According to the latest Climate and Water Outlook from the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) climate drivers and outlooks have returned to neutral after heavy rains across eastern Australia continue to flow into waterways. Below average rainfall has resulted in drier soil moisture in southern Australia Water. Water storages across Australia are higher than 12 months ago.

The El Niño Southern Oscillation is in a neutral phase with outlooks indicating this will continue until spring with local sea surface temperatures and long-term trends likely to influence the outlook. May to July is likely to be wetter than average for the interior and central western Australia and drier in western Tasmania. This is a significant turnaround from the BoM’s previous outlook for drier than average conditions for the period! That said, the BoM is tipping Western Victoria and southeast South Australia will get a later Autumn break, with a drier than average May.