The Bureau of Meteorology is forecasting a 90 per cent chance of 20 to 40 millimetres falling next Wednesday.

Yesterday morning it had recorded a total of 31.8 millimetres in the city so far this month.

The figure included 26.2 in the 24-hour period to 9am Wednesday, and five millimetres to 9am yesterday. The bureau forecast an 80 per cent chance of 10 to 20 millimetres of rain falling yesterday, and an 80 per cent chance of five to 10 millimetres today. Dubbo received seven millimetres between 9am and 3pm yesterday, as indicated on the bureau website.

The long-term average rainfall for the city in July has been 41 millimetres.

This weekend is predicted to be “partly cloudy” with sunshine breaking through on Monday and Tuesday. The long-term average maximum and minimum temperatures for Dubbo in July is 15.4 and 3.1 degrees Celsius, respectively.

Corresponding figures for this month as of yesterday morning were 15.8 and 3.4 degrees.

Early-morning temperatures above eight degrees in the past few days have helped compensate for mornings when Dubbo shivered.

The coldest morning this month to date was July 4 when minus 4.7 degrees made its presence felt.

Anecdotal reports suggested the rain encouraged Dubbo residents to go shopping yesterday.

But not everyone wanted to be inside. Sophie Clow (pictured right) embraced the wet weather when playing at the Dubbo Community Garden in Palmer Street.

kim.bartley@ruralpress. com