Summary of key issues:
-
During the week ending 15 March 2017 rainfall was mostly recorded in eastern and northern Australia.
-
In the past week a series of severe thunderstorms brought heavy rainfall, floods and hail to northern New South Wales and south-eastern Queensland.
-
During the week ending 14 March 2017 maximum temperatures were between 4°C and 8°C above average in parts of south-eastern Australia.
-
Water storage levels in the Murray–Darling Basin (MDB) decreased during the week ending 16 March 2017.
-
Australia exported record volumes of wheat in January 2017, with over one third going to India.
-
Tight world cotton supplies have resulted in world cotton prices being up over 30 percent compared to the same time last year.
-
Brazilian sugarcane processors have increased production of sugar at the expense of ethanol resulting in local imports of ethanol being up 218 per cent year-on-year.