LATE winter rains and above-average temperatures are expected for the months ahead after a comparatively dry yet frigid July, the Bureau of Meteorology’s seasonal outlook says.
The latest release from BOM says Tasmania is anticipating above-average temperatures for August and October. Rainfall is likely to be above average too although a decrease is expected on the state’s West Coast.
The rain contrasts previous months as July had returned a rainfall average 52 per cent below the average. However the month was the coldest on average since 2017 and often lead to a lack of draining and evaporation on water-logged paddocks.
Dunalley potato grower Nathan Daly said more rains would likely mean further harvesting delays in some of their water-logged paddocks. “It was a really wet winter this year so it’s meant we’re been extremely late getting our crops out and next seasons in,” Mr Daly said. “We’ve got tractors hooked up to other tractors to try to work through the mud and keep up with the demand.”
Heavy but sporadic rain events in July had caused some flooding issues to farmers in the state. Mr Daly said the previous two winters’ and springs’ high rainfalls accompanied by cool temperatures have meant they’ve had to pick and choose their paddock use.
“The last two years for us have been like a never-ending battle against the mud,” Mr Daly said. “Even when it dries on top it’s like soup underneath.” “There hasn’t been the temperatures to dry the ground up” “But that being said, once you’re outside the paddocks we’ve actually needed the rain so it’s hard to complain too much.”