THE national rainfall averages for February as reported by the bureau of Meteorology were close to the 1961 -1990 average.
However, the falls recorded in Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania, and small areas of south-eastern Queensland, southern New South Wales and the Top End of the Northern Territory were below the monthly average.
February also saw the mean maximum temperatures as well as evapotranspiration levels above average for most of western and southern Australia.
Many areas also were impacted by severe heatwaves.