FARMERS greeted the heavens’ opening with optimism this week as the Swan Hill
region received more than 36mm in 48 hours.
For much of the region it has
been the heaviest June rainfall in years: in Swan Hill, 61mm for the month marks
the heaviest June rain since 89.6mm in 1981.
The bulk of the rain fell early
Wednesday morning, with Swan Hill receiving 32.8 mm from 8.30pm to 8am — 6.2mm
of that dropped just after 2.30am.
After rain early in the month, and another
3.4mm falling up to yesterday afternoon, the total has been pushed well beyond
the June monthly average (35mm).
And a daily record was also broken, with
Wednesday’s 32.8mm being the largest downpour over a day since March 1 last year
when 35.2mm fell.
The showers were the result of a high pressure system
moving eastwards across the Tasman Sea and a low pressure system east of
Adelaide, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.
But most farmers in the
region have been feeling the pressure coming off the shoulders.
Agrivision
senior agronomist Rob Sonogan said “concerns” of two to three weeks ago had
turned to “reserved optimism”.
“It’s looking pretty positive out there are
the moment,” Mr Sonogan said.
For more of this story, see Friday’s Guardian (June 14).
