Thursday, 9 January 2020 - Annual Climate Summary for Victoria - Product code IDCKGC56R0

Victoria in 2019: warmer and drier than average

Victorian rainfall in 2019 was below average, with most months drier than average. Rainfall totals were much below average in large parts of the State's north and east, and lowest on record in the far northwest. Days were warmer than average across all areas of the State, while nights were warmer than average in much of the State's south and east.

Below average rainfall

• Total rainfall for the year was below the long-term average across most of Victoria
• Most of Gippsland, the Mallee, northern and northeastern districts, and parts of the Wimmera and central districts had annual rainfall totals in the driest 10 per cent of records (decile 1)
• Victoria's rainfall in 2019 was about 28% below average, drier than 2018 and much drier than 2017
• Rainfall was less than average in all months except May and June, with January, April, October and December being particularly dry in large parts of Victoria
• Victoria's rainfall in May was above average, with an area of highest on record May rainfall totals west of Ballarat, and around Geelong
• The wettest day during the year saw 126.0 mm at Falls Creek (Rocky Valley) on 3 May, and on the same day Dederang had its highest daily rainfall on record
• Some sites had their lowest total rainfall on record, or their lowest total rainfall for at least 20 years, including Gabo Island Lighthouse, where measurements of rainfall started in 1878

Fifth-warmest year on record

• 2019 was Victoria's fifth-warmest year on record overall, with the State's mean temperature 1.05 °C above average
• Days were very much warmer than average in all areas except the southwest of the State, where the mean maximum temperature was still above average
• The State's mean maximum temperature was 1.37 °C above the average, the fourth-highest on record
• The year started with Victoria's warmest January on record; high temperatures in January were a consequence of a widespread heatwave, as detailed in the Special Climate Statement "Widespread heatwaves during December 2018 and January 2019"
• In December, the State experienced another severe heatwave and many new maximum temperature records were set
• The highest temperature in Victoria in 2019 was 47.9 °C, recorded at Hopetoun Airport and Horsham Aerodrome on 20th December; this was also a new December temperature record for the State
• Many sites had their highest temperature on record
• Some sites had their highest mean daily maximum temperature on record
• There were many cool nights in August, September and November, particularly in the west of the State, but the mean minimum temperature was warmer than average in most months and for the year as a whole
• The State's mean minimum temperature was 0.72 °C above average, though cooler than 2018
• Some sites had their warmest night (highest daily minimum temperature) on record

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

Maps
	Observed	Anomaly	Decile rank
Total rainfall
Mean daily maximum temperatures
Mean daily minimum temperatures

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Monthly maps
	Rainfall rank	Maximum temperature rank	Minimum temperature rank
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December

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* note: there are gaps in the historical record at this site, so it is possible a lower value has gone unreported

* note: there are gaps in the historical record at this site, so it is possible a higher value has gone unreported

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top