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VICTORIAN MONTHLY CLIMATE SUMMARY (February 2004)
February saw an extraordinary two week heat wave develop over Eastern Australia with Northern Victoria experiencing record February temperatures. The area encompassed by the Eastern Australian heatwave, and its duration, places it amongst the most severe of the past century, although somewhat less severe than the heatwave of January 1939 (which culminated in the terrible Black Friday bushfires).
On February 14, eleven Victorian stations exceeded 45 degrees.
Among centres to experience record temperatures for the month were:
Northern Victoria also set new records for number of days above 40°C during February with Mildura Aerodrome, Ouyen Post Office, and Walpeup Research Centre, all reaching 40°C on 9 days.
However, the southern half of Victoria was spared from the longevity of the heat wave and, although average temperatures for the month were hotter than normal in the north, southern centres registered temperatures that, on average, were close to normal.
February rainfall was well below average in most Districts, with northern Districts receiving only about a quarter of their usual allocation. The southern half of Victoria fared somewhat better (receiving about half the usual amount) and also registered a good two-day fall on the 10th and 11th - however, little else was received for the remainder of the month.
For the summer as a whole, rainfall was slightly below normal in most Districts.
In Melbourne during February, the average maximum temperature was 26.0°C (normal also 26.0°C), whilst the average minimum temperature was 15.5°C (normal also 15.5°C). Only 12.8 mm of rain was recorded (normal 45.8 mm).
In Melbourne over the summer as a whole, the average maximum temperature was 25.9°C (normal 25.3°C), whilst the average minimum temperature was 15.2°C (normal 14.7°C). In the city, 144.6 mm of rain was recorded (normal 152.8 mm), of which approximately half was received during two individual severe thunderstorm events (one during the night of December 2/3, the other during the night of January 29/30). The eastern suburb of Viewbank registered 107.8 mm during the December 2/3 event, whilst the inner suburb of Prahran recorded 99.0 mm.
Melbourne's Dry Spell: Notwithstanding this summer's severe thunderstorms, the end of February sees Melbourne as concluding one of its driest 2-year periods on record. The current record low for a 24-month period is 855.8 mm (October 1996 to September 1998). The total over the past 24 months is 857.0 mm.
Autumn Outlook: The outlook for Victoria is for a coolish Autumn with close to average rainfall.
For the February maximum temperature anomaly map of Victoria, click here.
For the February minimum temperature anomaly map of Victoria, click here.
For the February rainfall decile map of Victoria, click here. For the total rainfall map, click here.
Climate averages for Victoria are available here.
To find out what happened in February 2003, click here.
For further information contact:
Dr Harvey Stern, Victorian Climate and Consultancy, tel: (03) 9669 4949
(BH), email: climate.vic@bom.gov.au
OR telephone (03) 9669 4916 (AH)
Summary statistics for February 2004 |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum temperatures for February (°C) |
Minimum temperatures for February (°C) |
Rainfall for February (mm) |
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| Mean for 2004 | Difference from normal | Highest for 2004 | Mean for 2004 | Difference from normal | Lowest for 2004 | Total for 2004 | Normal total | |
| Albury | 33.3 | +2.5 | 41.4 | 16.2 | +1.1 | 9.9 | 1.8 | 34.9 |
| Alpine | 17.8 | +2.2 | 26.2 | 9.0 | +2.1 | 0.3 | 17.4 | 66.9 |
| Bairnsdale | 26.2 | +0.7 | 39.6 | 12.9 | +0.3 | 6.4 | 36.2 | 44.8 |
| Ballarat | 26.2 | +1.0 | 40.4 | 11.1 | -0.6 | 4.7 | 9.0 | 37.2 |
| Benalla | 32.3 | +1.7 | 42.2 | 15.2 | +0.6 | 10.0 | 7.4 | 32.9 |
| Bendigo | 30.8 | +2.1 | 42.0 | 13.3 | -1.4 | 7.0 | 3.0 | 26.4 |
| Colac | 25.1 | -1.5 | 38.4 | 11.6 | +0.5 | 8.0 | 23.0 | 29.9 |
| Echuca | 32.3 | +1.6 | 43.4 | 14.3 | -0.7 | 8.4 | 4.2 | 21.8 |
| Geelong | 24.0 | -2.3 | 40.2 | 12.7 | -1.0 | 9.1 | 26.2 | 25.0 |
| Hamilton | 26.5 | -0.6 | 42.1 | 10.7 | -0.8 | 4.2 | 26.4 | 20.9 |
| Horsham (Polkemmet) | 31.7 | +2.0 | 45.0 | 12.1 | -1.3 | 6.0 | 12.6 | 21.7 |
| Horsham (Longerenong) | 31.4 | +1.6 | 45.3 | 12.2 | -1.1 | 4.2 | 2.2 | 20.3 |
| Kyabram | 31.4 | +1.6 | 42.8 | 14.4 | -0.1 | 8.6 | 3.4 | 23.8 |
| Latrobe Valley | 26.6 | +0.1 | 39.0 | 12.5 | -0.1 | 6.4 | 38.4 | 41.7 |
| Maryborough | 29.9 | +0.9 | 42.8 | 13.0 | -0.5 | 8.3 | 2.8 | 33.3 |
| Melbourne | 26.0 | 0.0 | 40.4 | 15.5 | 0.0 | 11.6 | 12.8 | 45.8 |
| Mildura | 34.5 | +2.8 | 45.6 | 17.3 | +0.9 | 9.7 | 0.6 | 16.4 |
| Mornington Peninsula | 23.5 | -2.9 | 38.0 | 14.7 | -2.1 | 10.8 | 25.8 | 41.8 |
| Nhill | 31.7 | +1.9 | 45.7 | 11.5 | -1.5 | 4.9 | 3.2 | 18.5 |
| Orbost | 25.4 | -0.5 | 36.3 | 13.7 | 0.0 | 7.4 | 35.4 | 47.4 |
| Ouyen | 34.6 | +2.7 | 46.7 | 16.2 | +0.8 | 9.8 | 0.2 | 23.3 |
| Portland | 21.6 | -1.1 | 39.8 | 12.0 | -0.6 | 5.0 | 40.2 | 21.2 |
| Sale | 26.1 | +0.5 | 37.5 | 12.9 | -0.2 | 7.5 | 28.6 | 30.4 |
| Seymour | 30.9 | +1.6 | 43.6 | 13.8 | -0.5 | 9.5 | 3.0 | 28.7 |
| Shepparton | 32.3 | +2.2 | 43.3 | 14.0 | -1.0 | 8.2 | 3.2 | 26.5 |
| Stawell | 28.3 | -0.1 | 39.7 | 11.8 | -1.4 | 7.0 | 1.8 | 28.5 |
| Swan Hill | 34.0 | +2.7 | 46.0 | 15.4 | -0.3 | 9.0 | 0.8 | 20.0 |
| Wangaratta | 33.5 | +2.8 | 43.5 | 13.5 | -0.2 | 7.3 | 6.8 | 37.4 |
| Warracknabeal | 32.2 | +1.7 | 45.5 | 13.7 | -0.3 | 8.5 | 6.6 | 20.3 |
| Warrnambool | 23.9 | +0.4 | 40.8 | 11.1 | -0.5 | 4.5 | 44.2 | 34.5 |
| Wonthaggi | 23.6 | -0.9 | 38.5 | 12.1 | -0.7 | 6.4 | 46.5 | 33.1 |
| Yarra Glen | 26.9 | -2.5 | 39.7 | 10.8 | -1.8 | 2.4 | 14.4 | 45.1 |
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