It does appear that the last half of April in Northern Victoria will remain rainless which has occurred previously in 2018, 1997, 1993, 1923 and 1902.

A strong high pressure system with duel centres - one south of the Bight and the other sitting in the Tasman Sea with central pressure of 1034 mbs - has delivered warmer than normal days and this will continue well into May.

Mean maximum temperatures to date this month have included 22.4 degrees at Wangaratta, 22.2 degrees at Rutherglen and 22.9 degrees at Benalla - which is just slightly above normal for April.

Melbourne and its suburbs recorded notably warm days to 28 degrees last weekend.

There were notable warm days for late April previously in 1907, 1921, 1967 and 1997 which continued well into May - followed by the arrival of significant rainfall by about 19 May, then a mild wet June is anticipated.

Further north into the central west of NSW, Dubbo and Coonabarabran have recorded one of the warmest Aprils on record with not a drop of rain since 28 March.

Other very warm Aprils which followed a notable hot summer were in 1897, 1898, 1922, 1980, 1986 and 1993 with dry conditions.

Welcome rain arrived by the fourth week of May in NSW and Victoria and continued well into the winter.