The unusually long-lasting low pressure system that has delivered huge rainfall totals to inland and even desert regions of Australia is finally starting to dissipate.
The low is currently centred over New South Wales, having travelled from the Northern Territory into South Australia before moving east – all the while dragging tropical moisture southwards from waters north of the mainland.
The low continues to generate steady falls this Tuesday in parts of central New South Wales.
Between 9am and 5pm, Bathurst received 38.8mm, on the back of 44.8mm yesterday, which made this March the first month in half a year that the Central Tablelands city has exceeded its average monthly rainfall.
But today’s rainfall figures are just a very small taste of some of the phenomenal totals from this system, some of which are worth revisiting before the system breaks up midweek.
The wet outback
Last Monday, huge falls were recorded around Cameron Corner, the place where the NSW, SA and Qld borders meet, including 120.6mm in a day at Winnathee in NSW – a location just about as close to Alice Springs as it is to Sydney.
Illustrating the vast area of normally dry country covered by this system, last Tuesday Mount Isa (Qld) and Alice Springs (NT) both notched February rainfall records – Mount Isa for total rain accumulation, and Alice Springs for the number of rain days.
Also on Tuesday, the Nappa Merrie cattle station in southwest Queensland’s Channel Country received 169 mm, which was close to the area’s annual average rainfall in a single day. Outback flooding was well underway in four states (Qld, SA, NT, NSW) by this stage.
By the middle of last week, it was bucketing down in Birdsville, with 93.2mm in a day. That was the iconic outback town’s heaviest day of February rainfall this century and almost 60% of the annual average.
Image: 12-hour combined radar and water vapour loop showing heavy rainfall on Wednesday, February 25, 2026 in the area near Birdsville. Source: Weatherzone.
Towards the end of the week and into the weekend, the action shifted to South Australia and then to Victoria.
Daily rainfall totals of more than 100mm were recorded at several outback locations in South Australia, while the Victorian regional city of Mildura saw almost 150mm on the first two days of March. Its annual average is just 285.6mm.
Rainfall deficiencies eradicated
Many of the areas mentioned in this story – especially in SA and Vic – have experienced long-term rainfall deficiencies.
Compare the following two maps. The first shows Australian rainfall deciles in the 12 months to the end of January 2026.
Image: Australian rainfall deciles in the 12 months to the end of January 2026. Source: BoM.
The next map shows Australian rainfall deciles in the 12 months to the end of February 2026.
The red area (indicating rainfall deficiencies) has noticeably shrunk, although it’s worth noting that some of the weekend’s heavy SA rain and most of the Victorian rain technically fell in March, so is not recorded yet on this chart. Expect much more blue in a month’s time.
Image: Australian rainfall deciles in the 12 months to the end of February 2026. Source: BoM.
Meanwhile showers could persist for much of this week in eastern New South Wales, while showers will continue or increase in large parts of Queensland.
The fresh burst of eastern Australian rainfall will be due to the increasing influence of Tasman Sea or Coral Sea moisture and associated low pressure systems, rather than the existing low over NSW.