Get the gumboots out! Drought-hit farmers rejoice as desperately needed rain finally falls on their land after the driest September in Australian history
- Drought-stricken farmers have welcomed up to 100mm of rain in rural NSW
- Farmers had previously been suffering through the driest September on record
- A 12-hour-long downpour has provided some relief, but it isn't drought-breaking
- Experts say the rain needs to be sustained over the course of the weekend
Desperately needed rain has provided some relief to Australia's drought-stricken farmers, with more on its way.
With New South Wales declared entirely in drought and suffering through the driest September on record, Thursday's monumental rainfall has been described as long overdue.
The drenching is due to a low-pressure trough pushing east across Victoria, NSW and Queensland, with rain forecasted to continue over the weekend.
But while the rain comes as welcome relief, meteorologists say it isn't enough to be considered drought-breaking.
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Up to 100mm of rain is predicted to have fallen across drought-stricken NSW on Thursday
While the rain is welcome, experts say it isn't quite enough to be considered drought-breaking
The 12-hour-long downpour starting on Thursday morning is expected to bring in as much as 100mm of rain in some areas.
But a Bureau of Meteorology spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia that while the rain is welcome, it isn't enough.
'One rainfall isn't drought-breaking,' he said.
'It's a start, but it needs to be sustained.'
Rainfalls of up to 50mm on Thursday and 20-30mm on Friday are expected in NSW.
Broken Hill, in far west NSW, endured a dust storm before the downpours began - with the town receiving 33.4mm of rain on Wednesday evening, the most it has had all year.
It instantly doubled the amount the rural mining town had reported for the whole year.
Rainfall is forecasted to continue through the weekend, easing on Saturday afternoon
Thunderstorms stirred up dust in Broken Hill, New South Wales on Wednesday before the downpours began
Commuters faced morning traffic chaos in Sydney due to wet roads, and drought-ravaged areas will receive a month's worth of rain in the next two days.
Sydney will have two days of heavy rain, with southerly winds of up to 40km/h expected.
NSW has had one of its driest starts to the year on record, with 100 per cent of the state declared to be in drought.
The forecasted rain bomb is expected to explode over Parkes and Dubbo before stretching towards Sydney and areas along the coast.
Parts of the east coast are bracing for wild weather heading into the weekend, with heavy dumps of rain expected to continue all day on Thursday, accompanied by strong winds
Parts of the east coast are bracing for wild weather heading into the weekend, with heavy dumps of rain expected to continue all day on Thursday, accompanied by strong winds
Meteorologist Phil Mew said the previously dry conditions caused the dust storms.
'When we get a dry system coming through and you get strong winds, you get a dust storm due to the wind picking up small dust particles,' he told Weatherzone.
Areas further south and west of Sydney including Goulburn, Young and Nowra are also expected to be receive a heavy soaking throughout the rest of the week.
There's a likelihood of more rain heading into next week with a 40 per cent chance of rain Monday and 50 per cent chance on Tuesday.
Brisbane residents can expect the rain to hold out until Friday but continue into next week with the worst to hit on Saturday, when 10 to 30 millimetres is forecast.
New South Wales had its driest start to any year with the exception of 1902 and 1965, with the state declared to be entirely in drought
Having just endured the driest September on record, the country will receive a drenching from Thursday to Saturday due to a low-pressure trough pushing east
Those on the west coast also have a wet week ahead, with light showers in Perth expected until Saturday.
Conditions will stay predominantly clear in South Australia with temperatures hovering in the low to mid twenties in Adelaide.
Slightly cooler weather is expected in Hobart as showers ease and cloud cover is forecast to stick around well into next week.
The top end of the country will stay warm and dry, with a top of 34C expected in Darwin for the remaining of this week and beginning of next week.
Cold, windy and rainy weather is expected in the country's capital city, but the sun is expected to reappear over Canberra by Sunday.
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