A 48 hour window of shower and storm activity could bring between 20 to 40 millimetres to parts of the state with areas like the Maranoa and Central West to finally receive some decent falls for 2018, forecasters say.
Weatherzone senior meteorologist Jacob Cronje said, from Friday, a low pressure trough deepening from the north west would help transport moisture over the central interior and central coast as far down as Charleville and Roma.
“We probably will see some showers and thunderstorms by Thursday afternoon and evening and continuing Friday,” he said.
“It looks like that will be contracting up and clearing on Saturday.
“We are looking at about 20 to 40mm possible for that period.”
Mr Cronje said while places like Roma and Charleville would probably see the lower end of the spectrum, they would definitely receive a decent amount of rain.
The town of Roma is yet to record any rain for the month of January which, according to Bureau of Meteorology rainfall data, has never happened since records started in 1985.
The January average for Roma is 71.5mm.
Producers around Blackall and Tambo posted rainfalls of 40 and 50mm on the Who Got the Rain Facebook page after storms on Monday but many properties missed out.
Mr Cronje said while February was expected to bring average to above average rainfalls to the state, March would be much the same as January, either average or below average.
The impending weather was on the radar of regulars at the Roma store sale today.
Mitchell producers Laurie and Sheryn Hanna of Terrara sold 66 light feeder steers and were hopeful the mixed weather predictions would come true.
The couple hadn’t received any more than a few lots of 10mm since the wet change in October kick started the season but Mr Hanna said they were lucky to have dry feed.
Early indications during the steer sales were that the market had dropped 10c/kg but Mr Hanna was still happy with the 310c/kg his cattle had received.
“We got what they averaged last week so we are happy enough,” he said.
“But with no rain you have got to do something, you just can’t keep living (based on) whether it is going to come,” Ms Hanna added.
“It’s just so hot and dry and it’s been so hot for so long.”
Commonwealth Bank Australia Agri-Strategist Tobin Gorey said forecast rain could stem the flow of cattle onto the market.
“We expect prices to stabilise while the rain event remains a possibility,” he said.
“The Australian Dollar and US finished cattle prices combined yesterday to improve Australia’s competitiveness a little.”
Lucy Kinbacher
Raised on a cattle property at Biggenden, Lucy Kinbacher has spent 10 years working across metropolitan, regional and rural publications in both Queensland and NSW. Lucy has been the editor of the Queensland Country Life and North Queensland Register since 2021.
Raised on a cattle property at Biggenden, Lucy Kinbacher has spent 10 years working across metropolitan, regional and rural publications in both Queensland and NSW. Lucy has been the editor of the Queensland Country Life and North Queensland Register since 2021.
