HEAVY rain over the Bathurst district on Sunday night has done little if anything to alleviate the concerns of district farmers who are still facing another month of below

average rainfall.

Light rain on Sunday afternoon preceded heavier showers that petered out through the night leaving only 10mm in most rain gauges for the 24 hours to 9am yesterday.

The rain arrived as predicted with heavy storm clouds rolling in on Sunday.

Showers are forecast ahead of clearing weather and more frosts over the next few days before increasing cloud on Saturday and more showers at the weekend.

Rain seven days apart is not doing anything to lift the Central Tablelands rainfall above average with only 35.8mm so far recorded in a month when we can usually expect an average 48.4mm and 352.5mm for the first seven months of the year.

This time last year Bathurst had received 357.5mm, but this year the total is only 281mm from 49 wet days compared to 70 rainy days over six months a year ago.

Other regional centres have done better than Bathurst for rain over the three weeks of July. Katoomba reported 28.6mm, Mudgee 26.8mm, Lithgow 27.6mm and Orange 63mm.