Weekly Australian Climate, Water and Agricultural Update, 31 July 2025

Key issues

• In the week ending 30 July 2025, cold fronts brought rainfall totals of up to 100 millimetres to parts of southern, central and eastern Australia. High-pressure systems kept much of northern Australia largely dry.
  • Rainfall was recorded across all cropping regions, with Western Australia and Queensland seeing 5-100 millimetres, and South Australia and Victoria seeing 15-100 millimetres. Meanwhile, New South Wales recorded 5-50 millimetres.
  • Widespread rainfall over the past week across South Australia and Victoria has bolstered the yield potential for crops after a late and sporadic start to the season.
  • General rains across much of Western Australia, Queensland and New South Wales have provided useful follow-up moisture in these areas to support crop growth and development and to see some improvement in soil moisture reserves.
• Over the coming eight days, rainfall is expected to be highly variable across cropping regions.
  • Western Australia and northern New South Wales and are forecast to receive between 10-50 millimetres.
  • Meanwhile, parts of southern Queensland, central New South Wales, southern Victoria and western South Australia is forecast to receive between 5-15 millimetres. Remaining cropping regions are expected to remain largely dry.
  • If realised the falls in these areas are likely to provide some useful follow-up moisture to support crop growth and development and continue to build soil moisture reserves.
• The northern rainfall onset for 2025–26 is likely to be earlier than usual for most eastern parts of northern Australia but later than normal for much of the west.
• Water storage levels in the Murray-Darling Basin (MDB) increased by 381 gigalitres (GL) between 24 July 2025 and 31 July 2025. The current volume of water held in storages is 13,920 GL, equivalent to 63% of total storage capacity. This is 22% or 3,956 GL less than the same time last year. Water storage data is sourced from the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM).
• Allocation prices in the Victorian Murray below the Barmah Choke decreased from $286/ML on 24 July 2025 to $266/ML on 31 July 2025. 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.