Weekly Australian Climate, Water and Agricultural Update, 2 April 2026

Key issues

• In the week ending 1 April 2026, Ex Tropical Cyclone (TC) Narelle brought heavy rainfall to Western Australia.
  • Severe weather and flood warnings remain in place in Queensland, and parts of the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales.
  • In southern cropping areas, falls are expected to support autumn pasture growth and boost soil moisture levels in the led up to winter crop planting.
• Over the 8 days to 9 April 2026, cold fronts are expected to bring rainfall to parts of the southeast and southwest:
  • Low rainfall totals (0-10 millimetres) are forecast for cropping regions in Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia, and Victoria.
  • Higher falls are forecast for much of Western Australia, with 10-50 millimetres forecast over the period.
• Rainfall was generally average to above average across Australia for March 2026, although below average to severely deficient rainfall was recorded in some isolated eastern areas, including parts of southeast Queensland and northern New South Wales, as well as Tasmania.
• Pasture growth for the three months to March 2026 has been mixed, with much of north-eastern and central Australia seeing robust pasture growth but below average growth was evident across large areas of eastern, northern and western Australia. Soil moisture models indicate broadly high soil moisture storage with exceptions in isolated eastern and western areas.
• Water storage levels in the Murray-Darling Basin (MDB) decreased by 69 gigalitres (GL) between 26 March 2026 and 1 April 2026. The current volume of water held in storages is 10,472 GL, equivalent to 47% of total storage capacity. This is 14% or 1,688 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 $421/ML on 26 March 2026 to $399/ML on 2 April 2026. Trade from the Goulburn to the Murray is closed. Trade downstream through the Barmah Choke is closed. Trade from the Murrumbidgee to the Murray is open.