West Australian Grain Regions May Get More Rainfall This Week

By Madelene Pearson

July 28 (Bloomberg) -- Grain regions in Western Australia state, the nation's biggest wheat grower, may receive more rain this week adding to falls last week.

There may be 0.75 of an inch (19 millimeters) to 1 inch of rain in western parts of the state's wheat belt this week, and 0.5 to 0.75 of an inch in eastern parts, said Brett Dutschke, meteorologist at the weatherzone.com.au in Sydney.

``It looks like the wettest part of the country will be Western Australia in the next week,'' he said by phone. ``It looks like the fronts that are coming through there are fairly strong and weakening as they get to South Australia and the rest of the south east of the country.''

Wheat output in Australia, forecast to be the world's third- largest shipper of the grain, may rebound to 23.7 million metric tons this harvest, up from last year's drought-reduced crop of 13 million tons, the government forecaster has said. The nation's wheat crops are in better condition than a year earlier because of winter rains, exporter AWB Ltd. said on July 18.

Grain growing regions in South Australia may get as much as 0.5 of an inch of rain, with heavier falls in southern parts, Dutschke said. Victoria state may receive 0.5 inch to 1 inch in western and north-eastern parts. Southern New South Wales may get as much as an inch with falls of 0.25 of an inch forecast for central and northern parts of the state and Queensland, he said.

Most of the nation's grain growing regions had rain last week, with falls heaviest in Queensland state and parts of Victoria, he said. Queensland got 1-to-2 inches last week, with similar falls in north eastern and central Vitoria, he said.

To contact the reporter on this story: Madelene Pearson in Melbourne on mpearson1@bloomberg.net