Australian drought

Weather: Farmers feel the heat as drought advances

Sydney has recorded its lowest summer rainfall to date in more than 70 years, as the state swelters through its driest January in more than a decade.

SMH,

4 February, 2013

Since December, the city has had just 48.4 millimetres of rain, a little more than a quarter of the usual amount, and the lowest since 1941-42, said Acacia Pepler, a climatologist at the weather bureau.

NSW has had its driest January since 2003, with a statewide average of just 20.6 millimetres - or less than a third of the average rainfall.

For grazier Rod Barnes, drought has advanced on his property and those of his neighbours in northern NSW much quicker than anybody expected.

"This has been short and sharp; it's caught a lot of people by surprise," Mr Barnes said. "The burning heat has just scorched everything off right back to the ground and then these hot winds have just blown it all away."

His farm, with about 300 sheep and a similar number of cattle, is 22 kilometres north of Gunnedah, a town that posted its driest January on record with 0.2 millimetres of rain. Early last month, the mercury climbed to 45.9 degrees, beating the previous record for any month by 2.8 degrees.

"It wasn't too bad until Christmas," Mr Barnes said. "Then these scorching hot days have ruined everything."

Drying out

Three big heatwaves have hit the state this year, the latest one still searing its way across southern parts of the state on Monday. Hay Airport clocked up 45.5 degrees, Deniliquin a fourth day of at least 43, while Canberra set a record for the most days of 37 or warmer with its sixth such day.

Sydney, while shielded from the worst of the blasts of summer by sea breezes, is also drying out.

Last month alone, Sydney collected just 17.4 millimetres of rain, or less than a fifth of the long-term average, making it the driest January since 2003. Temperatures were about 1 degree above average for the city.

For NSW, maximum temperatures last month were 2.7 degrees above average, the 10th highest, adding to farmers' woes.

Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce is reported to be seeking $7 billion for a bailout package for farmers, particularly in Queensland, a claim he later denied making during Monday's Q&A program on ABC. Most of Queensland is already declared to be in drought.

Ed Fessey, a grazier near Brewarrina in northern NSW, said his region had not had decent rain in almost two years. Bores on his farm supply water but with almost no grass left, Mr Fessey has had to cut his sheep numbers by more than half to 4500 head, and has reduced some of his 700 cattle.

Bringing in feed costs about $5000 a week, and almost 700 tonnes has been consumed by his hungry animals so far.

Mr Fessey, who met Mr Joyce at the weekend, said the minister was "very much aware we have to do something".

"If they don't keep the core breeding stock in some of these areas, there'll be a long period of recovery and that leads to towns and whole communities falling into a hole," Mr Fessey said, adding that the O'Farrell government had been slow to act.

"The state government has been very reticent in acknowledging that they need to respond to drought,'' he said.

State support

NSW Minister for Primary Industries, Katrina Hodgkinson, said the government recognises the "dire situation" facing many farmers, and provided a $7.6 million package of emergency aid to the Bourke, Brewarrina and Walgett local governments late last year.

“Seasonal conditions are now deteriorating at a rapid rate across a large portion of NSW and both the severity and speed at which this drought is moving is astonishing," Ms Hodgkinson said.

“Primary producers in some parts of NSW have simply not had the opportunity to prepare for another severe downturn in seasonal conditions so quickly after the Millennium drought broke," she said.

There is little relief on the weather front, with only a few coastal showers are forecast until at least late next week.