Weekly Australian Climate, Water and Agricultural Update, 16 April 2026

Key issues

• In the week ending 15 April 2026, rainfall was broadly low across Australia, with exceptions in isolated western and eastern areas.
  • The generally dry conditions across much of northern and central Australia has seen some easing of the flood warnings in place across parts of Queensland, the Northern Territory and South Australia.
  • Most cropping regions of Queensland, northern New South Wales, and Western Australia saw little to no rainfall, with isolated southern areas receiving falls of up to 15 millimetres.
• Over the 8 days to 23 April 2026 low pressure systems and fronts are expected to bring rainfall to parts of the north and southwest, and western Tasmania:
  • Across cropping regions falls are forecast to be low, with southern Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia seeing little to no rainfall.
  • These mainly dry forecast conditions across southern Queensland and northern New South Wales are expected to support the harvest of late summer crops.
• Global production conditions in March were generally favourable for wheat, maize, rice and soybeans. According to the most recent crop estimate numbers released by the USDA, global production has been revised upward and is higher than the numbers used to formulate ABARES 2025–26 forecasts of global grain supplies and world prices in the March 2026 Agricultural Commodities Report. As a result, global grain and oilseed production is likely to increase beyond the numbers in the March forecast.
• Water storage levels in the Murray-Darling Basin (MDB) decreased by 84 gigalitres (GL) between 09 April 2026 and 16 April 2026. The current volume of water held in storages is 10,261 GL, equivalent to 46% of total storage capacity. This is 14% or 1,697 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 $399/ML on 09 April 2026 to $381/ML on 16 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.