Rain and thunderstorms have been spreading across New South Wales, bringing the first rain in a month and evening drenching some areas, but it has been frustratingly too little in the south, including Riverina's south.

The Riverina was a district of stark contrast, with water across roads in the north and little more than dusty drops on windscreens further south.

Southern towns closer to the Murrumbidgee and Murray Rivers, including Barham, Deniliquin, Mathoura and Tocumwal, all received less than half a millimetre, not even enough to clean your car windscreen.

Even in parts of the district's north, there has only been a few millimetres worth. Griffith has had less than five millimetres so far and their chances of further rain are diminishing by the hour. Only about 100 km to the north, Hillston accumulated about 70mm, more than double its monthly average and its heaviest rainfall in 12 years.

Image: Recorded rainfall in millimetres in the 24 hours to about 9am Saturday 4 May 2024 and satellite and radar images at the time. 

The pool of cold air helping deliver this rain is continuing to move east, taking rain with it and causing the Riverina to gradually dry out. The district is likely to be rain-free but sunrise tomorrow.

The next best chance of rain for the area is in about a week but the system bringing this rain will favour the north again. Moisture should flow from the north and east to feed another pool of cold air and low pressure trough.

Keep up to date with the outlook by checking https://www.weatherzone.com.au/nsw  and https://www.weatherzone.com.au/models/charts

Despite a fair amount of uncertainty regarding how much will fall, those living in the north have some reason to be optimistic about the prospects of follow-up rain despite the increased chance of potholes.

Those in the south will need to exercise more patience.