Monday, 2 April 2012 - Monthly Climate Summary for Melbourne Metropolitan Area and Environs - Product code IDCKGC2xx0

Melbourne Metropolitan Area and Environs in March 2012: Rainfall slightly more than that usually received.

Extremes Records Summaries Important notes the top

Over the area as a whole, overnight minimum temperatures were near to those usually experienced (average departure from normal 0.3°C). Daytime maximum temperatures at most localities were cooler than those registered in the past (average departure from normal -1.1°C). Total rainfall for the month thus far was generally more than that usually recorded (average percentage of normal received 140%). Specifically in the Melbourne CBD, overnight minimum temperatures were warmer than those usually experienced and averaged 14.5°C (departure from normal 1.3°C). That the overnight temperatures in Melbourne are higher than those in most surrounding localities is a consequence of the city being under the influence of the effect of urbanisation (cities are usually warmer than their rural surroundings, especially at night, because of heat stored in bricks and concrete and trapped between close-packed buildings). Daytime maximum temperatures were near to those usually experienced and averaged 23.7°C (departure from normal -0.2°C). Total rainfall for the month thus far was 57.4 mm, this being slightly more than that usually recorded (normal 50.3 mm, percentage of normal received 114%). Some localities in the area had their highest total March rainfall for at least 10 years.

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Extremes in March 2012
Hottest day 33.0 °C at Avalon Airport on the 14th
Warmest days on average 23.7 °C at Melbourne Regional Office
Coolest days on average 21.8 °C at Cerberus
Coldest day 15.7 °C at Cerberus on the 23rd
Coldest night 3.4 °C at Coldstream on the 26th
Coolest nights on average 10.9 °C at Coldstream
Warmest nights on average 14.5 °C at Melbourne Regional Office
Warmest night 21.2 °C at Melbourne Regional Office on the 15th
Warmest on average overall 19.1 °C at Melbourne Regional Office
Coolest on average overall 17.0 °C at Coldstream
17.0 °C at Cranbourne Botanic Gardens
Wettest overall 77.8 mm at Cerberus
Highest wind gust 83 km/h at Avalon Airport on the 23rd

Extremes Records Summaries Important notes the top

Highest total March rainfall for at least 10 years
Total rainfall
for March 2012 (mm) 		Most recent March
at least this wet		 Years since
wetter		 Average for
March
Cerberus 77.8 86.8 in 1989* 18 46.8

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



Extremes Records Summaries Important notes the top

Summary statistics for March 2012
Maximum temperatures
for March
(°C)		 Minimum temperatures
for March
(°C)		 Rainfall
for March
(millimetres)
Mean for
March
2012		 Diff
from
average		 Highest for
March
2012		 Mean for
March
2012		 Diff
from
average		 Lowest for
March
2012		 Total for
March
2012		 Average
for
March		 Rank of
March
2012		 Fraction of
March
average
Avalon Airport 23.1 -0.9 33.0 14th 12.6 +0.3 7.7 22nd 24.2 28.3 average 86%
Bundoora (Latrobe University) 23.0 -1.2 31.5 14th 12.9 +0.4 5.7 26th 57.4 45.2 high 127%
Cerberus 21.8 -1.0 32.0 14th 12.6 +0.2 6.0 26th 77.8 46.8 high 166%
Coldstream 23.2 -1.8 31.3 14th 10.9 +1.4 3.4 26th 60.2 49.5 average 122%
Cranbourne Botanic Gardens 22.1 -1.2 31.4 14th 11.9 -0.4 7.9 26th 65.1 42.4 high 154%
Essendon Airport 22.7 -1.2 31.4 14th 12.8 +0.4 7.5 26th 58.0 40.0 high 145%
Laverton RAAF 22.8 -0.8 31.5 14th 13.1 +0.6 7.7 22nd 40.8 35.4 high 115%
Melbourne Airport 22.6 -1.4 30.8 14th 12.6 0.0 7.6 26th 64.0 37.7 high 170%
Melbourne Regional Office 23.7 -0.2 31.6 14th 14.5 +1.3 9.4 26th 57.4 50.3 high 114%
Moorabbin Airport 22.6 -1.1 31.5 14th 13.1 +0.3 7.0 26th 53.4 44.7 average 119%
Scoresby Research Institute 22.5 -1.5 30.8 14th 12.6 +0.2 5.5 26th 70.8 54.4 high 130%
Viewbank 23.3 -1.8 32.1 14th 12.6 0.0 5.2 26th 67.4 45.6 average 148%

Extremes Records Summaries Important notes the top

Notes

A Monthly Climate Summary is prepared to list the main features of the weather in Melbourne Metropolitan Area and Environs using the most timely and accurate information available on the date of publication; it will generally not be updated. Later information, including data that has had greater opportunity for quality control, will be presented in the Monthly Weather Review, usually published in the fourth week of the month.

This statement has been prepared based on information available at 9 am on Monday 2 April 2012. 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

Media
(03) 9669 4057
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