Rainfall for 24 hours to 9am Week to 9am      SE AUS detail

Minimum temperature departure from normal      Actual temperatures

Maximum temperature departure from normal      Actual temperatures

Weather events

Locusts swarm into VIC

Swarms of locusts that could be disastrous for farmers and pastoralists were reported swarming into VIC today. A locust swarm is capable of stripping a dairy farm bare of grass in a night, and widespread swarms can cause losses running into millions of dollars. The present locust plague was initiated by widespread flooding rain across QLD and NSW in mid January and reached plague proportions in Central Western NSW mid March (see AWN reports for 16 March and 16 April). Drier conditions in northern VIC and central NSW during last autumn reduced available food and killed off locusts in those areas, but billions of locust eggs laid by those swarms have remained dormant over winter awaiting the right conditions -- about 25mm of rain and temperatures of around 25C -- to hatch.

Those conditions have arrived with warm temperatures and widespread rain through NSW and VIC during November and December. Swarms have been reported on the Central Western Slopes and Plains and South West Slopes of NSW, and yesterday and today have been reported crossing the border into VIC east of Albury. This is likely to be the same massive swarm that passed through the southern NSW town of Holbrook last weekend. Holbrook Bowls Club grounds-keeper Peter Horn told AAP that members had been forced to abandon play after the locusts descended on the greens. "They are just mating on the bowling green and it's impossible to play," he said. "Saturday and Sunday the greens were chock-a-block. We played a couple of matches early on Sunday morning but as soon as the sun came out it was impossible. They are everywhere - if you look up in the sky there are just millions of bloody locusts flying around everywhere." The golf course and many Holbrook lawns have been stripped, and residents have had to use towels to block the gaps under doors to stop locusts pouring into their homes.

Victoria's representative on the Australian Plague Locust Commission, Malcolm Campbell, said he had seen locusts do amazing things in NSW this season. "One farmer told me 'Yesterday I had a standing lucerne crop - today all I have is a field full of stalks'," he said. Locusts take to the air at temperatures above about 22C then move with the wind. The Victorian Department of Primary Industry has warned farmers in the likely track of swarms to cut and bale crops soon. Warnings have also been issued to motorists that swarms may be dense enough to completely coat windscreens and clog radiators and air intakes.

Hot in SE SA, W VIC

Strong, hot northwesterlies ahead of a trough and cold front gave top temperatures in the low 40s to QLD, NSW, VIC and SA today, while seasonably hot weather produced 40+ temperatures in WA and the NT (see map). In the western half of VIC, far SE SA and far SW NSW, these temperatures were from 10 to 14C above average, with Laverton RAAF, between Melbourne and Geelong, recording the greatest variation above normal -- 14.3 from a top temperature of 37.9C. The highest reported maxima in each state were 41.6 at Ivanhoe in western NSW, 41.1 at Hopetoun in Victoria's southern Mallee, and 41.6 at Marree in SA.

Early monsoon sneaks into NT Top End

Isolated heavy storm rainfall continued over the NT Top End today as forecasters admitted surprise at the early development of the monsoon trough. Senior Bureau forecaster Ashley Patterson told the Northern Territory News: "We weren't expecting it until early January so its arrival is a bit of a surprise. It snuck in a bit before Christmas last year as well. They don't take long to form. This one has been active over western Indonesia for a while, but it's suddenly come eastwards to the northern Australian region."

Thunderstorms were widespread across the Top End today with many locations reporting storm falls of 15 to 25mm. Gove Airport however recorded 55.8mm in just 51 minutes to 1.30pm in the heaviest known fall.

Trough gives widespread storms in QLD, NSW

The trough that has been lying through western QLD and NSW for several days retreated into SA today in response to the advancing southern cold front. This allowed unstable northerlies to extend across most of QLD and NSW. Storms from yesterday afternoon's build-up continued early this morning in eastern and central QLD, one which started around 11.30pm last night giving Springsure in the QLD Central Highlands 58mm. Storms redeveloped this afternoon and were reported from all climate districts in QLD and across much of the NE half of NSW but, with diminishing amounts of moisture available, rainfall totals were only moderate.

Lightning strikes from storms sparked two fires near Dubbo NSW, one at Spicer's Creek, 50km ESE of the city, and a second at Walmer, 50km SSE. The fires were quickly extinguished, but had to be closely monitored for several days in case of reignition.

Barwon flood peaks at Walgett NSW

The Barwon River flood peak passed through Walgett today, reaching 11.68m with minor flooding.