Recent Rain Briefly Disrupted Queensland, Australia Harvest
By Andrew Owen
Kansas City, March 28 (World Weather Inc.) –Central Queensland through southeastern Queensland reported greater than expected rainfall during the weekend easing recent weeks of dryness and warm weather. The precipitation likely briefly delayed harvesting, but many of the late season crops that were still filling and maturing likely benefited from the moisture. Mostly dry weather will be back this week supporting a full return to 
summer crop maturation and harvesting.
Meanwhile, the most significant rain in the nation over the past couple of weeks occurred during the weekend in Western Australia over the region’s most important grain and oilseed production areas. The rain was welcome, although it came a little early for autumn planting.
Rain amounts for the four-day period ending Monday morning from central through southeastern Queensland ranged from 0.10 to 1.50 inches with a local total of 2.60 inches. Rainfall during that same period was greatest in the southwestern corner of the nation in the most important wheat, barley and canola production areas of Western Australia where 1.00 to nearly 3.00 inches resulted. Portions of southern New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia received little to no rain while northern New South Wales and immediate neighboring areas in southern Queensland were dry. Portions of southeastern Australia reported rain earlier last week.
Despite the recent rainfall, soil moisture in much of Queensland is still short or very short. Much of the production areas in New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia also have short to very short soil moisture. Topsoil moisture in Western Australia improved significantly stemming from the recent rainfall. Subsoil moisture is still short, although minor improvements will be possible in the next few days.
The only issue from the recent rain in Queensland is the possibility for some cotton fiber discoloration in the areas that reported the greatest amount of rain. No long-term damage was suspected to the cotton or other coarse grains and oilseeds produced in Queensland. A quick return of dry weather will see to that cotton dries out quickly with any fiber discoloring disappearing after a few days of sunny and warm weather. Dry weather will be needed in coming weeks to promote the best environment for summer crop harvesting and general fieldwork.
Winter wheat, Canola and barley planting normally begins at the end of April and continues through July in Australia. Planting may get started a little earlier if timely precipitation occurs in the first two weeks of April. Significant rainfall is needed to improve soil moisture outside of Western Australia before most farmers begin planting. The odds are not very good for significant follow up rain this week and next week’s rain chances will only be slightly better.
A band of scattered showers will produce minimal rain in portions of Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia today and Tuesday. Lingering showers will also produce light rain in portions of central and southeastern Queensland Wednesday. Rain amounts will generally be too light to counter evaporation. Dry weather will then evolve for the remainder of the coming week. Summer crop maturation and harvesting will advance without and weather-related problems this week. Western Australia will also trend mostly dry this week – leading to drying topsoil that will eventually require rain to replenish moisture for planting.
The areas receiving the greatest weekend rainfall in Queensland may need a day or two or drying before fieldwork resumes, but none of the rain expected in the coming week will be great enough to stall farming activity for any great length of time.
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