Wednesday's heavy rainfall is enough to get farmer’s cautiously optimistic and if the weather predictions for the next month are true the future of the region’s farmers could be more secure.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
That is the hope of Local Land Services manager of biosecurity and emergency services Bruce Watt.
“Sometimes a big dump of rain by itself can be detrimental and wreck any dry feed,” he said.
“It can be counter productive, but the heavy fall we had over that four-day period and then this lot gives every reason to be hopeful.”
He said after a drenching, ideally producers needed another good fall and that was what was delivered yesterday.
Yesterday by 5pm Orange had 26.6 millimetres at Orange Airport according to Weatherzone.
Orange had 40 millimetres last Sunday and 11 on Saturday.
Weatherzone meteorologist Ben Domensino said yesterday’s rain would be all for the next week but a break could be expected towards the end of summer.
“The [radar] is marking a bit of a turn for the season coming into the end of summer which is set to be much more humid,” he said.
More humid meant more rain and more storm activity, he said.
“But be careful because the storms have the potential to be severe and produce flash flooding and damaging winds.”
Mr Domensino said the area had experienced unusually low rainfalls in 2014 because there had been an inactive monsoon season but as a low pressure system was starting to make its way south the area should experience “a lot more rainfall”.
Mr Watt said the predictions could be almost perfect for the region’s producers.
“We’re not out of the woods yet ... but [the rain] is wonderful and it’s not too late.”
nicole.kuter@fairfaxmedia.com.au
