Rain boosts Melbourne water catchments

Melbourne's water stores have been replenished by recent rain but they're still lower than the same time last year.

The city's water level eased just 0.2 per cent over the last week, but the decline was less than the weekly summer average of a 0.5 per cent drop.

A series of rain bands which swept across the state have delivered catchments an average top-up of 43.9mm, about four times the long-term average for the same period.

Water storages are at 76.4 per cent capacity, compared with 79.8 per cent at the same time last year.