Last week's deepened southern low pressure brought unsettled showery periods to the North East, with strong winds up to 120kph at Mt Hotham and an absence of cold morning frosts which had punctuated much of August.

Wangaratta's monthly rainfall total of 21.8mm up until 9am Saturday, 30 August remains well below the average, as were rainfall totals (up until last Wednesday) of 12.2mms at Yarrawonga, 18mms at Rutherglen and 24.8mms at Albury.

Alpine resorts up until Tuesday night saw rainfall of 98mms at Mt Hotham, 125mms at Mt Buller and 95mms at Falls Creek - with rain giving way to the heaviest snowfall for the season bringing more than 70cms in the later part of the week.

Mean maximum temperatures at major towns in the North East were around 16 degrees, being nearly two degrees above normal.

The warmest day was around 20 degrees on Monday, 25 August but maximum temperatures fell the next two days with the passage of two cold fronts.

Exceptionally high maximum temperatures have been recorded in the northern half of the Northern Territory with fire danger very high as all this region has had not a drop of rainfall since 27 May.

Daly Waters recorded 37.7 degrees, Victoria Downs Cattle Station recorded 39.1 degrees and Tennant Creek recorded 36 degrees on 26 August.

All were the hottest in August since 1970 after which Victoria had a wetter than average spring and a wetter and warmer summer season.

Perth's August rainfall total reached 203mms last Wednesday, making it the wettest August since 284mms in 1955.

All three winter months in Perth were wetter than average for the third time in the last 140 years - the other two were in 1996 and 1898.

Sydney completed its wettest August since 1998.

Heavy rain has fallen at Cocos Island, pushing the month's total to 443mms - the fourth time in 114 years that the August rainfall has exceeded 400mms.

The three other times of 400mms plus - in 1920, 1955 and 1973 - all led to very wet conditions not only for the rest of the year but also for the whole of the following year.