This is easily the wettest November in 135 years of records.

This recent rainfall has effectively kept maximum temperatures well below the November normal, and Alice Springs now faces its coldest November since 1934 and, before that, since 1916.

The 1916-17 summer season and the 1934-35 summer season in Victoria was certainly on the cooler side, with a lot more rainfall than usual.

Earlier this week, heavy rain and thunderstorms invaded the Central West and North West of NSW.

Gunnedah and Coonabarabran each had over 50mm of rainfall to last Monday morning, November 22, taking their November rainfalls to 240mm and 170mm.

Other very wet Novembers of over 150mm at both places occurred in 1873, 1924, 1949, 1950, 1966, 1972, 1983, 2000, 2001, 2008, and 2010.

Quite a few of these cases did lead to a hotter than normal summer in Victoria but, in view of this month in Melbourne being the coldest November since 1974 and at Alice Springs the coldest November since 1934, next summer is likely to be on the cool side.

The current synoptic weather chart is showing a complex low over inland areas around Birdsville, bringing heavy rain and storms to some areas.

Narrandera recorded 61mm in just five hours last Wednesday afternoon, taking the November rainfall total to 113mm - the third wettest November behind 1924 and 1971.

A warm front occlusion brought 28mm to Wangaratta, taking the November rainfall to 95mm - the wettest for November since the 110mm in 1998.

The highest temperature this spring has reached only 28.0 degrees at Wangaratta on November 2 and it will not exceed 30 degrees before December.

Looking at past records, when the highest temperature failed to exceed 30 during any spring season in North East Victorian towns, there were only seven cases in the last 108 years.

These occurred in 1916, 1917, 1934, 1952, 1960, 1971, and 1992.

Only one, 1960, did lead to a notably hot summer in Victoria, but it was a dry spring season in Alice Springs, and November 1960 had near-normal temperatures - quite the reverse to November this year.

November of both 1916 and 1934 in Alice Springs was also much wetter than average.

Rainfalls have certainly been patchy.

Horsham recorded over 20mm last Wednesday morning but no rain in Melbourne and Bendigo.

Bendigo has had no rain since November 13.

Sea surface temperatures in ocean waters west of Tasmania have been one to two degrees below normal for most of November and this will mean, to some extent, not to expect any hot days well over 30 degrees until close to Christmas Day.