Victorian weather: Autumn break hits for Gippsland farmers

April is off to a stellar start with rainfalls of up to 60mm recorded in parts of Victoria. See where the rain fell.

David Jochinke said Monday’s rain was half a break but more is needed.

April is off to a stellar start with rainfalls of up to 60mm recorded in parts of Victoria, as some say the autumn break has hit.

In the 24 hours to 7am yesterday, Bureau of Meteorology figures show some of the largest falls of rain were recorded in Gippsland while Horsham also received a good soak.

Wilsons Promontory received 60.8mm of rain while Warragul recorded 59.2mm and Yanakie 55mm.

The next highest rainfall totals were at Redesdale with 50.8mm, Ballarat with 46.8mm and Avalon with 44.6mm.

Stawell received 33mm while Mortlake recorded 31.2mm and Horsham 24.2mm.

Neil Darby from Alex Scott and Staff at Warragul said with over 60mm recorded in the area the break had certainly arrived.

“February and March were extremely dry for this area and this is definitely the break we needed,” Mr Darby said.

“Farmers will be feeling confident and I hope this means good cattle get a bit dearer.”

National Farmers’ Federation president David Jochinke, who farms at Murra Warra, said Monday night’s rain was “half a break”.

“We had just over 10mm at home and a break is bigger than that number,” Mr Jochinke said.

“We need about an inch to call it a break. Farmers are coming in to the season generally confident.

“If we could dial in an inch in the next three weeks that would really give everyone more confidence”.

Mr Jochinke said farmers could easily go out and sow beans at the moment but that bit more rain would be needed to do canola.

Across Victoria and southern NSW, weather stations monitored by The Weekly Times show for the month of March, two stations reached over 100 per cent of their long term average rainfall while three stations recorded less than two per cent of their long term average.

Nhill recorded 16.4mm of rain, 107 per cent of its long term rainfall and Horsham recorded 16mm, 111 per cent of its long term average.

Hamilton received 0.8mm of rain for the month of March, just two per cent of its long term average while Ballarat recorded the same figures and Bendigo recorded 0mm.

Shepparton received 19.8mm, omeo 25.6mm and Bairnsdale 27.8mm.

In NSW, Hay recorded 9.2mm of rain, Griffith 14mm and Wagga Wagga 20.6mm.