Wednesday, 1 February 2006

MONTHLY CLIMATE SUMMARY - VICTORIA

3rd Warmest January in Victoria

Temperature Summary

Victoria has experienced its 3rd warmest January since State-wide records began in 1950.  The mean temperature for Victoria was 2.5°C above the average of 20.16°C.  It was the warmest January since 2001, while the warmest January has been 1981.  The Northern half of Victoria experienced average daytime temperatures of 3 to 4 degrees above normal.  The Southern half of Victoria experienced average daytime temperatures of 1 to 3 degrees above normal.  Mildura was the warmest town during January with daytime temperatures averaging 36.4°C, 4.5 degrees above normal.  The hottest day was on the 10th, with Swan Hill recording 44.3°C.

Click here to view maps of temperature for Victoria, and long term climate trends for Victoria.

Rainfall Summary

Rainfalls along the Northern border were below average apart from the Alpine area. Mildura recorded the lowest total in the State with 4.6mm (average 22mm), followed by Albury 7mm (average 59mm) and  Yarrawonga 14mm (average 34mm).  However, thunderstorms associated with trough systems brought good rainfalls to some locations but were sometimes juxtaposed against pockets of low rainfall through the  Alpine and Central areas.  Better than average rainfalls were recorded in Gippsland, including Ensay 108mm (average 54mm), and Boolarra 103mm (average 52mm).   The Western coastal areas of the State also had generally above average rainfall, including Apollo Bay 43mm (average 46mm), Coleraine 41mm (average 27mm), and Terang 44mm (average 35mm).  A persistent trough brought rain and welcome relief from the hot weather and bushfires to much of Victoria in late January.

Click here to view maps of rainfall for Victoria, and long term climate trends for Victoria.

Significant Weather Systems

An inland trough system directed hot North-Westerly winds over Victoria on the 10th.  Temperatures soared to 44.3°C at Swan Hill, with 40+ degree temperatures experienced elsewhere in the North of the State.

A significant heatwave affected Victoria between the 20th and 22nd with many locations experiencing 2 days of above 40 degrees in a row.  Major bushfires developed fanned by strong Northerly winds.  Another hot spell arrived on Australia Day with temperatures exceeding 40 again.

A large semi-stationary high pressure system in the Tasman directed moist air from the tropics over Victoria between the 20th and 30th resulting in abnormally high humidities over the Southern half of Victoria (see Melbourne note below).

Melbourne Summary

Melbourne’s maximum and minimum temperatures for January 2006 were both about 2 degrees above average.  (Max: 27.7°C, Normal 25.9°C; Min 17.3°C, Normal 15.1°C). The minimum temperature on 22^nd January of 26.7°C was the second warmest January night ever. The last time Melbourne recorded two consecutive days above 40 degrees during January was in 1991. The highest maximum temperature during January 2006 was 42.4°C on 22^nd January.

Melbourne’s rainfall for January 2006 was 7.1mm above average. (Total 54.2mm, normal 47.1mm).

There were 25 (mean 17) days when the Dew Point Temperature (an humidity type indicator of moisture content in the atmosphere) was 11.4°C or higher. This was the highest number of days since January 1999 when there were 27 days. The high humidities combined with above average temperatures made for uncomfortable conditions during January 2006.

Included in this summary are a table of State extremes, some new records, and summaries for locations across the State. Visit our maps of rainfall and temperatures for this month.

Please contact us for further information.

Victoria Climate Centre
Bureau of Meteorology
Mr Neal Moodie (03) 9669 4956
Email climate.vic@bom.gov.au

This statement has been prepared based on information available at 12 PM on Wednesday 1 February 2006 . Although every effort has been made to check them, it is possible that results may change as new information becomes available.

Extremes

Weather extremes during January 2006
Highest temperature Hottest day	44.3 °C	Swan Hill Aerodrome on 10th
Highest mean daily maximum temperature Warmest days on average	36.4 °C	Mildura Airport
Lowest mean daily maximum temperature Coolest days on average	18.7 °C	Mt Hotham
Lowest daily maximum temperature Coldest day	11.7 °C	Mt Hotham on 18th
Lowest temperature Coldest night	4.1 °C	Morwell (Latrobe Valley Airport) on 5th
Lowest mean daily minimum temperature Coldest nights on average	10.1 °C	Mt Hotham
Highest mean daily minimum temperature Mildest nights on average	20.4 °C	Mildura Airport
Highest daily minimum Warmest night	27.9 °C	Mildura Airport on 27th and Kerang on 27th
Highest total rainfall Wettest overall	87.0 mm	Orbost
Lowest total rainfall Driest overall	4.6 mm	Mildura Airport
Highest daily rainfall Wettest day	41.4 mm	Orbost on 28th

Records

Record Highest Mean Maximum Temperature for January
	Mean daily maximum temperature for January 2006 (°C)	Previous highest for January		Years of record
Albury Airport	35.3	34.7	in 1999	23

Record Highest Temperature for January
	Highest temperature in January 2006 (°C)		Previous highest for January		Years of record
Portland	41.6	on 26th	41.1	on 20th in 1997	24

Record Highest Mean Daily Minimum Temperature for January
	Mean daily minimum temperature for January 2006 (°C)	Previous highest for January		Years of record
East Sale Airport	15.1	15.0	in 1999	61
Mildura Airport	20.4	20.2	in 2001	60
Point Hicks	17.7	17.1	in 2001	34

Record Highest Daily Minimum Temperature for January
	Highest daily minimum temperature in January 2006 (°C)		Previous highest for January		Years of record
Albury Airport	25.7	on 30th	= 25.7	on 24th in 2001	23
Morwell	22.5	on 27th	21.6	on 4th in 1991	23

Summaries

Summary statistics for January 2006
	Maximum temperatures for January (°C)			Minimum temperatures for January (°C)			Rainfall for January (mm)
	Mean for 2006	Difference from normal	Highest for 2006	Mean for 2006	Difference from normal	Lowest for 2006	Total for 2006	Normal total
Albury Airport	35.3	+4.6	43.5	19.1	+3.7	12.4	7	59
Bairnsdale Airport	27.3	+1.9	42.8	14.8	+2.2	6.7	50	56
Ballarat Aerodrome	27.7	+2.7	39.2	13.1	+2.0	6.6	27	43
Benalla	34.2	+3.5	41.0	18.3	+3.9	11.0	30	39
Bendigo Airport	32.0	+3.2	40.3	16.1	+1.8	10.0	61	37
Cape Otway Lighthouse	22.1	+1.3	41.5	14.4	+1.0	9.0	38	43
Castlemaine Prison	30.1	+1.7	39.1	15.3	+2.7	8.5	40	37
Cerberus	25.1	-0.2	41.8	14.9	-1.0	7.0	47	42
Colac	26.2	+0.2	41.5	13.3	+2.4	7.8	58	39
Coldstream	28.8	+0.7	41.3	13.1	+0.9	4.4	65	55
East Sale Airport	27.3	+2.0	41.6	15.1	+2.4	7.7	42	49
Echuca Aerodrome	34.2	+3.6	43.1	17.1	+2.4	10.4	23	36
Geelong Airport	25.1	+0.6	43.7	14.5	+1.3	8.9	27	32
Hamilton Airport	28.9	+2.8	41.7	12.7	+1.9	5.7	48	29
Horsham	32.9	+3.1	43.8	14.5	+1.0	6.5	26	27
Kerang	34.5	+3.3	43.1	17.8	+2.6	11.3	45	31
Kilmore Gap	26.2	+3.2	38.3	13.0	+1.8	6.8	66	48
Lake Eildon	31.7	+3.6	40.2	14.5	+2.4	6.6	62	50
Longerenong	32.8	+3.2	43.9	15.0	+2.2	6.6	23	28
Mangalore Airport	32.3	+3.3	41.9	16.4	+2.7	11.1	56	41
Maryborough	31.0	+2.5	40.6	15.4	+2.4	9.8	21	38
Melbourne Regional Office	27.7	+1.8	42.4	17.3	+2.2	12.1	54	47
Mildura Airport	36.4	+4.5	43.0	20.4	+3.9	13.5	5	22
Morwell	28.6	+3.0	40.4	14.4	+1.9	4.1	80	56
Mt Hotham	18.7	+2.4	24.5	10.1	+3.3	4.5	69	88
Nhill	32.9	+3.1	44.0	13.7	+0.7	7.5	17	25
Noojee	27.2	+2.6	39.2	13.2	+2.1	5.6	79	72
Orbost	27.5	+2.1	41.6	16.1	+2.7	7.6	87	63
Ouyen	35.7	+3.6	43.0	18.6	+3.3	12.1	22	21
Point Hicks	26.1	+2.9	35.4	17.7	+2.2	11.8	20	64
Portland	23.1	+1.4	41.6	13.2	+1.0	6.0	35	33
Shepparton Airport	33.7	+3.9	42.3	16.5	+2.2	10.4	28	38
Stawell Aerodrome	30.8	+3.3	42.3	14.5	+1.9	8.4	33	36
Swan Hill Aerodrome	35.4	+4.1	44.3	17.6	+2.1	10.9	32	28
Wangaratta Aero	34.9	+3.7	42.0	16.2	+2.0	7.9	26	48
Warracknabeal Museum	33.5	+3.2	43.4	16.5	+2.9	9.8	21	27
Warrnambool Airport Ndb	25.0	+2.5	43.0	12.3	+0.9	5.0	30	49
Wilsons Promontory Lighthouse	21.5	+1.1	31.9	15.7	+1.4	12.8	61	51
Wonthaggi	24.8	+1.1	41.4	14.6	+2.2	7.8	64	48
Yarrawonga	35.7	+4.0	43.5	18.0	+2.9	9.2	14	34

Note

This statement has been prepared based on information available at 12 PM on Wednesday 1 February 2006 . Although every effort has been made to check them, it is possible that results may change as new information becomes available.
Long term averages are calculated using the WMO standard of 1961 to 1990.
Climate averages for Victoria localities are available here.
Please use the following localities to cover these regions: Coldstream for the Yarra Glen area; Cerberus for the Mornington Peninsula; Morwell for the Latrobe Valley; Mangalore for Seymour; Mt Hotham for the Alpine area.
Daily Weather Observations for selected Victoria localities are available here.

Please contact us for further information.

Victoria Climate Centre
Bureau of Meteorology
Mr Neal Moodie (03) 9669 4956
Email climate.vic@bom.gov.au