Media release - Monday, 31 July 2000

MONTHLY CLIMATE SUMMARY - VICTORIAN REGIONAL OFFICE

July near normal, though Gippsland dry

July 2000 was close to average across most of Victoria, according to preliminary Bureau of Meteorology figures (Table 1), released today.

The exceptions were the West and South Gippsland district (Table 2) which followed a dry June with very much below average rainfall in July (53 mm compared with a normal of 87 mm), East Gippsland (with 34 mm compared with a normal of 62 mm) and the East Central (with 69 mm compared with a normal of 83 mm) also received below normal totals. Other Districts received near, or slightly above average, rainfall.

Many sections of West and South Gippsland, the East Central, and also the West Coast, have had their driest 46 months (since October 1996) on record. The drier than normal July in parts of these areas has worsened the situation.

Both daytime and overnight temperatures were generally within half a degree of normal at most places. The state's lowest reading for the month was -7.8 deg C at Falls Creek on the 27th of July. The highest recorded for the month was 21.7 deg C at Mildura on the 23rd.

A severe cold outbreak during the last week of the month brought widespread snowfalls down to low levels, continuing one of the best snow-seasons on record, and the cold air spread as far north as southern Queensland, where maximum temperatures in the low teens were experienced on the 27th.

In Melbourne, temperatures were slightly above normal, overnight readings averaging 7.1 deg C (normal 6.5 deg C) and daytime maxima averaging 14.4 deg C (normal 13.7 deg C). 46.8 mm of rain fell during the month (normal 49 mm).

Ends

Further information: Dr Harvey Stern, tel: (03) 9669 4949 or (after hours) the Senior Forecaster, tel: (03) 9669 4916.