Very dry conditions have persisted over most of Victoria for the first half of October, with an exception being well above average rainfall of 119mms at Wilsons Promontory. Since the start of July, 613mms has been recorded at the 'Prom', which is the wettest for this period since 646mms in 2013.

By contrast, October to date in North East Victoria has been our driest in more than a decade with only 2.6mms of rainfall in Wangaratta, 7.2mms in Benalla, 14mms in Rutherglen, 1mm in Yarrawonga and 4mms in Albury.

Mean maximum temperatures at all five towns were around 20 to 21 degrees which was about a degree below the October normal.

Mean minimum temperatures were around two to three degrees below normal, being the coldest to date in October since 2006 and before that in 1982.

The mean minimum to date at Benalla is 4.6 degrees and this is more than three degrees below the October normal and the coldest on record.

The previous coldest was 5.2 degrees in October 1946.

Interestingly, the period November 1946 right through to May 1947 was decisively warmer than normal with a high frequency of thunderstorm activity mainly in November, December and from February to April 1947.

There were more frosts than usual at these major North East towns during the first half of October.

There were five mornings of light frosts at both Benalla and Wangaratta; four mornings of frosts at Yarrawonga; nine mornings of frosts at Rutherglen and only one morning of frost at Albury.

Alpine resorts at Falls Creek and Mt Hotham all recorded minimum temperatures three degrees below the October normal to date.

The persistent dry conditions will continue in the North East for the rest of October with hot days up to 33 degrees and will last into the first week of November with a notable hot spell of 35 degrees.

Rain and thunderstorms are expected during the second week of November.

Elsewhere in the country this month, very hot conditions well over 40 degrees have been recorded over northern WA across to Tennant Creek.

Some of this extreme heat has filtered across northern NSW and may reach northern Victoria later this month.

Sydney has been notably warmer than normal since the first week of October.

The mean maximum temperature up to mid October in Sydney is 27.3 degrees, which is more than five degrees above average.

The warmest Octobers in Sydney were in 1867, 1988 and 2013.

All followed high rainfalls in Sydney from February up to August or September which did also occur this year.