Last weekend's active cold change, which extended unusually far north into central Australia, led temperatures to fall well below the March average over most of eastern Australia.
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Alice Springs, which received 44mm rainfall, had its coldest day for the first half of March since 1945 with a reading of only 16.3.
This was a drop of 22 degrees from the first 12 days of March, when the mean maximum was 38.5 degrees.
Birdsville, on March 14 with a maximum temperature of 19.5, had its coldest March day in 67 years of records.
The previous coldest March day was 21.1, near the end of March 1956.
The active cold change followed a hot day of 35 degrees in Wangaratta and 35.5 in Yarrawonga on Saturday, March 13.
This will be the last of the hot days of more than 30 degrees for the rest of this month and April.
A strong, extensive belt of high pressure now covers ocean waters south of the continent, with the main centre parking itself in the South Tasman Sea east of Tasmania and bringing a warm easterly wind circulation to Victoria.
This is a typical Indian summer situation, with maximum temperatures being a few degrees above normal for several days on end.
Currently, heavy rain is falling over southern Queensland and northern inland NSW in conjunction with a low pressure complex.
This often happens during an Indian summer type of situation.
Roma has had heavy rain, now 120mm this month, and the day's maximum temperature of only 19.4 made it the coldest March day since the 17.5 on March 12, 1980.
The heavy rain area, which is gradually shifting to the NSW coast and then moving southwards, is not likely to reach north-east Victoria in the immediate future due to the stationary high pressure east of Tasmania.
The south coast of NSW did have heavy rain there a week ago and looks set to have more the next three days, making this the wettest March since 1975.
Prospects for some moderate rainfalls in Victoria do look good after next weekend.
