New South Wales · SA4 sub-regional conditions
Actual
14.9mm
Historical
94.5mm
vs Average
16%
Bar shows rainfall relative to average (centre line = 100% of average)
6.5%
volumetric (0-1cm) · Very Dry
State average: 8.6% (Very Dry)
1421
hotspots (5d)
State-level · NASA FIRMS
State-level · BOM Water Data
Hunter Valley exc Newcastle faces severe drought conditions with rainfall at just 16% of average (14.9mm vs 94.5mm) and critically dry soil moisture at 6.5%, well below the already poor NSW state average of 8.6%. These harsh seasonal conditions severely stress the region's beef cattle operations through reduced pasture quality and availability, whilst dairy producers face escalating feed costs and potential production impacts. The SA4 composite score of 23 significantly underperforms the NSW state average of 33, reflecting heightened localised drought risk that threatens both livestock productivity and wine grape irrigation requirements.
SA4-specific AI summary · 14/04/2026
Hunter Valley exc Newcastle (New South Wales) has a composite agricultural conditions score of 23/100, rated as challenging. This score is updated daily using localised rainfall and soil moisture data from SILO DataDrill and BOM.
Recent 30-day rainfall is 16% of the historical average (14.9mm actual vs 94.5mm average).
The key commodities in the Hunter Valley exc Newcastle region are beef, dairy, wine grapes. Each commodity has its own detailed analysis page with live pricing and forward outlook.
The SA4 composite score is the average of the rainfall score (30-day actual vs historical average) and the soil moisture score (volumetric water content banded from Very Dry to Wet). Soil moisture is currently 6.5% (very dry).
