POCKETS of Victoria received above-average January rainfall despite much of the state falling short of the long-term average.
New Year's Day downpours boosted rainfall in Swan Hill and Echuca, with both areas receiving 173 per cent and 114 per cent of their respective averages.
Mallee towns Nhill and Ouyen were well below average, while interstate, Bega, on the NSW south coast, recorded only 28mm, well short of its 80mm January average.
Swan Hill recorded 38mm last month, 16mm above the long-term average and a big improvement on the zero January rainfall last year.
Swan Hill Summer Fruits Development Association chairman Michael Tripodi said while any rain was good, summer fruit growers were hoping further rainfall would hold off until the end of the month.
"It helps the fruit in some ways but it can damage it in others but ... the fruit is very good right now. It's excellent quality and looking really good," he said.
"If it could stay dry for another three weeks that'd be great because most of our fruit would be off by then but having said that we'll take any rain we can get."
Echuca recorded 31mm of rainfall in January, just above the average of 27mm.
Echuca dairy farmer Steve Farrell said January rainfall had been a nuisance for him.
"It's made a fair difference to me in that I've been flat out for the last three weeks spraying weeds and burrs. The rain wasn't really that helpful," he said.
"It could start raining from here on though and as long as it kept raining it could be helpful."
Mr Farrell might be in luck, with rain forecast late this week.
Bureau of Meteorology meteorologist James Taylor said cyclone Olga, in inland Queensland, was set to bring rain "in the order of 10-25mm" to Victoria later this week.
"A trough will combine with a cold front on Thursday and we'll see the moisture sweep across Victoria and we're expecting good areas of rain to be associated with that," he said.
High temperatures were also a feature of January, with almost all regional centres recording days well above their January averages.
Among the highest temperatures were Ouyen, with 45.4C, Geelong with 44.9C and Deniliquin, with 44.6C.
