The second week of May was a dry week for most of the country, with only southern parts of Victoria and Tasmania recording rain of significance.

The week began with a pair of cold fronts tracking across southern Australia which produced light to moderate rainfall along the south coast of Western Australia, coastal South Australia, southern Victoria and much of Tasmania. Light rainfall continued across coastal regions of the southeast Australian mainland and across western parts of Tasmania through to mid-week in a southwesterly airstream.

During the last half of the week, a series of cold fronts crossed the Great Australian Bight, maintaining a vigorous westerly airflow over southeastern Australia and bringing showers to Victoria, Tasmania and southern New South Wales. Moderate rainfall totals were recorded in southeastern South Australia; southern, central and northeastern Victoria; elevated areas including the Snowy Mountains in New South Wales; and in western and northeastern Tasmania.

Rainfall totals of more than 200 mm were recorded in western Tasmania. The highest weekly total was 302 mm at Mount Read in western Tasmania.

Rainfall totals between 100 mm and 200 mm were recorded in locations in the Victorian Alps and in the Otways, and across most of western Tasmania.

Rainfall totals between 50 mm and 100 mm were recorded in small areas of the Mount Lofty Ranges and in the lower southeast of South Australia, parts of southern coastal and northeastern Victoria, in the Southern Tablelands and Southwest Slopes in New South Wales, and in the far northeastern land western Tasmania.

Rainfall totals between 10 mm and 50 mm were recorded in the coastal southern districts of Western Australia, along parts of coastal South Australia and the remaining southeast, much of western and central Victoria, parts of the Victorian Alps, areas of the Snowy Mountains and across most remaining parts of Tasmania.

The Northern Territory, Queensland, most of New South Wales, nearly all of Western Australia and South Australia away from the southern coastal fringe, and small parts of northwestern Victoria received little or no rainfall this week.

Highest weekly totals list

• New South Wales and Australian Capital Territory

  1. 104 mmPerisher Valley
  2. 85 mmThredbo Village
  3. 81 mmCabramurra

• Victoria

  1. 177 mmMount Buller
  2. 163 mmHaines Junction
  3. 161 mmWyelangta

• Queensland

  1. 9 mmTaroom Post Office
  2. 3 mmMossman South Alchera Drive
  3. 2 mmBurketown Airport

• Western Australia

  1. 21 mmDenmark
  2. 19 mmWalpole
  3. 14 mmKarri Valley Resort

• South Australia

  1. 82 mmUraidla
  2. 82 mmHeathfield
  3. 79 mmAshton

• Tasmania

  1. 295 mmMount Read
  2. 272 mmLake Margaret
  3. 217 mmZeehan

• Northern Territory

  1. 6 mmPirlangimpi Airport
  2. 0.2 mmGove Airport
  3. 0.2 mmBatchelor Airport

Source: BOM