Perth: Outlook for 2021 Account
as at 1 February 2021
- Rainfall is likely to be below average during the 2020–21 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 2020–21 year scroll down this page or click on the links below:
Current water levels
- Rainfall was below average across the region during July 2020–January 2021.
- At 1 February 2021, storages were 44% full compared to 45% 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
Figure S14 Chance of exceeding median rainfall for the Perth region
for February–April 2021
- According to the Bureau of Meteorology's climate outlook (from 28 January 2021), rainfall is expected to be close to average during the next three months (February–April 2021).
- The El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is currently in a La Niña phase and is expected to persist until early autumn. The Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD), which tends to have a larger influence on rainfall across the Perth region during the summer–autumn months than ENSO, is also likely to remain neutral through early autumn.
- Total annual rainfall for 2020–21 is likely to be below average and total inflows into the region's storages are expected to be similar to 2019–20.
Future commitments
- Water use is expected to be similar to 2019–20 due to the likelihood of similar rainfall conditions across the region to last year.