Extra rain threatens crops

Ayaka Miura works in the sweet potato fields on Grange Road ahead of what is expected to be a warm, wet spring.

Mike Knott

FRUIT and vegetable growers in the Bundaberg region are bracing for disease outbreaks in their crops after predictions of a wetter than average spring.

Forecasters say a mild La Nina forming in the Pacific Ocean will deliver the extra rainfall.

Weatherzone meteorologist Brett Dutschke said South East Queensland should see good rainfall until late September.

He said the extra rain should peak in late spring.

“The second half of spring will probably be wetter than normal,” he said.

Mr Dutschke said the chances of a dry spring this year were very low. He said the good rain would coincide with the start of the storm season.

“There is a good chance the storms will be more severe, with higher rainfall,” he said.

Mr Dutschke said flash flooding could increase due to the extra moisture in the air and warmer sea temperatures.

He said in the Bundaberg area the sea temperatures would be close to normal, with a better chance of getting above-average rainfall for spring.

“As far as temperatures go they will probably be higher than normal, with extra rain and extra cloud,” he said.

“In the early part of spring there will be some fairly hot days, and in the later part of spring, the number of hot days will decrease.

“Overall I would say it will be a warmer than normal spring.”

In the shorter term, Mr Dutschke was predicting some rain for the Bundaberg region early next week.

“There is a band of rain coming across from the west,” he said.

“The Bundaberg area is not likely to get much out of this – 10mm to 20mm is possible early next week.”

Monduran Citrus general manager Mike Harrison said a warm, wet spring would increase the disease pressure on his crops.

“It increases the chances of fungal diseases,” he said.

“We don't like to use sprays unless we have to.”

Mr Harrison said the upside of a warm, wet spring was that even if they had to spray more to control disease, they would have to irrigate less.

He said his citrus crops were finished for the year, and the trees were now flowering.

WEEK AHEAD

Forecast temperatures

Today – 12 deg to 24 deg

Tomorrow – 13-26

Friday – 12-26

Saturday – 15-25

Sunday – 17-25

Monday – 17-25