Tuesday, 29 September 2009 - Monthly Climate Summary for Victoria - Product code IDCKGC26R0
Victoria during September 2009
Above normal rainfall in many areas
September 2009 saw above normal rainfall across much of Victoria, in spite of the tropical Pacific Ocean temperatures remaining warmer than average in all of the key El Niņo monitoring regions and continuing to exceed thresholds considered typical of an El Niņo event. The reason for the above normal rainfall is that unlike previous El Niņo events, conditions are also warmer than average in the Coral Sea, off Australia's northern coasts and in the far western Tropical Pacific, and the Southern Oscillation Index is slightly positive (during typical El Niņo events, the Southern Oscillation Index is negative).
Another region of Sea Surface Temperature variability that impacts on Australian climate is that of the Indian Ocean. One mode of variability that appears to affect Australian rainfall, particularly the southeast of the country, is the Indian Ocean Dipole. The Indian Ocean Dipole referred to here is defined by an index that is the difference between Sea Surface Temperature in the western and eastern tropical Indian Oceans. At present, the eastern Indian Ocean is warmer than the western Indian Ocean. This encourages the formation of rain-bearing northwest cloud bands ahead of cold fronts approaching Victoria.
Both overnight and daytime temperatures averaged above normal throughout the State, continuing the trend of recent months. The last week of the month saw above normal sea surface temperatures stretching across the entire equatorial Indian and Pacific Oceans, including Indonesian waters and the Tasman Sea. The ongoing warmth may be attributed to these above normal sea surface temperatures. September 12 saw an extraordinary burst of heat in Victoria, as strong NW winds, ahead of an approaching cold front, drove hot air from inland Australia across the State. Several centres registered record September temperatures during this event.
Synoptic Summary
The month began with an anticyclone of 1025 hPa over NSW and light westerly flow across Victoria. the high moved over the Tasman Sea and northerly winds strengthened ahead of an approaching front on the 3rd. the frontal system retreated and a new anticyclone of 1021 hPa had formed over NSW by the 5th. the settled weather was short-lived as another front approached and passed across the State on the 7th. A low formed on this front and developed as it moved over the Tasman Sea on the 9th, but a new high pressure system soon developed over NSW in its wake. This high retreated to the NE to be located over NSW/QLD border and directed extremely warm NW winds across Victoria on the 12th, leading to many September maximum temperature records tumbling. A front crossed the State early on the 13th and a high of 1023 hPa then formed over southern NSW on the 14th. This high moved eastward and was followed by a friontal passage on the 17th, with a small wave low appearing over the Tasman Sea on the 18th. The 19th saw another frontal passage, prior to temporary stabilsation on the 20th, before a very intense cyclonic system moved across Victoria on the 22nd and 23rd. Some stabilisation occurred on the 24th but a new front moved through Victoria on the 25th, and this was followed by development over the Tasman Sea on the 26th and 27th. the month conclude with an anticyclone once again exerting its stabilising influence across Victoria.
An archive of previous monthly summaries for Victoria is also available, as are summaries for other states and many other climate summaries and diagnostics.
Jump to: Records Summaries Notes the top
Further information
Dr Harvey SternClimate Meteorologist
Victoria Climate Services Centre
Bureau of Meteorology
Phone (03) 9669 4956
Email climate.vic@bom.gov.au
Records
| Record highest September temperature | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Highest temperature in September 2009 (°C) |
Previous highest for September |
Years of record |
Average for September | |||
| Laverton RAAF | 31.2 | on the 12th | 31.0 | on the 26th in 1987 | 66 | 16.9 |
| Gabo Island Lighthouse | 30.6 | on the 12th | 30.5 | on the 16th in 1996 | 53 | 15.7 |
| Kerang | 34.0 | on the 12th | = 34.0 | on the 27th in 2008 | 47 | 18.8 |
| Kyabram DPI | 32.2 | on the 12th | = 32.2 | on the 27th in 2008 | 44 | 17.2 |
| Castlemaine Prison | 28.4 | on the 12th | 28.0 | on the 27th in 1987 | 43 | 15.6 |
| Essendon Airport | 30.3 | on the 12th | 28.9 | on the 19th in 2006 | 40 | 16.6 |
| Melbourne Airport | 30.2 | on the 12th | 29.0 | on the 27th in 2008 | 40 | 16.5 |
| Bundoora (Latrobe University) | 29.2 | on the 12th | 29.0 | on the 26th in 1987 | 31 | 16.8 |
| Sheoaks | 28.1 | on the 12th | = 28.1 | on the 19th in 2006 | 20 | 15.3 |
Jump to: Records Summaries Notes the top
Summaries
This table is very wide and may not fit if printed.
| Summary statistics for September 2009 | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum temperatures for September (°C) |
Minimum temperatures for September (°C) |
Rainfall for September (millimetres) |
||||||||||
| Mean for September 2009 |
Diff from average |
Highest for September 2009 |
Mean for September 2009 |
Diff from average |
Lowest for September 2009 |
Total for September 2009 |
Average for September |
Rank of September 2009 |
Fraction of September average |
|||
| North Mallee (district 76) | ||||||||||||
| Mildura Airport | 22.1 | +1.7 | 34.0 | 12th | 7.9 | +0.5 | 2.4 | 10th | 28.6 | 27.0 | average | 106% |
| Ouyen | 21.5 | +1.3 | 34.4 | 12th | 7.3 | +0.6 | 3.5 | 15th | 84.0 | 32.6 | very high | 258% |
| Walpeup Research | 21.0 | +1.5 | 34.6 | 12th | 7.4 | +0.5 | 2.0 | 9th | 73.6 | 31.7 | very high | 232% |
| South Mallee (district 77) | ||||||||||||
| Hopetoun Airport | 20.4 | 34.6 | 12th | 4.8 | -1.4 | 14th | 30.6 | |||||
| Swan Hill Aerodrome | 20.9 | +0.7 | 34.0 | 12th | 5.7 | -0.4 | 0.6 | 15th | 41.8 | 27.2 | high | 154% |
| North Wimmera (district 78) | ||||||||||||
| Nhill Aerodrome | 18.4 | 32.3 | 12th | 6.1 | 1.3 | 14th | 46.0 | |||||
| Warracknabeal Museum | 19.0 | +0.9 | 33.0 | 12th | 6.1 | +0.2 | 1.0 | 15th | 51.8 | 42.0 | average | 123% |
| South Wimmera (district 79) | ||||||||||||
| Edenhope Airport | 16.9 | 27.8 | 12th | 6.6 | 1.2 | 10th | 62.6 | |||||
| Grampians | 8.3 | 20.6 | 12th | 2.0 | -1.6 | 27th | 144.4 | |||||
| Horsham Aerodrome | 17.6 | -0.6 | 30.8 | 12th | 4.4 | 0.0 | -0.7 | 14th | 83.0 | 38.9 | very high | 213% |
| Horsham Polkemmet Rd | 17.8 | +0.2 | 31.2 | 12th | 4.7 | -0.8 | -1.4 | 14th | 65.2 | 46.2 | high | 141% |
| Kanagulk | 16.6 | 28.4 | 12th | 5.7 | 0.4 | 14th | 45.4 | |||||
| Longerenong | 17.2 | -0.1 | 29.7 | 12th | 4.7 | -0.4 | -1.0 | 14th | 71.6 | 40.7 | high | 176% |
| Pyrenees | 11.3 | 23.4 | 12th | 4.2 | 0.1 | 27th | 128.0 | |||||
| Stawell Aerodrome | 16.5 | -0.2 | 29.3 | 12th | 6.5 | +0.6 | 1.6 | 14th | 79.6 | 56.0 | high | 142% |
| Lower North (district 80) | ||||||||||||
| Charlton | 18.8 | 32.3 | 12th | 5.5 | -0.7 | 10th | 49.6 | |||||
| Echuca Aerodrome | 19.7 | +1.4 | 32.2 | 12th | 5.3 | -1.0 | 0.8 | 15th | 30.0 | 39.2 | average | 77% |
| Kerang | 20.6 | +1.6 | 34.0 | 12th | 6.3 | -0.3 | 1.5 | 15th | 47.6 | 35.6 | high | 134% |
| Kyabram DPI | 19.4 | +2.0 | 32.2 | 12th | 4.8 | -0.5 | -0.6 | 14th | 30.8 | 42.7 | average | 72% |
| Upper North (district 81) | ||||||||||||
| Bendigo Airport | 17.3 | +0.6 | 30.4 | 12th | 4.1 | -0.2 | -1.0 | 15th | 53.4 | 48.5 | average | 110% |
| Shepparton Airport | 18.7 | +0.5 | 31.5 | 12th | 4.4 | -1.0 | -1.5 | 5th | 44.4 | 38.2 | average | 116% |
| Tatura Inst Sustainable Ag | 18.5 | +1.1 | 31.4 | 12th | 4.5 | -1.0 | -1.4 | 15th | 42.4 | 43.6 | average | 97% |
| Yarrawonga | 19.2 | +0.8 | 31.3 | 12th | 4.8 | -0.4 | -1.2 | 15th | 39.8 | 44.9 | average | 89% |
| Lower Northeast (district 82) | ||||||||||||
| Benalla Airport | 17.3 | 26.1 | 12th | 4.6 | -0.9 | 5th | 62.5 | |||||
| Corryong Airport | 17.5 | 26.0 | 13th | 3.7 | -1.3 | 6th | 89.8 | |||||
| Dartmouth Reservoir | 17.1 | +0.5 | 24.2 | 12th | 4.3 | -0.2 | -0.5 | 6th | 137.4 | 106.0 | high | 130% |
| Rutherglen Research | 17.7 | +0.6 | 26.8 | 12th | 4.3 | +0.1 | -1.4 | 29th | 43.0 | 54.6 | average | 79% |
| Strathbogie | 13.8 | -0.4 | 23.0 | 12th | 4.1 | +0.4 | -2.1 | 15th | 98.8 | 95.8 | average | 103% |
| Wangaratta Aero | 17.4 | 0.0 | 25.1 | 12th | 4.2 | -0.5 | -0.8 | 15th | 53.6 | 56.6 | average | 95% |
| Upper Northeast (district 83) | ||||||||||||
| Dinner Plain | 11.5 | 19.1 | 16th | 0.6 | -5.0 | 14th | 103.2 | 84.8 | high | 122% | ||
| Edi Upper | 16.1 | -0.1 | 24.2 | 12th | 5.6 | +0.1 | 1.5 | 2nd | 117.4 | 106.3 | average | 110% |
| Falls Creek | 5.1 | +0.4 | 11.9 | 16th | -0.9 | 0.0 | -5.8 | 27th | 140.2 | 125.2 | average | 112% |
| Mount Buller | 5.2 | +0.3 | 13.0 | 16th | -1.0 | -0.3 | -5.0 | 27th | 237.6 | 148.0 | high | 161% |
| Mount Hotham | 3.5 | +0.1 | 10.7 | 16th | -1.8 | -0.3 | -6.2 | 27th | 177.6 | 129.0 | high | 138% |
| Omeo | 15.8 | 22.3 | 16th | 3.6 | -2.9 | 2nd | 80.6 | |||||
| Omeo Comparison | 15.6 | +0.5 | 22.0 | 16th | -2.8 | 6th | 83.8 | 61.5 | high | 136% | ||
| East Gippsland (district 84) | ||||||||||||
| Combienbar AWS | 17.1 | +1.4 | 25.6 | 12th | 6.8 | +0.5 | 2.3 | 27th | 79.0 | 70.5 | average | 112% |
| Gabo Island Lighthouse | 17.7 | +1.8 | 30.6 | 12th | 10.5 | +0.8 | 7.2 | 16th | 69.2 | 72.8 | average | 95% |
| Gelantipy | 14.9 | +1.1 | 22.8 | 17th | 4.6 | +0.2 | -1.0 | 5th | 87.8 | 57.8 | high | 152% |
| Lakes Entrance | 18.7 | 29.6 | 12th | 8.0 | 1.2 | 28th | 66.4 | |||||
| Mallacoota | 18.4 | +1.0 | 31.0 | 12th | 9.0 | +1.0 | 5.3 | 30th | 127.0 | 83.3 | high | 152% |
| Mount Nowa Nowa | 17.9 | +1.0 | 27.6 | 12th | 8.0 | +0.1 | 4.9 | 27th | 73.6 | 58.9 | high | 125% |
| Orbost | 19.4 | 28.9 | 12th | 7.7 | 3.7 | 6th | 105.2 | |||||
| Orbost | 19.9 | +2.1 | 29.9 | 12th | 6.6 | +0.3 | 1.4 | 5th | 93.2 | 71.4 | high | 131% |
| Point Hicks | 18.2 | +1.7 | 29.9 | 12th | 10.1 | +0.6 | 5.2 | 27th | 102.0 | 76.7 | high | 133% |
| West Gippsland (district 85) | ||||||||||||
| Bairnsdale Airport | 19.7 | +2.2 | 29.7 | 12th | 6.6 | +0.8 | 0.6 | 5th | 51.2 | 54.7 | average | 94% |
| East Sale Airport | 18.8 | +1.8 | 28.3 | 12th | 5.7 | +0.1 | -0.4 | 2nd | 64.0 | 52.2 | high | 123% |
| Morwell | 17.7 | +0.8 | 28.6 | 12th | 6.2 | +0.4 | -0.8 | 5th | 87.8 | 78.4 | average | 112% |
| Mount Baw Baw | 6.0 | +0.3 | 14.1 | 16th | -0.3 | -0.2 | -3.8 | 27th | 376.4 | |||
| Mount Moornapa | 17.0 | +0.9 | 28.9 | 12th | 7.2 | +0.4 | 3.9 | 5th | 85.2 | 54.2 | high | 157% |
| Noojee | 15.8 | +0.4 | 25.0 | 12th | 5.4 | +0.3 | 0.1 | 5th | 203.2 | 125.9 | high | 161% |
| Pound Creek | 16.9 | 27.1 | 12th | 7.9 | 0.2 | 15th | 85.4 | |||||
| Wilsons Promontory Lighthouse | 15.8 | +1.6 | 28.0 | 12th | 10.2 | +1.2 | 6.4 | 27th | 142.0 | 98.8 | high | 144% |
| Yarram Airport | 17.9 | 28.0 | 12th | 6.9 | 0.6 | 11th | 69.4 | |||||
| East Central (district 86) | ||||||||||||
| Bundoora | 17.8 | +1.0 | 29.2 | 12th | 8.0 | +0.8 | 3.9 | 14th | 90.4 | 59.3 | high | 152% |
| Cerberus | 17.1 | +0.9 | 27.6 | 12th | 8.1 | +0.7 | 1.3 | 15th | 90.6 | 66.7 | high | 136% |
| Coldstream | 16.9 | -0.3 | 26.2 | 12th | 6.0 | +0.6 | -0.6 | 15th | 135.2 | 69.3 | very high | 195% |
| Coldstream Comparison | 17.1 | 26.4 | 12th | 5.9 | -0.6 | 15th | 135.2 | |||||
| Cranbourne Botanic Gardens | 17.3 | +0.9 | 27.5 | 12th | 8.4 | +0.7 | 4.0 | 15th | 106.0 | 86.9 | average | 122% |
| Essendon Airport | 18.1 | +1.5 | 30.3 | 12th | 8.2 | +1.7 | 2.0 | 15th | 56.4 | 50.9 | average | 111% |
| Ferny Creek | 12.9 | +0.3 | 23.4 | 12th | 6.2 | +0.2 | 2.8 | 27th | 190.0 | 91.5 | very high | 208% |
| Frankston AWS | 16.3 | +0.9 | 26.7 | 12th | 10.4 | +1.2 | 6.9 | 15th | ||||
| Melbourne Airport | 17.9 | +1.4 | 30.2 | 12th | 7.8 | +0.8 | 3.1 | 15th | 54.0 | 46.2 | average | 117% |
| Melbourne Regional Office | 18.6 | +1.4 | 29.9 | 12th | 9.9 | +2.0 | 5.5 | 15th | 67.4 | 58.0 | high | 116% |
| Moorabbin Airport | 17.7 | +0.9 | 29.3 | 12th | 8.9 | +1.0 | 3.0 | 16th | 73.6 | 65.7 | average | 112% |
| Rhyll | 16.4 | +0.5 | 23.8 | 12th | 10.0 | +0.7 | 7.1 | 27th | 76.0 | 66.8 | average | 114% |
| Scoresby Research Institute | 17.3 | +0.9 | 27.8 | 12th | 8.2 | +0.7 | 2.7 | 15th | 117.8 | 85.1 | high | 138% |
| Viewbank | 17.9 | 29.0 | 12th | 8.1 | 2.2 | 15th | 108.0 | 53.8 | very high | 201% | ||
| Wallan | 12.9 | -0.2 | 24.3 | 12th | 5.6 | 0.0 | 1.3 | 5th | 91.8 | 54.5 | high | 168% |
| Wonthaggi | 17.3 | +1.3 | 27.2 | 12th | 8.5 | +0.9 | 3.5 | 15th | 92.5 | 89.4 | average | 103% |
| West Central (district 87) | ||||||||||||
| Avalon Airport | 18.6 | +0.9 | 30.8 | 12th | 7.2 | +0.6 | 1.2 | 15th | 70.6 | 45.8 | high | 154% |
| Grovedale | 17.2 | +0.6 | 29.1 | 12th | 6.8 | +0.3 | 1.5 | 15th | 54.0 | 49.5 | average | 109% |
| Laverton RAAF | 18.7 | +1.7 | 31.2 | 12th | 8.1 | +1.5 | 3.0 | 15th | 58.8 | 49.7 | average | 118% |
| Sheoaks | 16.1 | +0.8 | 28.1 | 12th | 6.7 | +0.6 | 1.2 | 15th | 64.4 | 49.0 | high | 131% |
| North Central (district 88) | ||||||||||||
| Castlemaine Prison | 15.8 | +0.1 | 28.4 | 12th | 5.7 | +0.8 | -0.4 | 14th | 85.6 | 60.6 | high | 141% |
| Eildon Fire Tower | 13.0 | -0.5 | 22.2 | 12th | 5.6 | -0.2 | 1.6 | 27th | 91.0 | 62.1 | high | 147% |
| Lake Eildon | 16.9 | +0.5 | 26.1 | 12th | 6.0 | +0.5 | 0.2 | 29th | 112.0 | 81.8 | high | 137% |
| Mangalore Airport | 17.3 | +0.5 | 29.3 | 12th | 4.9 | -0.4 | -0.9 | 29th | 38.8 | 55.7 | average | 70% |
| Maryborough | 16.9 | +0.2 | 29.9 | 12th | 5.8 | +0.4 | 0.6 | 15th | 74.8 | 51.6 | high | 145% |
| Redesdale | 15.9 | -0.2 | 28.5 | 12th | 4.1 | -0.1 | -0.7 | 5th | 80.0 | 53.5 | high | 150% |
| Western Plains (district 89) | ||||||||||||
| Ararat Prison | 15.9 | +0.9 | 27.9 | 12th | 5.8 | +0.8 | -0.8 | 14th | 84.8 | 62.5 | high | 136% |
| Ballarat Aerodrome | 14.3 | +0.5 | 26.2 | 12th | 4.8 | 0.0 | -0.5 | 15th | 89.4 | 71.7 | high | 125% |
| Westmere | 15.7 | 25.7 | 12th | 5.3 | 0.0 | 15th | 78.2 | |||||
| West Coast (district 90) | ||||||||||||
| Aireys Inlet | 16.9 | +0.9 | 27.0 | 12th | 8.3 | +0.3 | 5.7 | 5th | 79.2 | 59.6 | high | 133% |
| Cape Nelson Lighthouse | 16.2 | +0.4 | 26.9 | 12th | 9.4 | 0.0 | 6.7 | 29th | 97.0 | 78.1 | high | 124% |
| Cape Otway Lighthouse | 15.3 | +0.1 | 26.2 | 12th | 9.1 | +0.6 | 5.7 | 27th | 107.2 | 90.3 | high | 119% |
| Casterton | 16.1 | 26.5 | 12th | 6.5 | 1.5 | 15th | 74.4 | |||||
| Casterton Showgrounds | 17.0 | +0.6 | 27.0 | 12th | 6.7 | +0.3 | -0.2 | 15th | 87.6 | 73.8 | average | 119% |
| Colac | 14.6 | 24.2 | 12th | 6.8 | 3.5 | 14th | 73.4 | 50.7 | high | 145% | ||
| Dartmoor | 16.4 | 26.5 | 12th | 7.1 | 1.0 | 15th | 99.0 | |||||
| Hamilton Airport | 15.6 | +0.4 | 25.5 | 12th | 6.2 | +0.5 | 1.4 | 14th | 73.8 | 70.7 | average | 104% |
| Mortlake Racecourse | 15.8 | +0.2 | 25.4 | 12th | 6.3 | +0.8 | 1.5 | 15th | 68.8 | 57.7 | high | 119% |
| Port Fairy AWS | 16.9 | +0.3 | 26.0 | 12th | 8.1 | -0.1 | 4.4 | 15th | 91.4 | 69.7 | very high | 131% |
| Portland | 15.4 | +0.2 | 25.8 | 12th | 7.7 | +0.2 | 3.4 | 15th | 101.8 | 87.1 | average | 117% |
| Warrnambool Airport NDB | 16.0 | 0.0 | 25.0 | 12th | 7.0 | +0.5 | 2.9 | 15th | 83.6 | 69.8 | high | 120% |
| Weeaproinah | 12.1 | +0.5 | 22.1 | 12th | 5.8 | +0.3 | 2.6 | 26th | 199.8 | 199.9 | average | 100% |
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Notes
This statement has been prepared based on information available at 3pm on Friday 2 October 2009. Some checks have been made on the data, but it is possible that results will change as new information becomes available.
Averages are long-term means based on observations from
all available years of record, which vary widely from site to site.
They are not shown for sites with less than 10 years of record, as they cannot then be calculated reliably.
The median
is sometimes more representative than the
mean
of long-term average rain.
The Rank indicates how rainfall this time compares with the climate record for the site,
based on the
decile ranking
(very low rainfall is in decile 1, low in decile 2 or 3,
average in decile 4 to 7, high in decile 8 or 9
and very high is in decile 10).
The Fraction of average shows how much rain has fallen this time as a
percentage of the long-term mean.
Further information
Dr Harvey SternClimate Meteorologist
Victoria Climate Services Centre
Bureau of Meteorology
Phone (03) 9669 4956
Email climate.vic@bom.gov.au