Northern Tablelands Local Land Services
October rainfall drives improvement in seasonal conditions.
- Well above average October rainfall has aided short-term improvements in seasonal conditions across much of the region, supporting pasture growth, groundcover recovery and increasing producer confidence.
- The NSW-CDI shows a substantial reduction in the intensity of drought conditions across the region, with much of the region now classified as Drought Affected.
- Despite these improvements, long-term rainfall deficits continue to influence seasonal conditions and production across the region.
- Continued warm conditions through spring also have the potential to reduce soil moisture levels through pasture growth demands and higher evaporation rates.
- Further rainfall will be important to maintain recent gains and support continued improvements in soil moisture, farm water supply, and production conditions across the region.
Click on the scroll bar below the map to compare with previous months.
The DPIRD Drought Forecast suggests that most of the region is likely to be in the NSW-CDI Drought Affected or Drought category at the end of January 2027 (issued 31 October 2026).
- There is moderate to high model agreement and low to high past accuracy for this forecast period.
| NSW-CDI Category | 30 September 2026 | 31 October 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Non-Drought | 7.5% | 9.8% |
| Recovery | 1.3% | 8.6% |
| Drought Affected – Weakening | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Drought Affected – Intensifying | 42.4% | 78.7% |
| Drought | 44.6% | 2.9% |
| Intense Drought | 4.2% | 0.0% |
Click on the scroll bar to view the map over the past 12 months.
Hover over the chart to see the percentage area in each category.
Normalised Difference Vegetation Index
Plant greenness levels compared to the historical average for this period.
- Note that some of the extremely negative NDVI areas (brown patches) are water bodies.
The NDVI anomaly is a useful measure of vegetation density and plant health. It estimates the amount of green vegetation there is in the landscape compared to what is expected at the given time of year, against the baseline period 1987 – 2020.
Click on the scroll bar below the map to compare with previous months.
Click on the scroll bar to view the map over the past 12 months.
Individual Drought Indicators
Drought indicators remain low across much of the region.
- Drier conditions and warmer temperatures continue to influence conditions across the region
- The current drought forecast suggests that the Plant Growth and Soil Water indicators will likely remain low over the coming months.
- All locations are showing a large spread in possible outcomes of the Rainfall Indicator.
- DPIRD continues to monitor this region closely.
The timeseries charts now include the DPIRD Drought Forecast, displaying the range of possible scenarios of the three underlying drought indicators and NSW-CDI category over the next three months for each location.
Observing the trends of the underlying drought indicators of Soil Water, Plant Growth and Rainfall is useful in tracking long-term changes in conditions.
Find out more about the underlying drought indicators here: https://www.dpird.nsw.gov.au/climate_applications/interactive-drought-map/Learn-more/understanding-the-cdi-phases
To access a Drought History chart for your Parish, visit the Seasonal Conditions Information Portal.
