Rainfall Update

For the week to 30 March 2021, rainfall was recorded in the Kimberley and inland Pilbara in Western Australia; northern parts and the Simpson District in the Northern Territory; much of the southern half of South Australia; northern, central and south-eastern parts of Queensland; eastern New South Wales extending to the western Slopes and plains; eastern and southern Victoria, and Tasmania.

In the early part of the week, a surface trough across inland Queensland extended west through the base of the Top End in the Northern Territory to the Kimberley in Western Australia. A deepening low pressure system and associated cold front was located in inland eastern New South Wales. As the trough in southern inland Queensland moved east off the coast, the low and associated cold front tracked south-east through eastern New South Wales, eastern Victoria and Tasmania. Another cold front immediately tracked over southern Victoria and Tasmania.

Thunderstorms and showers with moderate rainfall totals were recorded in the Kimberley in Western Australia, the Top End, the coastal Carpentaria and the Simpson desert in the Northern Territory, and areas across Queensland particularly in the north-west, tropical north and central coasts, and south-eastern parts of the state.

Widespread moderate rainfall totals were observed in eastern New South Wales, eastern and southern Victoria, and Tasmania. Some heavier falls with daily totals in excess of 100 mm were recorded in south-eastern New South Wales, south Gippsland in Victoria, and the north coast in Tasmania. Light falls were recorded in south-eastern South Australia.

In the middle of the week, a trough extended from the eastern Gulf of Carpentaria to the north tropical coast of Queensland and triggered thunderstorms and showers, with moderate rainfall totals recorded in the Gulf Country and northern Goldfields districts. Very heavy daily falls in excess of 100 mm were recorded in the southern North Tropical Coast District in Queensland.

In the south, a trough moved across South Australia to produce light to moderate rainfall across the western Agricultural and central Pastoral districts. A pair of weak cold fronts moved across the far south-east of Australia, and produced light to moderate rainfall in western and northern Tasmania, southern and eastern Victoria, and south-east South Australia.

At the end of the week, a trough inland from the west coast of Western Australia produced thunderstorms in the state's north-west and south-west, with moderate rainfall totals across the inland Pilbara District.

Rainfall totals in excess of 100 mm were reported in south-eastern New South Wales, south and west Gippsland in Victoria, the west and east coasts of Tasmania, the north tropical coast and south-east of Queensland, and the north-western Top End in the Northern Territory. Gray in the East Coast of Tasmania recorded the highest weekly rainfall of 335 mm, and Cardwell Range in Queensland's north tropical coast came in second with 317 mm.

Rainfall totals between 50 mm and 100 mm were recorded in the west Kimberley, the Top End, the north and along eastern Queensland, in the north-east and south-east of New South Wales, eastern Victoria, and much of Tasmania.

Rainfall totals between 10 mm and 50 mm were recorded across inland parts of the east Pilbara and the Kimberley in Western Australia; across most of the northern half, and the northern Simpson District in the Northern Territory; much of northern and eastern Queensland, as well as the state's west and central areas; the western Agricultural and southern Pastoral districts in South Australia; much of the southern and eastern Victoria, and Tasmania.

Impact of recent rainfall on deficits

Rainfall deficits over Australia for the 11-month (April 2020–February 2021) period are discussed in the Drought Statement, issued on 5 March 2021.

Rainfall deficit maps are available for this period as well as for standard periods. The map below shows the percentage of mean rainfall that has been received for the rainfall deficit period starting April 2020 and extended to the week ending 30 March 2021.

Rainfall for the period 1 April 2020 to 30 March 2021

Serious or severe rainfall deficiencies for the 11-month period April 2020 to February 2021 are in place in Western Australia in north-eastern parts of the South West Land Division (SWLD), the south-eastern Gascoyne, and adjacent parts of the Goldfields District. Serious to severe rainfall deficiencies also extend across an area of the south-eastern quarter of Queensland covering the Capricornia, Wide Bay and Burnett, and Central Highlands and Coalfields districts, and the south-east apart from the coastal strip.

Rainfall in the past week has eased deficiencies slightly in some affected areas in Queensland.

Affected areas in Queensland and have generally received less than 80% of their average for the period. Some inland areas of Western Australia have received less than 50% of their average for the period, while areas in south-west Western Australia have generally received average rainfall totals.