Victoria's October rainfall rainfall higher than national average

The month saw the fifth-driest October since records began to be kept in 1900; it was also the driest October since 2002.

Only Victoria bucked the national trend; averaged across the state, the BoM recorded 69.5 millimetres of rain.

That was 7.5 per cent above the 1961-1990 average, although the figure was distorted by heavy falls in west and south Gippsland.

That rain brought localised flooding, after a cold front and low pressure system passed through state in early October.

More rain has fallen on the east from a low pressure trough, which passed through the state this week.

Several Victorian sites had their highest total October rainfall on record, or the highest total for at least 20 years.

The BoM said Mt Hotham had the wettest day in the state on the 4th, receiving 198.8 mm in the 24 hours to 9am.

This was the highest daily rainfall on record for the site in October, with the previous record for October standing at 130.2 mm on October 31, 2010.

Mt Hotham was also the wettest site in Victoria, recording a rainfall total of 331.4 mm.

October rainfall totals were above average in northern, central and eastern parts of the state and the highest on record for an area of the west and south Gippsland districts.

In contrast, rainfall totals were below average across much of western Victoria.

Hopetoun recorded seven millimetres during October.

Bureau of Meteorology senior hydrologist Masoud Edraki said many areas of the state were below, to very much below, average.

"If you look at the longer periods, from July to October rainfall, in the north-east and south-west you have deficiencies," Dr Edraki said.

Australian August-October 2023 rainfall was 61.2% below the 1961-1990 average,

For Australia, the area-average total of 22.63mm made it the country's driest three-month period on record for any such period since 1900.

Most of south-eastern Queensland had the lowest on record August-October rainfall, with large areas of three-month rainfall deficiencies in the Norther Territory, South Australia and eastern Australia.

For the months of April to October, rainfall averaged across southern Australia was 33pc below the 1961-1990 average.

October soil moisture was below average - in the lowest 30pc of all years - since 1911, particularly in the south and east.

The BoM's latest long-range forecast said the El Nino was continuing in the tropical Pacific.

Central and eastern Pacific sea surface temperatures (SSTs) remained above El Nio thresholds, with models indicating some further warming of the central to eastern Pacific was likely.

Dr Edraki said the country was now affected by the El Nino, but the impact of the Indian Ocean Dipole (IoD) was likely to die down.

The BoM has predicted the IoD, which typically leads to reduced spring rainfall for central and south-east Australia, would last until early next month.

"It will continue until December, but it will not be as effective, as such," Dr Edraki said.

"The El Nino impact will continue to persist until at least our autumn."

The BoM was also predicting the Southern Annular Mode (SAM) index would return to neutral.

Sign up here to Good Fruit and Vegetables weekly newsletter for all the latest horticulture news each Thursday...