Weekly update - 22 August 2019
Key issues
- During the week ending 21 August 2019 rainfall was mainly restricted to the south-west and far south of Australia. Little to no rainfall was recorded across the rest of the continent.
- Rainfall of between 10 to 50 millimetres was recorded across southern and central cropping regions in Western Australia. Following a dry start to August across these areas, this rainfall is likely sufficient to support crop and pasture growth through to the end of winter.
- Lighter falls of between 1 to 10 millimetres were recorded across winter cropping regions in far southern New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and remaining areas in Western Australia during the week ending 21 August 2019.
- Over the next eight days, a series of high-pressure systems are expected to persist over southern Australia, restricting the movement of rain-bearing systems across the continent and resulting in little to no rainfall forecast for most of the country.
- Across Australia’s winter cropping regions, the 8‑day rainfall forecast indicates that falls of between 5 and 10 millimetres is expected across the far south-west of Western Australia. Lighter falls of between 1 and 5 millimetres are forecast across south-eastern New South Wales, southern Victoria, central and south-eastern Queensland, southern South Australia and the remainder of Western Australia.
- Water storage levels in the Murray-Darling Basin (MDB) increased between 14 August and 20 August 2019 by 98 gigalitres (GL). Current volume of water held in storage is 10,046 GL which represents 40% of total capacity. This is 30% or 4,325 GL less than at the same time last year.
- Allocation prices in the southern Murray-Darling Basin decreased from $622 per ML on the 5 August 2019 to $620 per ML on 14 August 2019.
Climate
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Rainfall this week
During the week ending 21 August 2019 rainfall was mainly restricted to the south-west and far south of Australia. Little to no rainfall was recorded across the rest of the continent.
Rainfall of between 10 to 50 millimetres was recorded across southern and central cropping regions in Western Australia. Following a dry start to August in these areas, this rainfall is likely sufficient to support crop and pasture growth through to the end of winter.
Lighter falls of between 1 to 10 millimetres were recorded across winter cropping regions in far southern New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and remaining areas in Western Australia during the week ending 21 August 2019. Cropping regions across much of New South Wales and Queensland recorded little to no rainfall.
Rainfall for the week ending 21 August 2019
©Commonwealth of Australia 2019, Australian Bureau of Meteorology - Issued: 21/08/2019
Note: The rainfall analyses and associated maps utilise data contained in the Bureau of Meteorology climate database, the Australian Data Archive for Meteorology (ADAM). The analyses are initially produced automatically from real-time data with limited quality control. They are intended to provide a general overview of rainfall across Australia as quickly as possible after the observations are received. For further information go to Weekly Rainfall Update.
Temperature anomalies this week
For the week ending 20 August 2019, maximum temperatures were -2°C to -4°C below average across parts of Western Australia and minimum temperatures were - 2°C to -4°C below average across scattered parts of Australia. In contrast, maximum temperatures were 2°C to 6°C above average across south-eastern Australia. Average (- 2°C to 2°C) minimum and maximum temperatures were recorded across the remainder of the country.
Maximum temperature anomalies for the week ending 20 August 2019
©Commonwealth of Australia 2019, Australian Bureau of Meteorology - Issued: 20/08/2019
Minimum temperature anomalies for the week ending 20 August 2019
©Commonwealth of Australia 2019, Australian Bureau of Meteorology - Issued: 20/08/2019
Note: Spatial temperature analyses are based on historical weekly temperature data provided by the Bureau of Meteorology. These temperature anomaly maps show the departure of the maximum and minimum temperatures from the average over the 1961 to 1990 reference period. For further information go to Daily maximum temperature for Australia.
Rainfall forecast for the next 8 days
Over the next eight days, a series of high-pressure systems are expected to persist over southern Australia, restricting the movement of rain-bearing systems across the continent and resulting in little to no rainfall forecast for most of the country.
Rainfall of between 10 and 25 millimetres is forecast for parts of southern Victoria, the far south-west of Western Australia and parts of Tasmania. Rainfall of between 25 and 100 millimetres is forecast for the west of Tasmania.
In cropping regions, rainfall of between 5 and 10 millimetres is expected across the far south-west of Western Australia. Lighter falls of between 1 and 5 millimetres are forecast across south-eastern New South Wales, southern Victoria, central and south-eastern Queensland, southern South Australia and the remainder of Western Australia. Little to no rainfall is expected across remaining cropping areas of New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and South Australia.
Total forecast rainfall (mm) for the period 22 August to 29 August 2019
©Commonwealth of Australia 2019, Australian Bureau of Meteorology - Issued: 22/08/2019
Note: This rainfall forecast is produced from computer models. As the model outputs are not altered by weather forecasters, it is important to check local forecasts and warnings issued by the Bureau of Meteorology.
Commodities
Current indicators – 22 August 2019
| Indicator | Week ended | Unit | Latest price | Price week prior | Weekly change | Price 12 months prior | Year on year change | Chart |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Selected World Indicator Prices |
||||||||
| Australian Dollar – AUD/USD Exchange Rate | 21-Aug | US$/A$ | 0.68 | 0.68 | 0% | 0.73 | -7% |
chart |
| Wheat – US no. 2 hard red winter wheat, fob Gulf | 20-Aug | US$/t | 201 | 205 | -2% |
250 | -20% |
chart |
| Coarse Grains – US no. 2 yellow corn, fob Gulf | 21-Aug | US$/t | 158 | 169 | -7% |
163 | -3% |
chart |
| Canola – Rapeseed, Europe, fob Hamburg | 20-Aug | US$/t | 426 | 423 | <1% |
441 | -3% |
chart |
| Cotton – Cotlook 'A' Index | 21-Aug | USc/lb | 70.8 | 70.4 | <1% |
91.9 | -23% |
chart |
| Sugar – Intercontinental Exchange, nearby futures, no.11 contract | 21-Aug | USc/lb | 11.5 | 11.6 | <1% |
10.2 | 13% |
chart |
| Wool – Eastern Market Indicator | 15-Aug | Ac/kg clean | 1,513 | 1,676 | -10% |
2,116 | -28% |
chart |
| Wool – Western Market Indicator | 16-Aug | Ac/kg clean | 1,598 | 1,760 | -9% |
2,279 | -30% |
chart |
Selected domestic crop indicator prices |
||||||||
| Milling Wheat – ASW1, track quote, Port Adelaide, SA | 20-Aug | A$/t | 290 | 270 | 7% |
342 | -15% |
chart |
| Feed Wheat – General purpose, Sydney, NSW | 07-Aug | A$/t | 345 | 350 | -1% |
380 | -9% |
chart |
| Feed Barley – Sydney, NSW | 14-Aug | A$/t | 360 | 360 | 0% | 360 | 0% | chart |
| Grain Sorghum – Sydney, NSW | 14-Aug | A$/t | 325 | 325 | 0% | 410 | -21% |
chart |
Selected domestic livestock indicator prices |
||||||||
| Beef – Eastern Young Cattle Indicator | 15-Aug | Ac/kg cwt | 528 | 533 | <1% |
451 | 17% |
chart |
| Mutton – Mutton indicator (18–24 kg fat score 2–3), Vic | 16-Aug | Ac/kg cwt | 596 | 565 | 5% |
407 | 46% |
chart |
| Lamb – Eastern States Trade Lamb Indicator | 15-Aug | Ac/kg cwt | 834 | 851 | -2% |
813 | 3% |
chart |
| Pig – Eastern Seaboard (60.1–75 kg), average of buyers & sellers | 09-Aug | Ac/kg cwt | 379 | 375 | 1% |
247 | 53% |
chart |
| Goat – Eastern States (12.1–16 kg) | 19-Aug | Ac/kg cwt | 902 | 902 | 0% | 568 | 59% |
chart |
| Live cattle – Light steers ex Darwin to Indonesia | 17-Aug | Ac/kg lwt | 310 | 310 | 0% | 300 | 3% |
chart |
| Live sheep – Live wether (Muchea WA saleyard) to Middle East | 13-May | $/head | 135 | 110 | 23% |
95 | 42% |
chart |
Global Dairy Trade (GDT) weighted average prices a |
||||||||
| Dairy – Whole milk powder | 20-Aug | US$/t | 3,100 | 3,039 | 2% |
2,883 | 8% |
chart |
| Dairy – Skim milk powder | 20-Aug | US$/t | 2,478 | 2,482 | <1% |
1,951 | 27% |
chart |
| Dairy – Cheddar cheese | 20-Aug | US$/t | 3,857 | 3,838 | <1% |
3,484 | 11% |
chart |
| Dairy – Anhydrous milk fat | 20-Aug | US$/t | 5,061 | 5,246 | -4% |
5,321 | -5% |
chart |
a Global Dairy Trade prices are updated twice monthly on the first and third Tuesday of each month.
Selected world indicator prices
Selected domestic crop indicator prices
Selected domestic livestock indicator prices
Global dairy trade weighted average prices
Movements in selected fruit and vegetable prices
Data attribution
Water
Water storages, water markets and water allocations - current week
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