Queensland · SA4 sub-regional conditions
Actual
4mm
Historical
569.1mm
vs Average
1%
Bar shows rainfall relative to average (centre line = 100% of average)
4.7%
volumetric (0-1cm) · Very Dry
State average: 7.8% (Very Dry)
1529
hotspots (5d)
State-level · NASA FIRMS
State-level · BOM Water Data
Townsville is experiencing severe drought conditions with rainfall at just 1% of average (4mm vs 569mm) and critically low soil moisture at 4.7%, significantly worse than Queensland's state average of 7.8%. These extreme dry conditions pose serious risks to the region's sugarcane crop, which requires substantial water for optimal growth, while beef cattle face potential feed shortages and water stress. The sub-region's composite score of 18 is substantially below Queensland's already poor state average of 23, highlighting Townsville as one of the most challenging agricultural areas nationally, with elevated fire risk from the dry conditions.
SA4-specific AI summary · 13/04/2026
Townsville (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 1% of the historical average (4mm actual vs 569.1mm average).
The key commodities in the Townsville region are sugarcane, beef, mangoes. 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 4.7% (very dry).
