Gippsland farmers are reporting a "perfect autumn break", after receiving solid bouts of wet weather, but the Wimmera Mallee regions are yet to receive widespread heavy rain.
Neerim Junction farmer Ben Whiteley, Dryburgh Agriculture, said he recorded 75 millimetres of rain one week ago, 25mm on Sunday, April 7, and 17mm the following day.
"Our property is looking great, we have no problems at all, it holds up really well up there," he said.
He manages two herds of 400 Angus cattle, which are moved daily or twice a day during wet weather.
Mr Whiteley said they needed to hasten their rotations during the rain before returning back to normal in drier conditions.
"We were still looking fine before the rain, we were dry for sure but we've had an amazing season leading up to that," he said.
"Generally, we normally start feeding silage at the end of January but we made it to March this year before we started feeding silage."
He said they did four rounds of topping their pastures in spring to ensure their paddocks would respond to any wet weather.
"We get 5mm of rain and we get the response because we've worked to get that," he said.
"It's sitting there like a golf course."
A Bureau of Meteorology spokesperson said a cold front crossed most of Victoria on Monday, and its eastern regions on Tuesday.
"[It brought] showers to much of the state and snow to our Alpine region," the spokesperson said.
"Much of the state is now experiencing a cold air mass in its wake."
The places with the highest recorded rain totals in the 24 hours to 9am today, April 9, included Springvale at 47 millimetres, Ferny Creek with 42mm, and 40mm at Mount Baw Baw and Scoresby.
They said there would be a cool south westerly air flow, cloudy conditions with isolated showers south of the ranges for the rest of the week.
There would be mostly dry and sunny conditions north of the ranges.
Meanwhile, south-west Victorian regions, including the Wimmera Mallee, have recorded between 10-25mm of rain in April.
The Bureau's rain gauges in the very north-western parts of Victoria have recorded between 5-10mm of rain this month, while southern Victorian regions, including south Gippsland, has recorded between 100-200mm.
Mr Whiteley said he expected no rain for the next week, but felt comfortable headed towards winter.
"Now we've had the autumn break for sure," he said.
"We do have our own weather pattern up here though.
"It's a nice little belt, it's never let me down."
Rachel Simmonds
Rachel is an agricultural journalist for Australian Community Media's Stock & Land. She covers all aspects of Victoria's farming community and industry. To get in contact, email rachel.simmonds@stockandland.com.au
Rachel is an agricultural journalist for Australian Community Media's Stock & Land. She covers all aspects of Victoria's farming community and industry. To get in contact, email rachel.simmonds@stockandland.com.au
