It’s midway through autumn and Bathurst is set to record more rain than the city’s long-term seasonal average.
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Bathurst has recorded 122.8 millimetres so far this autumn – just 12.4mm shy of the long-term average of 135.2mm.
After months of hot, windy weather and below average rainfall through summer, the recent rain has been a welcome boost.
Not only are the region’s farmers glad to have feed for their stock and moist grounds for their crops, but landscapers are working long hours just to keep up with the work.
Property services operator and lawnmower Paul Fogarty said recent rains have been a welcome relief after months of hot, dry weather.
“Around 75 per cent of people put you off until you see the grass,” he said.
“People don’t have their grass growing, and therefore you don’t get paid.
“You’re dependent on weather conditions like a farmer.”
Mr Fogarty, who has been in business since 2007, said the wet weather had boosted the bottom line of his business.
“The grass is just jumping out of the ground with the sunshine and it’s difficult to keep up [with the requests for work],” he said.
Landscaper Mick Van Den Bruggen said extra rain had led to more frequent requests for mowing by many of his customers.
“If you leave it any longer it’s a jungle,” he said.
While he welcomed the rain, Mr Van Den Bruggen said such continual falls have meant many days where lawns are too water- logged to mow.
“I can’t complain; sometimes there’s not enough of it,” he said.
While above average rainfall was recorded last month, the last time the city had average, or above average, rainfall was in June 2013, when 92mm was recorded in a month with a long-term average of 44mm.
Weatherzone meteorologist Ben Domensino said while the remainder of autumn should be drier for Bathurst, the long-term average looks set to be broken.
“Since there’s only about 10mm to go, I think we’ve got a pretty good chance of cracking it,” he said.