Weekly update - 30 January 2020
Key issues
- 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.
- 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. 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.
- 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.
- Across Australia’s summer cropping regions rainfall of between 25 and 50 millimetres is expected across much of Queensland and northern New South Wales, with lighter falls of between 10 and 15 millimetres expected across parts of south-western New South Wales and northern Queensland.
- Water storage levels in the Murray-Darling Basin (MDB) decreased between 22 January 2020 and 29 January 2020 by 4 gigalitres (GL). Current volume of water held in storage is 7,963 GL which represents 31 per cent of total capacity.
- Allocation prices in the Victorian Murray below the Barmah Choke decreased from $790 per ML on 23 January 2020 to $725 per ML on 30 January 2020.
Climate
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Rainfall this week
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.
Temperature anomalies this week
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.
Northern Rainfall Onset
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
Rainfall forecast for the next 8 days
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.
Commodities
Current indicators – 30 January 2020
Indicator | Week ended | Unit | Latest price | Price week prior | Weekly change | Price 12 months prior | Year on year change | Chart |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Selected World Indicator Prices |
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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$/t | 423 | 423 | 0% | 423 | 0% | chart |
Cotton – Cotlook 'A' Index | 30-Jan | USc/lb | 79.2 | 79.4 | <1%![]() |
83.2 | -5%![]() |
chart |
Sugar – Intercontinental Exchange, nearby futures, no.11 contract | 30-Jan | USc/lb | 14.5 | 14.4 | <1%![]() |
12.6 | 15%![]() |
chart |
Wool – Eastern Market Indicator | 23-Jan | Ac/kg clean | 1,576 | 1,609 | -2%![]() |
1,927 | -18%![]() |
chart |
Wool – Western Market Indicator | 18-Jan | Ac/kg clean | 1,685 | 1,687 | <1%![]() |
2,105 | -20%![]() |
chart |
Selected domestic crop indicator prices |
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Milling Wheat – ASW1, track quote, Port Adelaide, SA | 28-Jan | A$/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 |
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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
Water
Water storages, water markets and water allocations - current week
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