BENDIGO yesterday received the biggest single downpour of rain since last June, as 23mm fell in the city.  And the Bureau of Meteorology has predicted further rainfall and thunderstorms today.  Bureau of Meteorology duty forecaster Rod Dickson said Trentham had recorded the state’s highest rainfall with 55mm to 9am yesterday. Castlemaine had 26mm, Raywood 35mm, Strathfieldsaye 28mm and Maryborough 48mm.  “We’ve got severe weather warnings including rain today, mainly in the north east,” he said.  “That’s probably not going to impact the Bendigo area. “I’m not saying you’ve got no chance of heavy rainfall, but it’s more likely further eastwards. “I’m sure it would still be nice to get 15mm. “Conditions should stabilise after today.” Yesterday’s rain, which started around 4am, exceeded the combined rainfall for December and January of 21mm.  Flood warnings for the area were issued by the bureau yesterday but failed to eventuate.  Power supplies were also affected during yesterday’s storms.  A Powercor spokesman said one power pole had caught fire near Newbridge and left 240 customers without power between 12.46am and 5.27am. He said two customers were also affected in Bendigo when a pole was destroyed by lightning. The affected houses were out from 7.46am, but were restored by 9am.  To help cope with rain, the City of Greater Bendigo is undertaking what mayor Lisa Ruffell has described as “the largest drainage improvement program ever undertaken by the city”. The council has allocated $7.2 million for the works, including $1.5 million for the Eaglehawk Road California Gully project and $530,000 for a retardation basin for one in 100 year floods in New Chum Gully.