THE best rain in a few years fell over parts of far western NSW earlier this week.
A slow-moving low pressure trough interacting with an upper-level pool of cold air produced showers and storms in western NSW between Sunday and Tuesday.
Wilcannia's 65mm during the 24 hours to 9am on Monday was their heaviest rain in four years.
Griffith's 45mm during the same period was its heaviest April rain in more than 60 years.
During the 24 hours to 9am on Tuesday, Bourke's 24mm was its best rain in five months. This was also more rain than they have seen during the past three months combined.
Some places in the far west saw more than 50mm during a couple of days. Wanaaring received 56mm during the 48 hours to 9am on Tuesday, which is three times their April monthly average.
It's also more than half of the 95mm they received during all of 2018. This comes after a prolonged period of unusually dry weather in far western NSW. Wanaaring has only seen above average rain during two of the past 15 months.
Some areas of north-west NSW just experienced their driest 12-month April-March periods on record.
This week's rain also delivered some much-needed moisture to parched soils across parts of southern Queensland. Cunnamulla's 47mm during the 24 hours to 9am on Tuesday was their best rain in three years.
A rain gauge at Mungallala picked up 149mm during the 24 hours to 9am on Wednesday, which was their heaviest rain in 60 years.
Looking ahead, drier weather will return to western areas of NSW and Qld during the second half of this week as a large and slow-moving high pressure system drifts over the state.