Mean minimum temperatures in North East Victoria are still four degrees above the March normal and it is the warmest in March since 2016 and before that in 1983.

Mt Buller has had more thunderstorm activity than usual this year with its total rainfall to date of 313mms being well above the average of 255mms for the first three months.

Recent heavy rain has fallen at Alice Springs and also at Yulara during both February and March.

Alice Springs had 188mm in February and has had 130mm in March to date - the wettest since 368mms in 1976.

At Yulara (or Ayres Rock) a total of 281mms was recorded to date this February and March - the wettest since 414mms in 1982.

Another very wet February-March period was 271mms in 1967.

Both 1967 and 1982 saw drought conditions in Victoria, SA and NSW with well above normal maximum temperatures.

Another wet February to March period was 218mms in 2011 at Yulara and this one set up much better conditions with above average rainfalls which did continue into early 2012.

Perth is having one of its driest starts to any year with only 7.6mms of rainfall so far.

This month the mean maximum temperature to date is 32.2 degrees - more than two degrees above the March normal and looks close to be the warmest March ahead of Perth's warmest March of 31.9 degrees in 1978 and 2011.

Both 1978 and 2011 led to a warm wet late autumn in Victoria which continued to end of the year.

Tropical Cyclone Narelle crossed the Cape York Peninsula last Friday morning with maximum gusts to 109kph at Weipa and rainfall of 226mms to 21 March, which was the wettest March day on record.

The total rainfall at Weipa this month has reached 718mms - the wettest for March since 1063mms in 1996.

The cyclone lost its strength once it reached the Carpentaria region of the NT where Katherine has now recorded a total of 473mms this month after 362mms in January and 268mms in February - making this the wettest since January to March period in 1899.

April 1899 and June 1899 were wetter than average over most of Victoria.