Weekly Australian Climate, Water and Agricultural Update, 8 May 2025

Key issues

• In the week ending 7 May 2025 low-pressure systems and troughs brought rainfall to parts of the north, south and east of the country.
  • Rainfall totals were low in many cropping regions, with northern Queensland receiving 5- 15 millimetres, while remaining areas receiving 0-10 millimetres.
• Over the coming eight days, rainfall is expected across limited parts of eastern Australia.
  • Little to no rainfall is expected across all cropping regions.
  • A continued lack of rainfall will likely delay the germination of dry sown winter crops in south-eastern growing regions where upper layer soil moisture is low.
• Pasture growth for the three months to April 2025 has been mixed across Australia. Above average rainfall totals resulted in average to extremely high pasture growth across much of northern Australia and parts of eastern Australia. However, scattered areas of below average to extremely low pasture growth were also recorded across parts of southern, western, and eastern Australia.
• Soil moisture models indicate low soil moisture levels across large areas of south-eastern Australia, with above average soil moisture modelled in Queensland, the Northern Territory, Western Australia and northern New South Wales.
• The national rainfall outlook for June to August 2025 indicates an increased probability of above median rainfall across much of central and western Australia. Lower than average rainfall is expected some eastern and southern regions.
  • If realised, the expectation of close to average June to August 2025 rainfall across most winter cropping regions is likely be sufficient to support the establishment and growth of winter crops.
• Water storage levels in the Murray-Darling Basin (MDB) increased between 1 May 2025 and 8 May 2025 by 45 gigalitres (GL). Current volume of water held in storage is 11,806 GL, equivalent to 53% of total storage capacity. This is 29 percent or 4,736 GL less than at the same time last year. Water storage data is sourced from the Bureau of Meteorology.
• Allocation prices in the Victorian Murray below the Barmah Choke increased from $258 on 1 May 2025 to $343 on 8 May 2025. Due to the relaxing of constraints for trade between regions, prices are equal in the Murrumbidgee and VIC Murray Below.