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