South-East Local Land Services

Average to well above average summer rainfall improves conditions for much of the region

• February rainfall was average to above average across much of the region, continuing to improve conditions. Totals were highly variable, which continues to contribute to the difference in conditions being experienced.
• Drought conditions are improving in the south, north and west of the region, particularly the southern Monaro, Bega and Yass regions, where the values for the indicators improve due to timely and effective follow-up rainfall.
• On ground reports highlight the variation in conditions and rainfall across the region. Producers continue to monitor forecasts closely and are implementing farm management strategies in line with conditions.
• Further rainfall will see continued improvement in conditions, maintain soil moisture levels and plant growth for autumn.
• The drought forecast suggests that further regions will likely transition into the Drought Affected CDI category by the end of May (with low to moderate model agreement and moderate past accuracy). The DPIRD continues to closely monitor conditions in this region.

Click on the scroll bar below the map to compare with previous months.

Normalised Difference Vegetation Index

Plant greenness levels remain variable across the region for the December to February period; anomalies remain below average for parts of the region.

Note that some of the extremely negative NDVI areas (brown patches) are water bodies or from the influence of forestry operations.

The NDVI anomaly is a useful measure of vegetation density and plant health. It estimates the amount of green vegetation there is in the landscape compared to what is expected at the given time of year, against the baseline period 1987 - 2020

Individual Drought Indicators

Variable conditions continue as reflected in the drought indicators across the region.

• Underlying indicators respond to rainfall over the past several months.
• For some regions, particularly in the south and west, the drought indicator values have continued to remain low (such as Cooma).
• Other areas continue to experience an improvement in the indicators and remain in the Recovery category (such as Bega).
• Further rainfall is needed to improve conditions in the south, and maintain positive production outlooks in other parts of the region.

To access a Drought History chart for your Parish, visit the Seasonal Conditions Information Portal.