Queensland · SA4 sub-regional conditions
Actual
28.3mm
Historical
300.1mm
vs Average
9%
Bar shows rainfall relative to average (centre line = 100% of average)
8.3%
volumetric (0-1cm) · Very Dry
State average: 7.8% (Very Dry)
1529
hotspots (5d)
State-level · NASA FIRMS
State-level · BOM Water Data
The Sunshine Coast is experiencing severe drought conditions with only 28.3mm of recent rainfall (9% of average) and critically low soil moisture at 8.3%, significantly worse than Queensland's already dry 7.8% state average. These extreme dry conditions pose serious risks to the region's specialty horticultural crops including pineapples, strawberries, and ginger, which are highly water-dependent and vulnerable to drought stress. The sub-region's composite score of 18 reflects these challenging conditions, sitting below Queensland's state average of 23, with fire risk elevated due to the prolonged dry spell.
SA4-specific AI summary · 13/04/2026
Sunshine Coast (Queensland) has a composite agricultural conditions score of 18/100, 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 9% of the historical average (28.3mm actual vs 300.1mm average).
The key commodities in the Sunshine Coast region are pineapples, strawberries, ginger. 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 8.3% (very dry).
