MURRAY-Darling Basin farmers are running out of time, with only a couple of weeks left to score the “substantial” rainfall that will stop John Howard switching off the taps.

Mr Howard warned a month ago that if there were no big rains within six weeks, farmers across the Murray-Darling Basin could face zero water allocations for the coming year.

In the intervening weeks, there have been widespread falls across Victoria and NSW. But dams and rivers throughout the Murray-Darling system remain at record or near-record lows.

Figures released yesterday reveal almost 84 per cent of NSW is still in the grip of drought, up from 78.5 per cent last month.

Experts suggest there is every chance irrigators will start the season, which begins on July 1, with zero water allocations.

But there is hope of more rain as the year progresses. The National Climate Centre yesterday predicted rain across the catchment next week.

Longer-range forecasts also look positive. Senior Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Blair Trewin said there was a high chance of a La Nina developing, thereverse of the drought-inducing El Nino.

“If that develops, the most likely result would be above-normal rain throughout the second-half of the year,” he said.