It was hit-and-miss, and far from drought-breaking, but the weekend’s rainfall did put smiles on drought-hit Illawarra farmers’ faces.
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Four-day rainfall totals to Monday morning varied from 48 millimetres at Kiama to 27mm in Bellambi and 17.4mm at Albion Park.
Kiama’s total included 35.6mm in the 24 hours to 9am on Saturday, its wettest day in two months.
Bellambi’s 15mm to 9am on Monday was the suburb’s heaviest daily fall in the same period.
Kiama mayor and Jamberoo dairy farmer Mark Honey recorded 23mm at his place, about 1km from the coast, on Friday night.
“It just proved that it can still rain,” Cr Honey said.
“Hopefully it’s demonstrated that the weather patterns have changed and we may be in for a normal season from now on.”
Cr Honey said the rain “cheered people up a little”, but more was needed.
“We need those sort of rain events now almost weekly just to get a good spring, which will certainly set us up,” he said.
“We do need a lot more but, having said that, there were smiles on faces around here when it did come.”
WHERE THE RAIN FELL
- Albion Park: 17.4mm
- Bellambi: 27.0mm
- Kiama: 48.2mm
- Nowra: 20.4mm
*Rainfall totals in the 96 hours to 9am on Monday.
Andrew Pearson
Andrew grew up in the western Riverina town of Hay and has strong ties to the region. He is a former DA journo who has a passion for breaking news and has covered everything from council and politics to crime and court.
Andrew grew up in the western Riverina town of Hay and has strong ties to the region. He is a former DA journo who has a passion for breaking news and has covered everything from council and politics to crime and court.
