Figures from the Bureau of Meteorology show Bathurst has received just 2.4mm of rain since the start of April, a dramatic change from the 260mm of rain that drenched the region over the first three months of 2021.

And with no rain in the forecast for the next week at least, the month looks certain to be the driest since April 2019 when the region did not record a single drop of rain.

The better news for Bathurst is that a dry April has not had a major impact on the water level at Ben Chifley Dam, so far.

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When Bathurst Regional Council took its weekly reading on Tuesday, the dam was at 100.2 per cent capacity, a rise of 0.2 per cent from a week earlier.

The dam has 30,155 megalitres of water in storage, a massive turn-around on 12 months ago when the dam held just 9137 megalitres (30.4 per cent).

An amber level alert for blue-green algae remains in place at the dam, indicating that while the dam remains open for recreational activities, users should take care to avoid any visible areas of algae scum.

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