IT MAY not have been the concerted wave of water that hit the eastern coast, but parts of western Victoria have recorded isolated spectacular falls in a series of storms that swept the region this week.
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Unofficial recordings include up to 170mm in the Yaapeet district in the southern Mallee north of Rainbow, with 146mm at the Beulah cemetery and 120mm in Beulah township on Tuesday night.
On Monday night there were reports of up to 130mm at Miram, north-east of Kaniva in the west Wimmera, while Ozenkadnook, north-east of Edenhope, has recorded 70mm for the week in a series of heavy storm cells.
While the tallies pale in comparison to the rain tallies recorded in the coastal belt, as a percentage of annual rainfall the falls are seriously impressive, with Yaapeet and Beulah both having annual rainfall around 375mm and Miram 400-425mm.
Local agronomist Adrian King, SMS Rural, said the heaviest rain went in a band south-east from Yaapeet across the Hopetoun-Rainbow road and down to Beulah.
The strip with the super high rainfall tallies was very narrow.
Lee George, who lives in Beulah and has a property south towards Galaquil, said while there was 120mm in the town there was only 50mm at the property around 6km south.
The rain is a mixed blessing, but broadly positive.
After a wet summer some farmers in the northern Wimmera and southern Mallee are already planting fodder crops, while the timing of the rain into the autumn means it will bring up winter weeds and allow good weed control.
On the negative side, Mr King said the rain fell extremely quickly and was unlikely to soak into the soil profile as well as a similar sized rain that fell slower.
He also said the running water will lead to water lying in paddock depressions, with the arid region not having many creeks to take the water away.
Ms George said there was some flash flooding in Beulah requiring SES attention but added most were happy to have received the rain.
However the rain has given Mallee growers concerned about high input costs more confidence about the season ahead.
In the south-west of the Wimmera, the heavy rain around Edenhope will constitute a seasonal break for graziers there, bringing up a bank of feed.
More broadly there was 10-30mm across much of the Wimmera-Mallee for the week.
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