A band of rain has swept across northern Victoria and western New South Wales overnight, delivering the best rain in several years to some places.

A complex low pressure system brought about the heavy falls, giving the region a welcome start to winter. 

The rain generally favoured areas west of the Great Diving Range, with most places from Ararat to Shepparton to Forbes to Coonamble seeing the biggest totals. 

In Victoria, Bendigo collected 45mm in the 24 hours to 9am today, its heaviest rain for June since 1898. Tatura picked up 32mm, its heaviest June fall since 1996. 

In NSW, Nyngan recorded 63mm to 9am today, its heaviest rain since December 2007. This was also the town’s heaviest June fall on record, and more than twice the monthly average. Forbes had its best rain in a year picking up 51mm, while Trangie (40mm) and West Wyalong (41mm) had their highest daily fall since spring.

Unfortunately, NSW’s parched northwest missed out on the biggest falls once again. While Walgett’s 19mm was the heaviest rain since spring, it will only help slightly in what is turning into one of the worst droughts on record for the region. Nearby Collarenbri only managed a paltry 7mm.

The band of rain will continue to spread east today, although falls will not be as heavy. Northern Victoria and southern inland NSW should see a further 10-20mm, while over the central and northern inland of NSW a further 5-10mm is likely. 

Along NSW’s South Coast and Victoria’s far east, falls of more than 100mm are possible over the next two days due to an area of a convergence and the formation of a weak low pressure system.

From Tuesday, much of the region can expect dry and stable weather conditions as a broad high pressure ridge develops. 

This should keep at least inland parts of VIC and NSW dry for some time, although coastal parts of both states have potential for further rain later in the week.

– Weatherzone