Thunderstorms overnight on Sunday made for the welcome sound of rain on the roof and the sight of something in the gauge the next morning, but it was a a two-edge sword because of how few-and-far-between wet days have been.
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By mid-morning on Monday New South Wales Rural Fire Service brigades had attended nine trees set ablaze by lightning strikes since Sunday night.
"We had hundreds of lightning strikes in a broad band stretching from Yarrabin to Botobolar, with even more strikes scattered across other parts of the region," said District Officer Andrew Williams of the Cudgegong RFS District, which covers the Mid-Western Regional Council area.
"The fires we have attended on Sunday night and Monday morning were just the first ones that people spotted from their homes or from roads in the district.
The lightning strikes that started them were so powerful that they set these trees ablaze despite the strong rainfall.
"It is almost certain that other fires were started that haven't been spotted yet. Some may burn themselves out, but others have the potential to grow into bush fires if they aren't spotted and extinguished first.
"It is very important for people to keep a sharp lookout for signs of smoke or unattended fire.
"If you see signs of fire please call 000 immediately to report them. The sooner we learn about fires started by this storm, or by any other source of ignition, the less likely it is to grow into the kind of deadly fires that have plagued other parts of NSW as well as Queensland."
District Officer Williams said Sunday night's rain was the proverbial "drop in a bucket", which did little to change the fact that the paddocks and bushland remain bone dry.
Mudgee Airport weather station recorded 4.8mm - all falling within the space of an hour from around 9.30pm - which when combined with the 9.6mm on the 4th, took the running November total to under 15mm. The average for the month is 78.8mm.
The Gulgong Post Office weather station saw just 2mm, with that location only getting 11mm on the 4th - in a month that averages 59.6mm.
