General News
4 July, 2024
Rain remains below average
MORTLAKE and Terang experienced low rainfall again last month, with the first half of 2024 proving to be relatively dry.
Throughout June just 24.6mm of rain fell over Mortlake, less than half the monthly long-term average of 54mm.
The highest daily rainfall occurred on June 29, when 7.4mm hit the ground.
The result stands in stark contrast to the same month last year, with June being Mortlake’s wettest of 2023 with 89mm recorded and a highest daily rainfall of 24.2mm.
Meanwhile in Terang, just 45mm of rain was recorded during June – below the long-term average of 77.9mm.
The highest daily rainfall for the month was recorded on June 12, when 15mm hit the ground.
The result was less than half the rain total recorded in June 2023, when 91.4mm of rain fell over Terang with a highest daily total of 17mm.
At the half-way point of 2024, low rainfall has been a relatively consistent trend for both communities.
In Terang and Mortlake alike, only the April result has seen the long-term average reached or surpassed.
In Mortlake just 171.2mm of rain has fallen over the first six months, well below the long-term expected average of 254.3mm over the same period.
In Terang the annual rainfall tally over the first six months has reached 217.4mm, below the 340.3mm long-term average over the same period.
July and August are traditionally the highest rainfall periods for both communities, but a relatively dry forecast to begin the wet season could signal a low-rainfall year for the region.
* All rainfall statistics have been collected from the Bureau of Meteorology.