With Local water supplies dwindling, water being carted into Guyra and Malpas Dam now less than half full, farmers are not the only people searching the sky for some serious falls of moisture. So, what does the Bureau of Meteorology offer that might lift the spirits of local water users?
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Well, our last really big year was during Australia's biggest La Nina event in 2011, when Armidale Airport registered a total of 1060.4mm of rain.
"April 2010 to March 2012 was Australia's wettest two-year period on record," a BoM report reads.
Then during the four years from 2012 - 2015, steady averages of between just under 550mm to just over 680mm were recorded.
2016 and 2017 received 899.2mm and 817.8mm respectively, and last year saw an annual drop to 638.4mm, which could could mean we may be in the dryer part of a cycle, and so far this year rainfall totals at the Airport have recorded significant lower falls than last year.
Armidale (Tree Group Nursery) recorded a similar pattern, but the falls recorded were lower.
While 2011 remained a very significant year with 1048mm, 2016 and 2017 recorded 780.6mm and 765.2mm respectively.
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The July to September climate outlook issued by BoM on June 27, suggests a drier than average three months for large parts of Australia.
July to September daytime temperatures are likely to be warmer than average and nights are likely to be warmer across much of northern Australia and the east coast.
With more cloud-free days and nights expected, there is an increased risk of frost in susceptible areas.
Climate influences include a positive Indian Ocean Dipole and a continued weakening of El Nio-like patterns in the tropical Pacific Ocean. The state of these climate drivers mean higher pressures are more likely over southern and eastern Australia, reducing cloud formation and keeping cold fronts further south than usual.
A drier than average three months is likely for large parts of the country, extending from the northern NT, through Queensland and NSW, and into Victoria and southeast SA. Western and central WA and southeast Tasmania are also likely to have a drier three months.
For July, the drier than average signal is confined to central to eastern NSW extending up into southern Queensland.
The rest of the country has roughly equal chances of a wetter or drier than average month.
Historical outlook accuracy for July to September is moderate to high for most of the country.
