National Water Account 2019

South East Queensland: Outlook for 2020 Account

as at 20 February 2020

  • Rainfall is likely to be below average during the 2019–20 year.
  • Inflows into the region's storages are expected to be below average, similar to last year.

 


 

For further information on the outlook for the region during the 2019–20 year scroll down this page or click on the links below:

 

Current water levels

  • Rainfall was below average across the region during July 2019–January 2020. Storage levels continued to steadily decrease during this 7-month period.
  • High rainfall in mid-February 2020 resulted in a rise in storage levels across the region.
  • Despite the rise in storage levels in February, storages were 64% full at 20 February 2020 compared to 69% at the same time last year.
  • More information on current storage levels in the region is available on the Bureau of Meteorology's Water Storage website.

 

Climate outlook

Map showing the chance of exceeding median rainfall for the South East Queensland region for March–May 2020
Figure S13 Chance of exceeding median rainfall for the South East Queensland region for March–May 2020

 

  • According to the Bureau of Meteorology's climate outlook (from 20 February 2020), rainfall is expected to be close to average during the next three months (March–May 2020).
  • Major climate drivers, including the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD), are expected to remain neutral through autumn.
  • Total annual rainfall for 2019–20 is likely to be below average for the fifth consecutive year.
  • Inflows into the region's storages for the 2019–20 year are expected to be below average, similar to 2018–19.

 

Future commitments

  • Water use is expected to be similar to 2018–19 due to the likelihood of similarly below-average rainfall conditions throughout most of the year.