Thursday, 2 January 2014 - Annual Climate Summary for Melbourne area - Product code IDCKGC36L0

Melbourne area 2013: Equal second warmest year for the city

The Melbourne area in 2013 was characterised by:

• a mild winter
• the hottest July and September on record
• record breaking hot spell in March
• close to normal rainfall.

Extremes Records Summaries Important notes the top

Overall temperatures above normal

Mean temperatures (the average of minimum and maximum temperatures) were well above normal in the Melbourne area in 2013. The Melbourne Regional Office in the CBD was the warmest station, recording an average of 16.8 °C for the year (its equal second warmest year), whilst the coolest was Ferny Creek in the Dandenong Ranges with 13.3 °C. Both Essendon and Moorabbin Airports also observed their second warmest years on record in 2013.

Record hot spells and record hot months

Daytime temperatures were very much above average in the Melbourne area. The highest daytime temperature for Melbourne Regional Office in 2013 was 41.1 °C, recorded on 4 January. Its lowest maximum temperature for 2013 was 9.7 °C, recorded on 20 July. Generally, stations recorded average maximum temperatures around 1 °C warmer than usual. The warmest days on average were recorded at Melbourne Regional Office with an average for the year of 21.5 °C, whilst Ferny Creek recorded the coolest with 17.3 °C. July and September 2013 set new records for the Melbourne area with nearly all stations setting new July and September records for mean daily maximum temperature.

The hottest day in the Melbourne area was 4 January when Avalon Airport recorded 43.0 °C. Most stations in the area reported their hottest temperature for 2013 on either 4 or 17 January when widespread heat affected much of the country. Melbourne experienced a significant heatwave in the first weeks of March, with a record-breaking nine consecutive days above 32 °C from 4 to 12 March.

The coldest day in 2013 was 21 July when Ferny Creek recorded a maximum temperature of just 6.3 °C. Most stations in the Melbourne area reported their coolest maximum temperature for 2013 on either 20 or 21 July under the influence of a complex low pressure system. However, overall July 2013 was a record breaking warm month for the Melbourne Regional Office, setting new records for highest July daily maximum temperature, highest July daily minimum temperature, highest July average maximum temperature and highest July average minimum temperature.

Record overnight temperatures in July and September

Overnight temperatures in the Melbourne area ranged from above average to very much above average for 2013. The coldest night was 23 June when Coldstream recorded -5.1 °C. The second half of June was particularly cool in the Melbourne area and Melbourne Regional Office recorded 9 consecutive nights with temperatures below 5 °C (its longest such run since 1972) from the 19th to the 27th. The warmest night was 13 March when Melbourne Regional Office recorded 26.5 °C. Coldstream recorded the coolest nights on average with 7.7 °C and Melbourne Regional Office recorded the warmest with 12.2 °C (2.0 °C above average). Despite minimum temperatures generally being above average for much of the year, Viewbank had their equal lowest daily temperature on record. Most stations reported the warmest July and September averages on record for minimum temperatures.

Rainfall mostly normal

Most Melbourne area stations recorded rainfall totals that were close to normal. Typically the east of Melbourne records more rainfall than the west, and 2013 was no different. Ferny Creek, in the Dandenong Ranges of Melbourne's east, was the wettest station overall with 1193.4 mm, whilst the driest was Avalon Airport, on the western plains, with 434.8 mm. The Melbourne Regional Office, in the heart of the city, received 638.4 mm for the year (very close to its average of 649.4 mm). The wettest day for the Melbourne area was 1 June, with the highest station total of 98.0 mm recorded at Bundoora (Latrobe University).

Most months in 2013 generally received close to average rainfall over the Melbourne region; the notable exceptions being January and April receiving widespread below average falls, and February and June receiving widespread above average falls.

Wind

The strongest wind gust was 117 km/h recorded at Essendon Airport on 1 October associated with a strong cold front. Out on the bay, a gust associated with this same strong cold front measured 143 km/h at Fawkner Beacon. This was the third strongest gust recorded in the Melbourne region.

Extremes Records Summaries Important notes the top

Extremes Records Summaries Important notes the top

Extremes Records Summaries Important notes the top