Extreme autumn wraps up as Riverina braces for a cold and dry winter ahead

The Bureau of Meteorology's Wagga Airport station has recorded colder than average days over the past three months despite experiencing its hottest autumn day on record when temperatures soared to 39.9 degrees on March 19.

The city also recorded colder than average nights with the mercury plummeting to -2.2 degrees on May 23.

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Wagga recorded a total of 195.6mm rainfall across autumn, well above the long-term average of 137mm.

The bureau's senior climatologist Hugh McDowell said despite dry conditions starting to creep back across the state last season, the Riverina recorded average to above average rainfall.

But despite a wet start to autumn that saw Wagga record 108mm in March, more than twice the long term average, May recorded just 25.8mm, roughly half the long term average.

"May was particularly drier than average," Mr McDowell said.

It comes as NSW recorded its seventh driest May on record and Australia recorded its driest May on record.

And looking forward, Mr McDowell said the coming winter is set to be a dry one.

He said inland NSW is set to experience drier than average conditions this winter with warmer than average days and the potential for cooler than average nights.

Mr McDowell said there is currently an El Nino watch with a greater than 50 per cent chance the climate driver will develop over the coming season and bringing with it a return to drier conditions after three wet years.

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