Welcome rain has fallen across the Central West in the first days of May, breaking a bone-dry April.

Forbes Airport recorded 53mm across Sunday and Monday after not registering any rainfall for the entire month of April.

Neighbouring centres also reported well below-average totals for April, but received welcome falls over the weekend. Parkes recorded just 0.6mm for the month, while Young had 3.2mm, Cowra 4.6mm and Grenfell 8.8mm - all significantly lower than longer-term median totals for what is typically a drier period.

But as the forecast of a decent fall for the first weekend of May firmed up tractors were out on paddocks.

By Tuesday morning, Parkes airport had recorded 27mm, Young 44mm, Cowra 19.8mm and Grenfell 46mm.

North to Dubbo, the total dwindled to 10.2mm but west to Condobolin had received 29.6mm.

The last recorded rainfall at Forbes Airport was just 0.2mm on March 28, following a much more substantial event earlier in the month, when 59.2mm fell across March 3 and 4.

It is not the first time Forbes has gone without April rain, with historical records also showing zero rainfall for the month in 2013 and 2005.

The local experience has been typical of large parts of south-western, central and eastern Australia - with significant rainfall deficiencies emerging in much of NSW over the past seven months, senior hydrologist Dr Paul Feikema said in the Bureau's climate and water long-range forecast on 30 April.

The Bureau's long-range forecast for May to July indicates below average rainfall across much of eastern Australia, warmer than average days and nights across the country and a possible shift to El Niño by late winter.

The tropical Pacific has rapidly warmed in recent weeks, and models suggest a possible shift to El Niño by late winter, although the Bureau would also need to see a response in the atmosphere before considering El Niño established.