The Bureau of Meteorology’s automatic weather station at Dubbo City Regional Airport recorded 20.8 millimetres (mm) in the 24 hours to 9am on Saturday, December 30.

It took rainfall for the month to 54.2mm, 8.2mm short of average rainfall for December of 62.4mm.

The first three months of 2018 have continued the trend.

January delivered 28.6mm, just over half of the month’s average rainfall of 56.6mm. 

It fell across 10 days, with individual showers offering between 7.6mm and 0.2mm.

The dry found its groove in February when a total of 1.2mm was recorded across the month.

Average rainfall in Dubbo in February is 41.5mm.

The first 21 days of March officially did not produce a drop of rain.

On Thursday afternoon the bureau reported of 0.2mm falling since 9am, taking total 2018 rainfall to 30mm. 

Average rainfall in Dubbo in March is 63.3mm. 

2015 holds the 24-year record for the lowest rainfall in March with 8.4mm.

The bureau’s seven-day forecast for the city as of Thursday suggests March 2018 has a chance of snatching the record from 2015.

There is a 40 per cent chance of up to 0.4mm falling on Friday and  a 30 per cent chance of up to 0.2mm falling on Sunday.

Dubbo’s best chance of rain may be Monday when there is a 60 per cent chance of up to 3mm falling.

Compounding the lack of rain has been above-average maximum temperatures.

In January the average top temperature was 36 degrees Celsius, just above the long-term average for the month of 33.3 degrees. 

The hottest day was January 7 when 42.6 degrees was recorded. 

In February the average maximum temperature was 33.8 degrees as compared with the long-term average for the month of 32.1 degrees.

The temperature reached a high of  41.3 degrees on February 9 and 10.

The first 21 days of March produced an average top temperature of 33.5 degrees.

The long-term average is 28.9 degrees.

To date the hottest day has been March 18 when the temperature reached 39 degrees.