30 July 2004 

MONTHLY CLIMATE SUMMARY (July 2004) - VICTORIAN REGIONAL OFFICE.

WET ALONG THE WEST COAST, DRY ALONG NORTHERN PLAINS

After a June during which much of northern Victoria received average or above average rainfall, the dry weather returned to much of the the northern plains in July. For example, Annuello in the Mallee recorded 19.2 mm (normal: 29.5 mm); Horsham in the Wimmera recorded 36.6 mm (normal: 53.5 mm); Echuca in the Northern Country recorded 29.5 mm (normal: 41.7 mm); and, Maryborough in the North Central recorded 38.2 mm (normal: 58.5 mm). By contrast, it was wet along the West Coast where Port Campbell recorded 145.6 mm (normal: 118.5 mm).

Daytime temperatures were slightly below normal across the State, whilst night-time temperatures were slightly above normal.

At most places, the month's warmest days were July 3 and 10, with Mildura recording the State's highest temperature of 20.3 deg C on July 3.

Away from the Alps, minus 4.1 deg C at Hopetoun on the 20th was the State's lowest, but temperatures plunged to minus 8.8 deg C at Mt Hotham on the 18th.  During that day, the temperature at Mt Hotham only rose to minus 6.6 deg C, the coldest daytime maximum temperature for Victoria.  However, there are only limited temperature records prior to 1990 in the alpine regions.

In Melbourne City, the month's rainfall totalled a below average 27.6 mm (normal: 48.8 mm) - although rainfall over the eastern suburbs was closer to normal, the mean minimum temperature was 7.8 deg C (normal: 6.5 deg C), and the mean maximum temperature was 14.1 deg C (normal: 13.7 deg C).

OUTLOOK

In the absence of either an El Nino or a La Nina, there is no reason to expect rainfall over the next few months to be significantly different from normal. However, daytime temperatures are likely to be above normal.

For further information contact:
Dr Harvey Stern, Climate and Consultancy Section, Phone: (03) 9669 4949
Mr Neal Moodie, Climate and Consultancy Section, Phone: (03) 9669 4906 (BH)
AH: Phone: (03) 9669 4916

Keep up to date with the weather in your area at our Daily Weather Observations webpage.
For help with climate information and past data, please email climate.vic@bom.gov.au

Table 1 

Summary statistics for July 2004

Maximum temperatures 
for July
(°C)		 Minimum temperatures 
for July
(°C)		 Rainfall 
for July
(mm)
Mean for 2004 Difference from normal Long term normal Mean for 2004 Difference from normal Long term normal Total for 2004 Normal total
Albury 12.5
 below 12.8
 3.3
 above
 2.6
 72.2
 89.4
Alpine
 -1.6
 below
 0.3
 -4.6
 below
 -4.1
 174.8
 244.4
Bairnsdale 13.9
 below
 14.3
 3.9
 above
 3.8
 38
 53.1
Ballarat 9.4
 below
 10.0 3.1
 above
 3.0
 57.2
 66.6
Benalla 12.8
 above
 12.7
 2.9
 above
 2.7
 70.4
 59.7
Bendigo 11.6
 below
 12.1
 1.9
 below
 3.5
 42
 62.5
Colac 10.7
 below
 12.7
 4.8
 above
 3.9
 55.6
 90.4
Echuca 13.3
 below
 13.6
 3.2
 below
 3.5
 29.5
 41.7
Geelong 13.4
 below
 13.6
 5.6
 below
 5.9
 49.6
 52.0
Hamilton 11.2
 below
 12.2
 4.7
 above
 4.2
 68.8
 65.6
Horsham (Polkemmet) 12.7
 below
 13.4
 3.7
 above
 3.6
 36.6
 53.5
Horsham (Longerenong) 12.6
 below
 13.3
 3.3
 below
 3.5
 35.2
 49.8
Latrobe Valley 12.5
 below
 13.4
 3.7
 same
 3.7
 43.8
 68.5
Maryborough 11.2
 below
 12.9
 3.5
 above
 3.2
 38.2
 58.5
Melbourne 14.1
 above
 13.7
 7.8
 above
 6.5
 27.6
 48.8
Mildura 15
 below
 15.4
 4.4
 same
 4.4
 22
 27.4
Mornington Peninsula 12.7
 below
 12.8
 6.5
 below
 7.6
 86
 71.5
Nhill 12.8
 below
 13.7
 3.2
 below
 3.7
 40.3
 49.1
Orbost 14.2
 below
 14.9
 5.1
 above
 4.3
 66.4
 73.5
Ouyen 14.6
 below
 15.3
 4.4
 above
 4.2
 19.2
 31.1
Portland 12.1
 below
 13.0
 7
 above
 6.1
 162
 104.4
Sale 13.2
 below
 13.7
 2.7
 below
 3.0
 32.4
 43.4
Seymour 12.1
 below
 12.3 3.2
 above
 3.0
 37.6
 61.1
Shepparton 12.5
 below
 12.8
 3.2
 above
 2.9
 34.2
 55.3
Stawell 11.5
 below
 12.2
 4.3
 above
 3.9
 54
 67.6
Swan Hill 14
 below
 14.5
 3.7
 below
 4.1
 17.8
 34.9
Wangaratta 12.4
 below
 12.7
 2.6
 above
 2.3
 56
 69.8
Warracknabeal 13.1
 below
 14.0
 4.1
 above
 3.5
 36.2
 41.7
Warrnambool 12.3
 below
 13.0
 6.2
 above
 5.1
 87.8
 95.7
Wonthaggi 12.9
 below
 13.2
 6.2
 above
 5.8
 138.3
 104.3
Yarra Glen 12.3
 below
 13.2
 4.4
 above
 4.2
 53.2
 73.6