Bendigo has experienced its driest start to the year in more than a decade.
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Data from the Bureau of Meteorology showed the region received only 24.2 millimetres of rain between January and March this year.
The last time rainfall was that low was 2004 when only 20.2 millimetres was recorded in the first quarter.
Bureau Climatologist Simon Grainger said Bendigo and much of western Victoria has experienced one of the driest starts to the year ever recorded.
"We've had some extreme heatwave conditions over much of Australia," he said. "In particular, it's been very hot and dry in the tropics.
"We usually have rainfall reaching into Victoria from the tropics and from cold fronts but that hasn't been the case this year."
Rainfall for March was also the lowest it has been in more than 14 years, with only six millimetres falling in the region last month.
The lowest recorded rainfall was 1.4 millimetres in March, 2005. Bendigo usually averages 28.5 millimetres of rain for the month.
The Bureau noted that most of central and western Victoria observed drier than average conditions during March, with only areas in the State's northeast recording above average rainfall totals.
But Mr Grainger said low rainfall was not expected to continue into the next quarter.
"We will most likely receive about average rainfall for next 3 month across north western Victoria," he said.
"But there is still no real indicator either way."
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