Graziers and croppers have welcomed a band of rain and thunderstorms, which has passed through the state over the weekend, with the heaviest falls in the North-East.
The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) reported the heaviest rain was at Mount Buffalo but senior duty forecaster Chris Godfred said Stawell received 55mm and Dimboola 41mm.
He said the falls around Stawell were the result of thunderstorms.
“The general story, over the weekend, has been fairly heavy falls over the north-east, particularly about the Alps, with Mt Buffalo experiencing 150mm,” Mr Godfred said.
“Gippsland has largely missed out at the moment, but will have the potential to pick up some scattered showers and storms.”
The BoM’s National Operations Centre Director Dr Andrew Tupper said a significant deep low pressure system had developed in the northern Great Australian Bight.
It combined with a cold front, moving north from the Southern Ocean and an extensive cloud band over north western Australia.
"This is the first widespread rainfall this autumn and a welcome start for the southern crop and pasture growing season," Dr Tupper said.
"It is an unusually large scale weather event across Australia.”
North-Eastern cropper Xavier Breen said he’d received eight millimetres of rain, near Goroke, on top of 10mm last week.
“I’ve been sowing dry, but on the lighter country this will really bring it up and get it going,” Mr Breen said.
He said he had put in canola, barley, wheat, lupins and beans.
“There’s talk of another system coming through, which gives everyone a bit of confidence.”
Mr Breen said it backed up summer falls, in the Goroke area.
Noorong livestocker Tam Mulholland, Overina, said the property had received 20mm from the rain event.
“It means a great deal, it’s huge, as it is follow up from last week,” Ms Mulholland said.
Last week, the area received 27mm of rain, which would give sown pastures a kick start.
The Mulhollands run sheep but have also had a herd of composite beef cattle, on the road near Balranald, for some months.
“We have cattle on the road, they will be coming home from some feed; it’s a good start and its still warm.”
Durham Ox mixed farmer Murray Haw is an irrigator on the Loddon system but said the 20mm his property received would mean he may be able to stop handfeeding his sheep.
“Yeah, we have had 20mm, just we have been dry sowing oats and barley and undersowing a bit of lucerne,” Mr Haw said.
He said he hope to continue sowing by the end of the week, when the paddocks dried out.
“Its still mild and changeable, I would say there is more to come – we have had a dry spell, for a couple of years, and every dry spell ends with rain.
“We are going to winter, we are going into the wet part of the year, so it should keep raining.”
