The persistent moderate to heavy rain over the past fortnight in our regions kept maximum temperatures well below normal.

Coonabarabran faced its coldest second half of March since 1894. The mean maximum to March 28 was 23.5, possibly the first time in 141 years the highest temperature did not exceed 26 degrees for this period.

However, I expect warmer days for early April, partly due to high maximum temperatures currently occurring in the Gold Fields of WA.

Coonabarabran with 230.2mm had its third-wettest March on record, behind 289mms in 1894 and 245mm in 1926.

The first week of April for 1926 and 1894 in our regions was dry. The latter recorded maximum temperatures of 28 to 30 at most places during the first 10 days of April 1894 then moderate to heavy rain just after mid-month.

Coonabarabran's total rainfall since December 1 is 610mms, the fourth-wettest after 1887, 1971 and 1976.

Both 1887 and 1971 were wet years in Victoria, but 1976 was dry and warm from February to June with welcome rain falling during the spring that year.

Moree had its wettest March with 263mm since the record 461mm in 1894. The 150mm on March 23 made it the wettest-ever March day on record with the previous wettest March day 142mm on March 19, 1894.

In north-east Victoria, 1894 was very wet from the third week of April right through to very heavy rains in the first week of October 1894. November 1894 was hot and very dry with 40.6 degrees at Bendigo in late November. From December 1894 to May 1895 monthly rainfall was slightly above average.

The City of Melbourne has recorded its coldest March since 1987 and it was the first time for 43 years that each month from December to March was cooler than normal in the same season.

A happy Easter to all.