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National Water Account 2020

Ord: Outlook for 2021 Account

as at 1 December 2020

  • Rainfall is likely to be above average during the 2020–21 wet season.
  • Inflows into the region's storages are expected to be higher than last year.

 


 

For further information on the outlook for the region during the 2020–21 year scroll down this page or click on the links below:

 

Current water levels

  • Little rainfall has fallen across the region during July–November 2020, which is typical for this time of the year. Storage levels have continued to steadily decrease during this 5-month period.
  • Storages were 28% full at 1 December 2020 compared to 42% full 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 Ord region for December 2020–February 2021
Figure S11 Chance of exceeding median rainfall for December 2020–February 2021

 

  • The next few months (December–February) are usually when about two thirds of the region's annual rainfall occurs. According to the Bureau of Meteorology's climate outlook (from 3 December 2020), rainfall is expected to be above average during this period.
  • The El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is currently in a La Niña phase and is expected to persist throughout the wet season.
  • Inflows into the region's storages for the 2020–21 year are expected to be above average and more than 2019–20.

 

Future commitments

  • Water use is expected to be less than 2019–20, primarily due to the likely improved rainfall conditions compared to last year.