THERE are expected to be some solid autumn rainfall totals across Victoria over the first weekend of March, with a complex set of cold fronts set to deliver falls in excess of 50mm in some areas.
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The rain has already begun, with western Victoria recording falls of up to 36mm to 9am Friday, with the bulk of the rain falling Thursday night.
The Wimmera Machinery Field Days were completed in the nick of time, with the site’s Longerenong district recording the state high of 36mm, with the rain beginning just as the field days wound up on Thursday.
Other high totals included 31mm at Mount William in the Grampians and 26mm at Warracknabeal, also in the Wimmera.
Just to the north of the Mallee, in far western NSW, there were falls of 96mm at Broken Hill, 61mm at Wentworth, just across the river from Mildura and 51mm at Pooncarie.
Duty forecaster with the Bureau of Meteorology Michael Halfpenny said the wet weather was likely to continue until Monday or Tuesday.
It is being caused by two separate low pressure systems.
The initial front drifted down from the north-east and contained the remnants of the heavy rain that has been over Queensland for the past week.
Another low is forming south of the Great Australian Bight and is slowly moving eastwards.
Mr Halfpenny said it was difficult to know where was likely to do best in terms of rainfall, as the centre of the low when it comes across Victoria.
“It’s likely to move across Victoria on Saturday and Sunday, and some areas will get good rainfall totals, but we’re not exactly sure where yet.
“At this stage, it appears the west of the state will do better than the east.”
However, with rain continuing today and the other system moving through, he said he would anticipate most of the state would receive at least 20-30mm, with East Gippsland the possible exception at this stage.
