Rob Sharpe, 30 Jan 2014, 3:34 AM UTC
NSW drying out as skies remain clear
Much of New South Wales is in need of a big drink as the sun continues to dry out the soil.
From Sydney to Bourke almost all of NSW has seen well below average rainfall in summer so far, with many parts looking further back in time for the last good soaking.
Sydney has only gained 48mm in December and January, compared to the average of 179mm and last years total of 183mm. Sydney is finishing its' 11th driest January on record.
Coastal New South Wales has been quite similar to Sydney, with a reasonably dry last two months after a wetter than usual November, leaving many parks and gardens in need of a significant drink.
Unfortunately large swathes of New South Wales have been drier for much longer than the coast. West of the Great Dividing Range there has generally been below average rainfall since the widespread rain event in June of last year. Many locations have failed to record above average rainfall in any month since then.
The Central West Slopes and Plains have been pretty dry across the past seven months, with Coonabarabran only picking up around 120mm, compared to its average of 444mm across those months. Elsewhere in the district many places picked up healthier falls in August, but all are still experiencing quite a dry spell.
Further south and west of this district and a similar story to Coonabarabran could be painted with only a few meagre falls arriving each month.
Looking ahead and the story continues to look dry, at least for the next two weeks. Coastal areas could see a few showers here and there during this period, but very few places will see more than 20mm. Inland looks even drier over this period, with little moisture likely to move over the state due to the dominance of a high pressure ridge across New South Wales, similar to what is currently in place.
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