Many places are suffering bone dry conditions, not only in our regions but also in the north-west pastoral districts of South Australia, where Coober Pedy has had only 15 millimetres rainfall this year to date and Oodnadatta only 18.4 millimetres against an average of 113 millimetres.

Broken Hill has had only 18.2 millimetres, easily the driest first seven months of the year in 128 years.

Coonabarabran has received 145 millimetres to July 22 this year, the driest since 63 millimetres in 1965 and before that in 1902 when 61 millimetres were recorded.

The April to mid-July rainfall this year at Coonabarabran of 30.3 millimetres is the lowest since 26 millimetres in 1902.

Every month in Coonabarabran to date has had below-average rainfall and this trend may continue to include both August and September.

This happened in both 1965 and 1927 and then October to December rainfall for both those years was above average, not only in Coonabarabran but also at most places in our regions.

In the very dry 1902, there were relief rains in August, September and December, but very hot, dry conditions returned in January 1903.

The Southern Ocean low pressure belt has been more active than normal the past 10 days, with frequent frontal passages bringing brief rain periods to the Riverina and north-east Victoria, but heavy falls to southern Victoria and western Tasmania which is having its wettest July for 10 years.

There are signs that one of these frontal passages will extend further north and bring some much-needed rainfalls about the first week of August at places up to near the Queensland border.