Dry conditions set to continue into May
West Gippsland is still waiting for a deluge of rain to boost on-farm water supplies, replenish the region’s major water storages and provide a spurt to pasture growth before the colder weather arrives.
But the Bureau of Meteorology’s outlook for the next three months doesn’t predict an end to the drier than normal conditions.
It is expecting May to be drier than average across Victoria and for falls in the 100 to 200 millimetres range for most of the West Gippsland area over the next three months.
Rain recorded at Warragul for the first quarter of this year – January to April – of 151 millimetres was similar to last year but more than 100 millimetres down on the average for the period of 255.3 millimetres.
The BoM’s weather station at Nilma North, just a few kilometres away, has measured even less ran than Warragul, 139.8 millimetres.
April’s total rain in Warragul was 47 millimetres with rain falling on only eight days and the heaviest falls being 12 millimetres on two days.
The average for the month is 79.1 millimetres.
The major storages in the Gippsland Water area to supply residential areas and industry, including the Tarago reservoir at Neerim South that serves parts of the metropolitan area and Mornington Peninsula as well as some nearby towns, are also well below capacity.
Late last week the Glenmaggie storage was at just nine per cent of capacity.
Tarago was holding at 60 per cent, and Moondarra and Blue Rock were just under three-quarters full.
District water cartage contractor Ken McIntosh said the rain that did fall last month was enough to ease the pressure for many of the outlying properties.
However, he said the summer period had been busy with many needing to top up domestic supplies as well as some needing water for livestock.