Weekly update - 30 January 2020

During the week ending 29 January 2020 widespread rainfall was recorded across northern and eastern Australia. These falls are likely to benefit plant growth, build soil moisture levels and provide useful inflow to farm water storages across tropical northern Australia, much of Queensland and parts of north-eastern New South Wales.

In Australia’s summer cropping regions, rainfall totals of between 25 and 50 millimetres were recorded across north-eastern New South Wales and much of Queensland. Heavier falls in excess of 50 millimetres were recorded across summer cropping regions in parts of northern Queensland during the week ending 29 January 2020.

Rainfall for the week ending 29 January 2020

©Commonwealth of Australia 2020, Australian Bureau of Meteorology - Issued: 29/1/2020

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.

For the week ending 28 January  2020, maximum temperatures were 2°C to 8°C above average across parts of south-eastern and south-western Australia and minimum temperatures were 2°C to 6°C above average across parts of eastern and central Australia. In contrast, maximum temperatures were 2°C to 6°C below average across parts of north-eastern Australia. Average (- 2°C to 2°C) minimum temperatures were recorded across the remainder of the country.

Maximum temperature anomalies for the week ending 28 January 2020

©Commonwealth of Australia 2020, Australian Bureau of Meteorology - Issued: 29/01/2020

Minimum temperature anomalies for the week ending 28 January 2020

©Commonwealth of Australia 2020, Australian Bureau of Meteorology - Issued: 29/01/2020

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.

The northern rainfall onset occurs when the total rainfall after 1 September reaches 50 millimetres. This is considered approximately the amount of rainfall required to stimulate plant growth. From 1 September 2019 to 28 January 2020 the northern rainfall onset has occurred across parts of far northern and central Western Australia, the north of the Northern Territory and much of Queensland. Rainfall totals in excess of 100 millimetres have been recorded across large areas of northern and north-eastern Australia.

In most areas where the northern rainfall onset has occurred, it has arrived later than the long-term average onset date. The prolonged positive Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) that persisted in 2019 and the late withdrawal of the Indian monsoon have likely influenced the late onset of the Australian monsoon. 

Northern rainfall totals for the period 1 September 2019 to 28 January 2020

Number of days earlier or later than the long-term average onset date

Over the next eight days, rainfall totals of between 25 and 50 millimetres are forecast for large areas of northern, central and eastern Australia. Higher rainfall totals in excess of 100 millimetres are forecast for parts of tropical northern Australia as a tropical low pressure system over north-eastern Australia moves west and joins with a mid-latitude trough. Following the recent significant rainfall across northern Australia, this forecast rainfall is expected to result in flooding across parts of northern Australia, particularly inland northern Queensland.

In summer cropping regions, rainfall of between 25 and 50 millimetres is expected across much of Queensland and northern New South Wales. Lighter falls of between 10 and 15 millimetres are expected across the remaining summer cropping regions in northern Queensland and south-western New South Wales during the next 8 days.

Total forecast rainfall (mm) for the period 30 January to 6 February 2020

©Commonwealth of Australia 2020, Australian Bureau of Meteorology - Issued: 30/01/2020

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.

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	29-Jan	US$/A$	0.68	0.69	-1%	0.71	-4%	chart
Wheat – US no. 2 hard red winter wheat, fob Gulf	28-Jan	US$/t	236	237	<1%	243	-3%	chart
Coarse Grains – US no. 2 yellow corn, fob Gulf	29-Jan	US$/t	173	172	<1%	170	2%	chart
Canola – Rapeseed, Europe, fob Hamburg	26-Nov	US$/t	423	423	0%	423	0%	chart
Cotton – Cotlook 'A' Index	30-Jan	USc/lb	79.2	79.4	<1%	83.2	-5%	chart
Sugar – Intercontinental Exchange, nearby futures, no.11 contract	30-Jan	USc/lb	14.5	14.4	<1%	12.6	15%	chart
Wool – Eastern Market Indicator	23-Jan	Ac/kg clean	1,576	1,609	-2%	1,927	-18%	chart
Wool – Western Market Indicator	18-Jan	Ac/kg clean	1,685	1,687	<1%	2,105	-20%	chart
Selected domestic crop indicator prices
Milling Wheat – ASW1, track quote, Port Adelaide, SA	28-Jan	A$/t	341	336	1%	360	-5%	chart
Feed Wheat – General purpose, Sydney, NSW	07-Jan	A$/t	442	447	-1%	455	-3%	chart
Feed Barley – Sydney, NSW	07-Jan	A$/t	385	382	<1%	438	-12%	chart
Grain Sorghum – Sydney, NSW	14-Jan	A$/t	467	477	-2%	432	8%	chart
Selected domestic livestock indicator prices
Beef – Eastern Young Cattle Indicator	23-Jan	Ac/kg cwt	548	516	6%	475	15%	chart
Mutton – Mutton indicator (18–24 kg fat score 2–3), Vic	23-Jan	Ac/kg cwt	622	593	5%	362	72%	chart
Lamb – Eastern States Trade Lamb Indicator	23-Jan	Ac/kg cwt	779	738	6%	677	15%	chart
Pig – Eastern Seaboard (60.1–75 kg), average of buyers & sellers	17-Jan	Ac/kg cwt	430	430	0%	323	33%	chart
Goat – Eastern States (12.1–16 kg)	27-Jan	Ac/kg cwt	879	879	0%	588	49%	chart
Live cattle – Light steers ex Darwin to Indonesia	25-Jan	Ac/kg lwt	335	330	2%	325	3%	chart
Live sheep – Live wether (Muchea WA saleyard) to Middle East	09-Dec	$/head	105	140	-25%	108	-3%	chart
Global Dairy Trade (GDT) weighted average prices a
Dairy – Whole milk powder	21-Jan	US$/t	3,233	3,150	3%	2,777	16%	chart
Dairy – Skim milk powder	21-Jan	US$/t	3,036	3,026	<1%	2,405	26%	chart
Dairy – Cheddar cheese	21-Jan	US$/t	4,048	4,015	<1%	3,504	16%	chart
Dairy – Anhydrous milk fat	21-Jan	US$/t	4,821	4,929	-2%	5,294	-9%	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