of the Northern Territory and Queensland's west and the Maranoa and Warrego district.

Soil moisture for the month was above average for most of the Kimberley and the interior of Western Australia; the Top End and adjacent north of the Northern Territory; the south of the Cape York Peninsula in Queensland and an area of the east coast extending from around Townsville in northern Queensland to northeastern New South Wales; western and southern Tasmania; and across an area extending from central South Australia through the southwest of New South Wales and the western half of Victoria.

• May rainfall was below average for most of Western Australia, large parts of South Australia and Victoria, and northwestern New South Wales
• Serious to severe rainfall deficiencies are present at the 3-month timescale near the west coast of Western Australia, the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia, and the western highlands of Tasmania
• Soil moisture is below average across the west of Western Australia, much of inland Queensland and western parts of the Northern Territory, the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia, and western Tasmania