Grain farmers in the wheat belts on both sides of the continent have been told to expect drier and warmer conditions between now and the start of Spring.
That's bad news for winter crop production after an exceptionally dry June.
July to September rainfall is likely to be below average over parts of south-eastern and south-western Australia, the Bureau of Meteorology said in its latest seasonal outlook.
Day and night-time temperatures are likely to be warmer than average for most of Australia, but chances highest in the southeast and southwest, where there is a greater than 80 per cent chance of warmer than average days and nights.
The NSW Department of Primary Industries says rainfalls across the state in June were generally 60 to 80 per cent lower than normal.
"A lot of it was very variable, very stormy, patchy rainfall, and unfortunately there are areas that missed out, primarily areas of the north-west and the central and northern central-west," seasonal conditions coordinator Ian McGowen told the ABC.
More rainfall was urgently needed across most areas of the state to help primary producers with winter production, he said.
In the state's north-west many farmers believe the next few weeks will make or break the annual harvest.
Some farms have not sown crops because of insufficient soil moisture while others with later-sown crops are in need of rain.
