Paul Rosser 
71.0mm for the month of May bringing our Year to Date (YTD) to 161.5mm.
How did this compare with other years:
2026 71.0mm (4) 161.5mm (7)
2025 49.0mm 68.0mm
2024 15.0mm 58.0mm
2023 47.5mm 171.5mm (5)
2022 83.5mm (2) 157.0mm
2021 38.5mm 120.0mm
2020 70.5mm 180.5mm (3)
2019 101.5mm (1) 118.0mm
2018 60.5mm 87.5mm
2017 23.5mm 170.0mm (6)
2016 56.0mm 161.0mm
2015 69.5mm 195.0mm (1)
2014 74.0mm (3) 182.0mm (2)
2013 62.0mm 129.0mm
2012 35.0mm 177.0mm (4)
The May average over the last 100 years + is 56.5mm, so we did pretty well this last month. I feel we can confidently report that the season has broken for this year.
What’s in store for us this winter:
- Rain is forecast to be around average for our area,
- The temperature for both day and night will be higher than average,
- Soil moisture depth is currently average and will stay as such, over winter,
- The sea temperature around the gulfs and South Australia are around average,
- There is a chance of El Nino forming late winter but this is debatable at this stage as sea and atmospheric temperatures are not quite in alignment for this to be a certainty,
- Fire risk over winter is low,
- The Murray Darling Basin id running at 48% currently.
We have started winter with 23mms in the first two days. More is coming this week.
I was interested to read this week that Battery Capacity internationally is in the news again, with
- capacity in terms of operational loads,
- loads estimated under construction and
- loads from committed projects about to start having been just released. The main contenders are:
- China 550GW
- USA 181GW
- Australia 60GW
- Germany 34GW
- Saudia Arabia 27GW’s
The USA has virtually stalled as its President is backing fossil fuels rather than renewables. All the other countries in the top five are taking off but unlikely to catch China. China is placing itself as the leader in manufacturing of renewable items and is the major supplier internationally. An interesting observation was made by a leading ABC economist that the country that controls international trade doesn’t have to war with others because of the stranglehold on their economies. An interesting thought!!
Well, that’s it for this month.
Paul
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