TENTERFIELD’S 2012 rainfall to date might not have broken any records, but figures show it has been a very wet start to the year.
The first week in March was NSW’s equal wettest week on record with a statewide average of 123.9mm, and flooding in southeastern NSW.
The 2012 record of 123.9 mm is shared with 1974, with rainfall figures recorded between January 7 and 13.
Bureau of Meteorology NSW Climate Manager, Aaron Coutts-Smith, said the record-breaking rains were the result of an extensive, slow-moving cloud band and low pressure trough that stretched from the northwest to the southeast of the country.
There was only 25.6mm of rain in Tenterfield’s first eight days of March, but the area had its fair share of rain during February, with a total of 170.2mm - significantly higher than the February mean rainfall figure of 94.4mm.
Tenterfield recorded its highest ever February rainfall in 1976, with 351.4mm of rain.
It was also a wet January for Tenterfield, with a total of 165.7mm of rain, above the mean of 115.5mm, but well below the 2011 January total of 361.2mm.
There are no weather warnings current for the region.