It says below average rainfall over parts of eastern and southern Australia maintained the short- and long-term deficiencies in these areas, and slightly worsened the situation in southern Queensland, northern NSW, and eastern Tasmania.

Only minor relief to the rainfall deficits in the southern part of the Northern Territory resulted from the above average August rainfall in that region, as the falls were generally light.

And while there were few significant rainfall deficiencies over winter, the Bureau says that for the six-month period from March 2008 to August 2008, areas of serious to severe rainfall deficiencies covered much of the southern interior of WA and adjoining areas of south-west NT; far western Queensland and the Barkly region of the NT; eastern Tasmania; and eastern Victoria, extending into the far south-east of NSW.

There were also isolated areas of serious to severe rainfall deficiencies scattered through inland NSW, especially in the south and in the northwest, extending into southern inland Queensland.

The Bureau says rainfall deficiencies for the 15-month period from June 2007 to August 2008 remain evident over much of SA, including most of the agricultural districts, the southern NT and also in parts of southern WA, far western parts of both Queensland and NSW, western and central Victoria and northern and eastern Tasmania.

The Bureau says several years of above average rainfall are required to remove the very long-term deficits.