Scone, Narrandera races called off, weather threatens more meetings
Thursday's meetings at Scone and Narrandera were abandoned due to heavy rainfall in the districts while a host of meetings on Friday and over the weekend are also under a cloud.
Friday's racing is scheduled for Kembla Grange where the track was rated a heavy (9) on Thursday morning with the Bureau of Meteorology predicting up to 28mm of rain in the area over the next 24 hours.
• PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW!
'Right now as things stand the meeting is OK but we are probably going to need a bit of luck in the next 24 hours and beyond,' Racing NSW chief steward Tom Moxon said.
The Coffs Harbour meeting, headlined by the $150,000 Coffs Harbour Cup (1600m) which carries Big Dance eligibility, is also set down for Friday and possibly is the safest meeting in the state over the next three days.
The Mid-North Coast track was rated a soft (6) on Thursday morning with less than 10mm of rail expected during the remainder of Thursday and Friday.
• J-Mac in touching distance of Moore's all-time mark
Saturday's three TAB meetings at Rosehill, Newcastle and Tuncurry are all needing some luck with heavy rain predicted along the coast over the next three days.
Rosehill was rated a heavy (8) at 8am on Thursday, with rain continuing to fall, and the forecast leading into the meeting is for up to 25mm on Friday and between 8mm and 35mm on Saturday.
'We'll go out and inspect the track on Friday afternoon at around 2pm,' Moxon said.
'A few of the forecasters are predicting varying amounts of rain so it's going to be a case of 'watch this space'.
'We'll inspect again on Saturday morning and hopefully we have a bit of luck with the weather.'
Newcastle and Tuncurry are separated by 163km and the forecast for the southern part of the Mid-North Coast isn't as favourable as it is a further 247km north at Coffs Harbour.
Newcastle copped 30mm in the 24 hours prior to 7.45am on Thursday and was rated a heavy (10) with Thursday's total rainfall predicted to be up to 25mm with a further 35mm on Friday and 50mm on Saturday possible.
At Tuncurry the track was rated a heavy (8) and similar numbers are being predicted in the next 72 hours.
• Schiller gets green light for early spring return
'Things are not looking as good at Newcastle and Tuncurry but we'll continue to monitor the situation and weight up what our options are going forward,' Moxon said.
Sunday's Wyong meeting is also in doubt with the Central Coast track expecting similar falls to Newcastle with a further 20mm possible on Sunday. The track was put out a soft (7) on Thursday.
The Forbes Cup meeting is also scheduled for Sunday and the track was rated a heavy (8) on Thursday morning.
The Central West town has a much more favourable weather outlook over the next few days with only 7mm of rain forecast over the next four days. Read related topics: Weather Horse Racing
Newcastle trainer Mark Minervini aims for immediate returns with his Godolphin purchase Hanau at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday. Horse Racing
Racing Victoria has a luxury of time and potential to make right decisions on its multimillion dollar Oaklands Park dream field.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
ABC News
21 minutes ago
- ABC News
Wet weather forecast for spring as Indian Ocean climate driver emerges
A wet finish to the year is increasingly favoured across Australia as a major climate driver emerges for the first time in three years. During recent weeks, changes in ocean temperatures show the development of a negative Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) — the wet phase of the Indian Ocean, which rivals La Niña for its positive impact on Australia's rainfall. Negative IODs in the past have contributed to most of Australia's wettest winters and springs on record, including all four previous episodes this century in 2010, 2016, 2021 and 2022. A negative IOD refers to a prolonged period of at least eight weeks of warmer waters near Indonesia and cooler waters off the Horn of Africa. While this may seem inconsequential, the change corresponds with a shift in the overlying pressure and wind regime — specifically, there is a moist air blowing towards Australia's longitudes from the tropical Indian Ocean. In a similar vein to a La Niña phase of the Pacific Ocean, this influx of humid winds promotes the formation of cloud and rain. What is critical for the continued evolution of an event and its eventual impact on the weather is that the changes to the ocean and atmosphere reinforce each other through a positive feedback loop — a coupling that can preserve the anomalous state for months. Negative IODs, and their counterpart positive IODs, on average occur every one in five years. However, the Indian Ocean has been exceptionally active during the past decade, with only three years (2017, 2002 and 2024) remaining neutral. The prospect of a negative IOD returning in 2025 was first flagged by the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) back in autumn when their long-range modelling was showing the driver would likely develop at some point in winter. Despite little observational verification, the BOM's modelling consistently stuck to that prediction through June. However, water temperatures off the east coast of Africa began to drop notably in July. The index used to measure the state of the Indian Ocean reflected this change, and its latest weekly value sits at -0.6 degrees Celsius, below the negative IOD threshold of -0.4°C for the second consecutive week. However, for 2025 to officially become a negative IOD year, the index is required to remain below -0.4°C for at least another six weeks. That scenario now appears increasingly likely with the latest modelling showing the index falling to around -1°C in September before gradually climbing back to neutral in December, easily sufficient time to have a lasting impression on the nation's weather. The BOM's modelling shows negative IOD conditions will intensify further into early spring and remain until December. The life span of an IOD event is shorter than Pacific El Niño-La Niña episodes, which normally last about nine months. A typical IOD will develop in winter, quickly peak, then decay by early summer when the monsoon erodes any influence on tropical Indian Ocean winds. The impacts, shown in the table below, are most pronounced in spring when the national average rainfall is on average 36 per cent higher than during neutral years, calculated using 13 negative IOD events from 1960 to 2024. Winter sees an average 20 per cent boost to precipitation, and by summer it falls to 13.9 per cent. In terms of spatial extent, negative IODs can lift rainfall across most of the country, as illustrated by the map below. The greatest impact lies over the south-east inland where the mean across nine classic events is in the ninth decile — rainfall totals in the top 20 per cent of all years. However, not all events are the same, and considering many negative IODs coincide with La Niña, 2025 rainfall may not be as widespread or intense. So what can we expect during the coming months? The most accurate forecast for seasonal weather patterns is now model data, as opposed to the old method, a few decades ago, of using past years as a guide. The BOM's latest outlook for spring shows a 70 to 80 per cent chance of above-median rain across most of central and eastern Australia, a forecast closely matching a typical negative IOD footprint. Another impact of a negative IOD is on temperatures. Climate change ensures most Australian seasons are comfortably warmer than normal, however, during extended wet periods, the additional cloud cover can lower daytime temperatures. Again, the seasonal outlook concurs with this past trend, showing parts of Australia's central and eastern areas are favoured to record below-median maximums from August to November.
Herald Sun
3 hours ago
- Herald Sun
Ballarat weather: Forecast for August 6
Don't miss out on the headlines from Hyperlocal. Followed categories will be added to My News. Today's forecast is mostly cloudy; showers, mostly morning; nw winds tending sw. At 2am today, expect extremely dry conditions with a dew point of 4.4. The temperature feels like 0.2, which is much colder than it actually is. The relative humidity is 89 per cent. The highest expected temperature today is 10, which is 3 degrees lower than yesterday's max. Warmer conditions are expected on five of the next six days, with the mercury climbing above today's maximum on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. The chance of rain today is 50 per cent. Showers are less likely tomorrow with the Bureau of Meteorology forecasting a slim (10 per cent) chance of rain. The UV index is predicted to be 2. While there is a low risk of harm from sun exposure. Experts suggest using eye protection, sunscreen and covering up, especially people with sensitive skin who burn easily. Winds will be west around 17 km/h in the morning shifting to southwest around 22 km/h in the afternoon. Details for the next six days: Thursday, August 7: Mostly sunny. S'ly winds Min - 1. Max - 10. Friday, August 8: Mostly sunny. SE winds Min - 1. Max - 13. Saturday, August 9: Mostly sunny. SE/NE winds Min - 0. Max - 15. Sunday, August 10: Mostly cloudy. NE winds Min - 1. Max - 15. Monday, August 11: Mostly cloudy. Fresh NE winds Min - 3. Max - 15. Tuesday, August 12: Cloudy. Rain periods. NE/NW winds Min - 6. Max - 13. The previous Ballarat weather article can be viewed here.
Herald Sun
3 hours ago
- Herald Sun
Phillip Island weather: Forecast for August 6
Don't miss out on the headlines from Hyperlocal. Followed categories will be added to My News. Today's forecast is mostly cloudy; rain periods; fresh nw winds tending sw. At 2am today, expect a dry day with a dew point of 6.3. The temperature will feel more like a cool 3.8 with a relative humidity of 76 per cent. The highest expected temperature today is 14, which is 2 degrees lower than yesterday's max. Warmer conditions are expected on four of the next six days, with the mercury climbing above today's maximum on Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. The chance of rain today is 90 per cent. Showers are less likely tomorrow with the Bureau of Meteorology forecasting a slight (30 per cent) chance of rain. The UV index is predicted to be 2. While there is a low risk of harm from sun exposure. Experts suggest using eye protection, sunscreen and covering up, especially people with sensitive skin who burn easily. Winds will be west around 22 km/h in the morning shifting to west-southwest around 20 km/h in the afternoon. Details for the next six days: Thursday, August 7: Mostly cloudy. SW winds Min - 7. Max - 13. Friday, August 8: Mostly sunny. NE winds tending SE Min - 6. Max - 14. Saturday, August 9: Sunny. NE/SE winds Min - 5. Max - 15. Sunday, August 10: Mostly sunny. NE/SE winds Min - 5. Max - 15. Monday, August 11: Mostly sunny. NE winds Min - 5. Max - 17. Tuesday, August 12: Cloudy. Rain periods. N'ly winds tending NW Min - 8. Max - 16. The previous Phillip Island weather article can be viewed here. Page 2
