VICTORIA has experienced its wettest start to a year for 36 years, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.

And across the Murray Darling Basin, the first three months of the year have delivered more rain than in any year since records began in 1900.

But the early-year drenching, while offering some short term relief, has done little to offset the full impact of long periods of drought and poor rainfall.

"Whilst recent rains in eastern Australia have provided, in many cases, short-term relief, sustained periods of above-average rainfall are needed to remove these very long-term deficiencies,'' the bureau said in its latest drought statement released today.

"These long-term deficiencies have taken place against a background of well above average temperatures, including Australia's warmest decade on record.''

Over the past eight years, much of south-eastern Australia had suffered severe rainfall deficiencies, with 95 per cent of Victoria receiving rainfall in the lowest 10 per cent of its historical totals, the bureau said.

Looking at the past 13 years, large areas of Victoria had received their lowest rainfall on record, it said.