The Bureau of Meteorology said Warrnambool had 49mm from 9am until 3.30pm on Tuesday while Hamilton had 31.8mm, Portland 30.4mm and Port Fairy 48.6mm during the same period.

Showers are forecast for Wednesday.

Russell Selway who farms at Minjah north of Woolsthorpe said he expected most south-west farmers would be happy on Tuesday after good rainfalls overnight and throughout the day..

Speaking on Tuesday morning, Mr Selway expected he got about 13 millimetres and that his paddocks would have a green tinge of growth by next week.

“I’ve got no complaints,” he said.

Mr Selway said if there was follow up rain to the rain that fell on Tuesday, he expected many farmers would soon begin sowing.

The rain followed on last year’s wet winter and spring and there was moisture in the soil, he said  

“We have a nice early start. It’s great,” Mr Selway said.

He said farmers with summer crops would also be pleased, with the rain giving those crops a good drink.

Purnim beef producer Roger Learmonth said the falls were great because they were not running away. 

“It’s just soaking in,” he said.

Mr Learmonth said St Patrick’s Day on March 17 was the benchmark for the start of autumn breaks in the south-west and this week’s fall had come soon afterwards.

An early autumn break was good because the ground was still warm, helping seed to germinate, he said.

Another farmer at Bushfield recorded 30mm about 1pm on Tuesday.

John Colledge at St James Crescent in north Warrnambool recorded 25 millimetres in his rain gauge about 1pm on Tuesday.