Rain - or no rain.

[JDNSW]

It is now the last day of May, dawning with a clear sky and fine forecast - and no rain at all for this month. It is now over six weeks since there significant rain, and that was the only significant fall since February. Taking the grandchildren to the school bus I cover the same track four times a day - and the dust is getting deeper. Last week my next door neighbour got a tractor dry bogged.

We are going back into drought - I have been destocked for nearly three years and it is five years since I planted a crop. Fortunately I do not depend on the farm to eat, but my neighbours are not in this position.

John

[rick130]

Same here JD. I'm quite glad I'm no longer on the farm. Had a little rain six weeks ago which gave enough moisture for crops to strike....and that's it.
I drive through the old place every day and the BIL will have to seriously de-stock, it's looking pretty bare and the cows with calves at foot are looking a bit sad, and they've been supplementing for at least 2 months now.

oh, and there's nbeen a (voluntary) ban on irrigation for at least three months out of our little river (which flows into the Hunter) which a few irrigators have been disregarding. It's causing a few tensions....

[camel_landy]

That'll be coz we've taken our pet rain cloud back to the the UK with us!

We've got water restrictions in place yet it's been p1ssing down for weeks! Wettest drought I've ever been in!!! :huh:

M

[mr_sav]

It is now the last day of May, dawning with a clear sky and fine forecast - and no rain at all for this month. It is now over six weeks since there significant rain, and that was the only significant fall since February. Taking the grandchildren to the school bus I cover the same track four times a day - and the dust is getting deeper. Last week my next door neighbour got a tractor dry bogged.

We are going back into drought - I have been destocked for nearly three years and it is five years since I planted a crop. Fortunately I do not depend on the farm to eat, but my neighbours are not in this position.

John

Where abouts in Central West NSW are you if you don't mind me asking? Wouldn't mind chatting to you a bit about your County rig either.

Regards,


mr_sav

[abaddonxi]

Want me to come visit? I'm pretty much guaranteed to call down rain as soon as I leave Sydney.

Cheers
Simon

[Disco300Tdi]

The same in Korong Vale, 74 kilometres NW from Bendigo :(

3mm for the month (big deal) It evaporated on hitting the ground

[landy_man]

you guys are obviously not washing your cars enough :eek:

[FenianEel]

We've had bugger all in Brissy too. 1/2 an hour any direction and they've had heaps - cept inland.

The council gibber on about restrictions and tossers whinge about their gardens - get some perspective. Every knobhead in the city, should have a water tank, then they wouldn't waste so much. I grew up with tank water on the farm - when you run out - you run out.

My uncle's farm at Glen Davis (ace territory) didn't see rain for nearly 5 years. We took a 4 year old nephew into Sydney, it started raining and he had never seen rain:eek: .
He fainted......
We had to throw a handful of dirt on his face to wake him up:lol:

[crump]

We've had bugger all in Brissy too. 1/2 an hour any direction and they've had heaps - cept inland.

The council gibber on about restrictions and tossers whinge about their gardens - get some perspective. Every knobhead in the city, should have a water tank, then they wouldn't waste so much. I grew up with tank water on the farm - when you run out - you run out.

My uncle's farm at Glen Davis (ace territory) didn't see rain for nearly 5 years. We took a 4 year old nephew into Sydney, it started raining and he had never seen rain:eek: .
He fainted......
We had to throw a handful of dirt on his face to wake him up:lol:

We've got 3 year old frogs that dont know how to swim.:lol:

[VladTepes]

I have to say that the only time I 'waste' water (and I don't conside it a waste per se, just a luxurious use of- ) is washing the car / chassis after a beach trip. Otherwise I've very frugal with water.

NEVER hose my patio, driveway etc (why bother !?)

Can't remember the last time I watered the garden. Might be why its dead.

I feel sorry for the poor buggers who rely on water for their day to day existence the way farmers do.



On another angle - exactly what defines a drought here (eg weeks without rain or whatever) as opposed to the UK ? It's probably a drought over there if it doesn't rain every six minutes.

[JDNSW]

Same here JD. (snip)
oh, and there's nbeen a (voluntary) ban on irrigation for at least three months out of our little river (which flows into the Hunter) which a few irrigators have been disregarding. It's causing a few tensions....

Our not so little river has had no water in it for three years, apart from a couple of flushes after thunderstorms upstream. There are suspicions that this may have something to do with some people about 20km upstream with irrigation bores near the river, but I don't think they have much effect on it - its just the drought. In the past it has often dried up to a trickle, and even stops flowing - but up to now there have always been waterholes, and its only stopped flowing for a few weeks at most.

John

[JDNSW]

(snip)


On another angle - exactly what defines a drought here (eg weeks without rain or whatever) as opposed to the UK ? It's probably a drought over there if it doesn't rain every six minutes.

I don't think there is any exact definition, but anywhere a drought is considered to be happening when there is a substantial excess of evaporation over precipitation that continues for a lot longer than normal, resulting in the soil and subsoil moisture levels falling well below their long term averages for a prolonged period. Note that the terms "substantial", "well" and "prolonged" are not defined!
I suppose it is a drought when it is enough drier than normal to affect things like crops and water supplies, but for much of Australia the rainfall is so variable that we don't think there is a drought until there has been a shortage for at least a year, whereas in the UK the rainfall is so regular that even a couple of weeks without much rain can cause a crisis situation with some town water supplies, as well as farm activities. And monsoonal areas may be very dry in the dry season, but there is no drought until the monsoon fails to arrive.
John

[barryj]

A water tank would be great if it rained. I grew up on a farm and I know a little bit about tanks, trouble is in Bisbane you cannot fit enough tanks to keep a family going on a 450 square m block of land with a house on it. Also there would not be enough roof area to catch what would be needed. And another problem, it has not rained for yonks :( .

[Ralph1Malph]

Sorry to hear of your plight rural folk.
I feel somewhat guilty.
You see I am a QUEENSLANDER living in melbourne :mad:
For the last 3-4 years every time it gets cold (april - nov) or rains (pick a random time but it will still be cold) I have prayed for global warming and the heat it brings.
I just feel my selfish wish has impacted on others.
Apologies.

Ralph

[Disco300Tdi]

You see I am a QUEENSLANDER living in melbourne :mad:

Ralph

Me too:spudnikwaving:

[Bushie]

According to tonights news - the last 3 months in Sydney has been the driest in the last 52 years.

I've had 277mm this year 192 of which fell in Jan/Feb.

Martyn

[Sly]

Same here in mid west WA, where 48mil minus from this time last year. All our seed /fert is still in bags,but I will bite the bullet and dry seed next week.