May was projected to be very dry for much of Australia - and that is exactly how it turned out.

A few spots had big rainfalls, including the NSW coast and ranges, which led to major flooding with the effects still being felt now.

That significant rain was thanks to a lingering weather system that continually pushed rain in from the incredibly warmer than average Tasman Sea and Pacific Ocean off Queensland.

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When the waters are warmer than average, they push more moisture into the atmosphere which in turn delivers heavier rain.

The other spot is the northwest into the interior, where rain is falling now. It has even reached Uluru in the dry centre of Australia, bringing rare waterfalls.

The vast majority of the rest of the country missed the rain in May and huge parts of the country received less than 20 per cent of the average.

May is usually the time when cold fronts and weather systems return to southern Australia, bringing cold outbreaks, widespread rain, and snow to the alps.

One powerful system did cross the southeast early this week, with abnormally high tides, damaging winds, eerie dust storms and a cold outbreak that is working its way up to southern Queensland.

This leaves the southeast with showers near the coast, but not enough to make a dent on the rainfall percentages map.

Looking ahead

The widespread rain over the interior is heading to Queensland next, with a damp weekend on the way.

This will be a significant change from the warmer than average and sunny weather that has lingered for nearly two weeks. Brisbane was 28C in the sunshine last Sunday.

It may peak at only 20C in fairly steady rain on Friday.

The west should see the next big weather system arrive late this week, lingering into the weekend - and there is another big one to follow early next week.

This comes after a cold outbreak last weekend saw maximums change from the high 20Cs to the mid to high teens.

The one spot that looks pleasant this weekend is the southeast.

From Adelaide to Sydney and Melbourne to Hobart, there should be lots of sunshine, light winds and temperatures slightly above average as a high moves through.