Parts of Tasmania have seen a months worth of rainfall in the last week, providing a decent injection of water into the Tassie hydro lakes.
August is Tasmania’s second wettest month with a state-wide monthly average of 148.2 mm. This sits just behind July (154.4 mm) and a smidgen ahead of May (135.7 mm) and September (134.9 mm).
So, it wasn’t surprising to see a processions of low pressure systems and cold fronts delivering frequent and heavy rain across the state during the past week. However, it was unusual for so much rain to fall in the state’s east, courtesy of a deep low pressure system in the western Tasman Sea.
The map below shows that most of Tasmania received around 50 to 100 mm of rain in the last seven days, with a few places exceeding 150 mm. This included 177.2 mm in one week at kunanyi / Mount Wellington, which is more rain than the mountain received during all of June and July combined.
Image: Observed rainfall during the week ending on August 18, 2022. Source: Bureau of Meteorology
Hydro operators can more accurately predict hydro plant output and manage water flows through accurate long-term catchment rainfall and snowfall forecasts. Rainfall forecasts from one hour to one year ahead are crucial for effective management of hydro assets. For more information on these services, please contact us at apac.sales@dtn.com.
