Weekly Australian Climate, Water and Agricultural Update, 3 July 2025

Key issues

• In the week ending 2 July 2025, troughs, frontals systems and an east coast low brought rainfall totals of up to 200 millimetres to parts of eastern Australia. High-pressure systems kept much of the remainder of Australia largely dry.
  • Across cropping regions, rainfall totals of between 5-50 millimetres occurred over scattered areas of north-eastern Queensland and eastern New South Wales. Other cropping regions were largely dry.
  • Heavy rainfall and damaging wind have impacted roads and infrastructure in the Hunter region, Sydney and the Illawarra, and South Coast regions of New South Wales. Until access to properties and damage assessments can be undertaken the full impact of flooding on agricultural production remains largely unknown.
• Over the coming eight days, rainfall is expected across much of southern Australia, while northern regions are likely to stay dry.
  • Cropping regions in Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria, and southern New South Wales are expected to record between 5-50 millimetres over the period. If realised, this should provide timely moisture to support the establishment and growth of winter crops across most southern cropping regions.
• Below average rainfall during June across parts of central Western Australia and the Mallee region of South Australia, would have provide sufficient rainfall to germinate dry sown crops but little follow-up moisture to support their establishment. Upper layer soil moisture in southern cropping regions has improved compared to May 2025, however lower layer soil moisture has remained below average to extremely low in many areas.
• Below average pasture growth for the three months to June 2025 across large areas of Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia, and north-western and southern New South Wales will likely see graziers in these regions actively destocking or becoming increasingly reliant on supplemental feed to maintain current stocking rates and production.
• Water storage levels in the Murray-Darling Basin (MDB) increased by 146 gigalitres (GL) between 26 June 2025 and 3 July 2025. The current volume of water held in storages is 13,146 GL, equivalent to 59% of total storage capacity. This is 24% or 4,171 GL less than 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 decreased from $301/ML on 26 June 2025 to $300/ML on 3 July 2025. Trade from Goulburn to the Murray is open. Trade downstream through the Barmah Choke is open. Trade from the Murrumbidgee to the Murray is open.