Australia Weather News

Weather forecasters say Tasmania needs frequent rain-bearing cold fronts in coming months to restore catchments to healthy levels.

As a front crossed the state this week with heavy westerly winds, falls of more than 100 millimetres were recorded in parts of the north and west.

Bureau of Meteorology climatologist Ian Barnes-Keoghan said Strahan recorded 110 millimetres and Savage River 145 millimetres, while 150 millimetres fell at Queenstown.

"It was really only the far north-east coast that missed out," he said.

"We haven't had many cold fronts that brought rainfall in the last several months.

"When you look back through most of recent months the story has been dry, except for the north and east in late January."

This week's rain has come with dam levels at 13 per cent after the driest April on record.

Hydro Tasmania has been drawing heavily on its storages while the disabled Basslink electricity interconnector was not able to import power.

Mr Barnes-Keoghan said it was a welcome relief, but the soils were still very dry.

"What we really want to see is a bit more of this rain coming through again and again and that will gradually saturate the soil, particularly the top part of the soil, and then we'll just get more run-off," he said.

"More of that water going directly into catchment."

Mr Barnes-Keoghan said there were also solid falls this week in the Upper Derwent Valley and north-east highlands, with 82 millimetres recorded at Maydena.

He said a climate pattern has been emerging in recent years of mild conditions persisting well into Autumn and this year was a standout.