Victorian Monthly Climate Summary: September 2006
Dry and Warm

Tuesday, 3 October, 2006

In Brief

Averaged across the State, it was the second warmest September on record for maximum temperatures, and it was the driest September since 1987.

Details

Rainfall Summary

Rainfall in Victoria was well below average in all parts of the State, with the exception of a few "pockets" in Gippsland, where rainfall was close to normal. This below average rainfall has been typical of conditions across much of Australia, with only the east coast and the northwest of Western Australia receiving above average falls. This situation adds to more than three years of dry weather across the country. The current dry weather is a consequence of two major features of the global sea surface temperature distribution. Firstly, the current Pacific sea surface temperature distribution is typical for the development phase of an El Niņo event. The key indicators include sea-surface temperatures above El Niņo thresholds, sustained negative values of the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI), and weaker than average Trade Winds during the past two months (reducing the amount of moisturebeing brought towards Australia). Secondly, the current sea surface temperatures over Indonesian waters are very low, which prevents the formation of cloud bearing jet streams ahead of cold fronts.

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

Temperature Summary

Very dry air across southeastern Australia resulted in the State experiencing mostly clear skies, with well above average daytime temperatures, with some record highs for the month, whilst radiational cooling during the night caused below average nighttime temperatures, with a number of occasions when there were some severe frosts.

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

Significant Weather Systems

Fronts moved rapidly across the southern ocean, generating some particularly windy periods, but little rain.

Melbourne Summary

September was dry and warm, with the average maximum temperature of 19.7 deg C, the highest on record for any September.

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
Dr Harvey Stern (03) 9669 4949
Email climate.vic@bom.gov.au

This statement has been prepared based on information available at 2 PM on Tuesday 3 October 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 September 2006
Highest temperature
Hottest day		 32.4°C Mildura Airport on 19th
Highest mean daily maximum temperature
Warmest days on average		 22.9°C Mildura Airport
Lowest mean daily maximum temperature
Coolest days on average		 5.3°C Mt Hotham
Lowest daily maximum temperature
Coldest day		 −1.6°C Mt Hotham on 9th
Lowest temperature
Coldest night		 −9.2°C Mt Hotham on 25th
Lowest mean daily minimum temperature
Coldest nights on average		 −0.9°C Mt Hotham
Highest mean daily minimum temperature
Mildest nights on average		 10.4°C Wilsons Promontory Lighthouse
Highest daily minimum
Warmest night		 18.0°C Ouyen (Post Office) on 19th
Highest total rainfall
Wettest overall		 100.4 mm Mt Hotham
Lowest total rainfall
Driest overall		 9.6 mm Mildura Airport
Highest daily rainfall
Wettest day		 54.6 mm Orbost on 9th

Records

Record Lowest Total Rainfall for September

Total rainfall
for September 2006 (mm) 		Previous lowest
for September 		Years of
record
Morwell 39.2 40.8
in 2001
 23


Lowest Total Rainfall for 20 or more years for September

Total rainfall
for September 2006 (mm) 		Most recent lower
for September
Ballarat Aerodrome 26.2 19.2
in 1972
Benalla 20.0 11.9
in 1972
Lake Eildon 30.2 25.6
in 1985
Wilsons Promontory Lighthouse 13.2 6.2
in 1985


Record Highest Mean Maximum Temperature for September

Mean daily maximum
temperature
for September 2006 (°C) 		Previous highest
for September 		Years of
record
Melbourne Regional Office 19.7 19.5
in 1928
 152
Ballarat Aerodrome 16.1 16.0
in 1961
 96
Ouyen 22.7 22.6
in 1980
 70
Mildura Airport 22.9 = 22.9
in 1980
 61
Mangalore Airport 19.5 18.9
in 1972
 47
Point Hicks 19.0 18.8
in 1998
 38
Warracknabeal Museum 20.9 20.6
in 1972
 34
Albury Airport 20.6 19.8
in 2001
 24
Morwell 18.7 = 18.7
in 1999
 23


Highest Mean Maximum Temperature for 20 years or more for September

Mean daily maximum
temperature
for September 2006 (°C) 		Most recent higher
for September
Echuca Aerodrome 21.6 22.2
in 1899
Benalla 20.6 21.1
in 1914
Horsham 20.4 20.9
in 1907
Nhill 20.3 21.4
in 1944
Kerang 21.8 22.5
in 1944
Longerenong 20.0 21.1
in 1907
Maryborough 18.6 18.7
in 1972


Record Highest Temperature for September

Highest temperature
in September 2006 (°C) 		Previous highest
for September 		Years of
record
Benalla 29.5
on 19th
 28.9
on 30th in 1980
 102
Mangalore Airport 29.5
on 19th
 29.2
on 27th in 1987
 47
Albury Airport 28.9
on 19th
 28.4
on 27th in 1987
 24


Record Lowest Temperature for September

Lowest temperature
in September 2006 (°C) 		Previous lowest
for September 		Years of
record
Echuca Aerodrome −1.0
on 26th
 = −1.0
on 7th in 1995
 126
Mangalore Airport −3.6
on 25th
 −3.1
on 10th in 2002
 47
Morwell −2.1
on 26th
 = −2.1
on 22nd in 1994
 23
Noojee −1.4
on 26th
 −1.0
on 1st in 2005
 23


Summaries

Summary statistics for September 2006


 Maximum temperatures
for September
(°C)		 Minimum temperatures
for September
(°C)		 Rainfall
for September
(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 20.6 +3.2 28.9 4.7 −0.9 −0.2 36 73
Bairnsdale Airport 18.3 +1.0 27.0 6.0 +0.2 0.6 37 62
Ballarat Aerodrome 16.1 +2.5 26.5 4.0 −0.8 −2.8 26 64
Benalla 20.6 +3.3 29.5 4.4 −0.8 −1.5 20 68
Bendigo Airport 18.9 +2.5 28.9 4.0 −2.0 −1.3 38 58
Cape Otway Lighthouse 15.5 +0.8 24.4 9.6 +1.0 5.4 73 92
Castlemaine Prison 17.6 +2.0 27.6 5.0 +0.2 −1.9 50 59
Cerberus 17.6 +1.5 28.3 7.5 −2.2 1.3 49 70
Colac 16.0 +0.1 28.6 6.8 +1.0 0.5 36 78
Coldstream 18.6 +1.2 28.3 3.9 −2.3 −2.2 54 81
East Sale Airport 18.7 +1.9 28.3 5.4 −0.4 −1.1 38 53
Echuca Aerodrome 21.6 +3.5 30.8 5.3 −1.0 −1.0 22 40
Geelong Airport 18.2 +1.6 29.6 6.6 −0.4 1.8 32 53
Hamilton Airport 16.3 +1.2 24.9 5.3 −0.6 −0.9 56 78
Horsham 20.4 +3.1 30.4 4.8 −1.0 −1.5 39 45
Kerang 21.8 +3.2 31.6 6.5 −0.5 0.3 21 39
Kilmore Gap 14.6 +2.5 24.0 5.6 +1.1 −1.1 55 88
Lake Eildon 19.1 +3.0 28.0 5.1 −0.4 −0.2 30 84
Longerenong 20.0 +2.9 30.9 4.9 −0.6 −2.7 31 42
Mangalore Airport 19.5 +2.8 29.5 4.2 −1.3 −3.6 33 58
Maryborough 18.6 +2.3 28.9 4.6 −0.9 −1.4 31 54
Melbourne Regional Office 19.7 +2.6 30.1 9.4 +0.7 4.2 36 53
Mildura Airport 22.9 +2.8 32.4 7.8 +0.5 1.8 10 28
Morwell 18.7 +2.1 28.6 4.9 −1.1 −2.1 39 85
Mt Hotham 5.3 +1.4 11.6 −0.9 +1.2 −9.2 100 193
Nhill 20.3 +2.8 29.6 5.4 0 −1.9 26 42
Noojee 16.9 +1.7 26.0 5.4 +0.3 −1.4 75 128
Orbost 18.5 +0.7 27.5 7.3 +0.7 2.8 89 74
Ouyen 22.7 +2.8 32.1 7.3 +0.6 2.0 18 33
Point Hicks 19.0 +2.8 27.7 9.8 +0.5 4.8 65 79
Portland 15.9 +0.9 23.8 7.2 −0.3 1.0 62 88
Shepparton Airport 20.7 +3.5 30.6 4.4 −1.5 −1.7 22 51
Stawell Aerodrome 18.4 +2.6 28.7 5.5 −0.4 −0.4 43 59
Swan Hill Aerodrome 21.9 +2.8 31.8 6.1 −0.9 −0.4 23 34
Wangaratta Aero 20.2 +3.0 28.8 2.4 −2.8 −3.3 42 63
Warracknabeal Museum 20.9 +3.1 31.0 6.1 +0.2 0.5 27 40
Warrnambool Airport Ndb 16.3 +1.1 24.1 6.0 −0.6 −0.6 68 109
Wilsons Promontory Lighthouse 15.6 +1.7 24.7 10.4 +1.2 7.9 13 100
Wonthaggi 17.3 +1.5 28.0 7.8 +0.3 3.5 61 84
Yarrawonga 21.0 +3.0 30.4 4.8 −0.6 −0.4 23 45

Note

This statement has been prepared based on information available at 2 PM on Tuesday 3 October 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; Ceberus 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
Dr Harvey Stern (03) 9669 4949
Email climate.vic@bom.gov.au