A wetter-than-usual June and a promising start to winter have helped give Temora’s cropping season a strong start, although forecasts of a drier spring are keeping many farmers wary. A total of 50.6mm of rain fell in Temora during the first month of winter in June across 16 rainy days, well above the town’s median June rainfall of 28.9mm. On average, Temora experiences rainfall over 12 days in June. The Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) notes the median rainfall figure is generally considered the best indicator of typical conditions because it is less affected by isolated extreme rainfall events than the average. Temora farmer Graham Sinclair said conditions over the past few months through autumn had been close to ideal for most local crop growers. “I think we had a near-perfect autumn with a good amount of rain followed by very mild weather, which gave farmers ample time to spray and sow crops,” Mr Sinclair said. “With only one very light frost so far, crops have bounced out of the ground and are mostly well advanced for this time of year. “While farmers have been top-dressing urea before each rain event, most are taking a cautious approach this year, not only because of the cost, but also the predicted dry spring. “The recent rainfall will ensure we have a full moisture profile heading towards spring. “I have heard that the northern side of the shire and into the Bland Shire were experiencing wet conditions before last week’s rain, which is maybe causing some headaches now, but will probably benefit them in spring.” Boosting local crop growers’ confidence, the heaviest rainfall last month happened on 19 June when 13mm of rain was recorded in town, compared to the wettest-ever June day in Temora, which was on 24 June 2021, when 41mm fell. Temora also recorded another 15.2mm on 1 July and 24.2mm the following day, further boosting soil moisture heading into the rest of winter. Despite numerous rainy days, last month was well short (62.8mm less) of the town’s wettest June on record, when 113.4mm fell in 2016. Winter has also been relatively mild so far, with Temora experiencing just one below-freezing minimum temperature during the first month of the season when the mercury plummeted to -0.7 degrees on 8 June. BoM is forecasting below-average rainfall and warmer-than-average winter temperatures across the Riverina as a developing El Niño pattern takes hold. While further winter rain is still expected, overall rainfall totals are predicted to be lower than historical averages.
