Monday, 3 September 2018 - Monthly Climate Summary for Victoria - Product code IDCKGC16R0

Victoria in August 2018: dry in north and east, cool nights

Rainfall in August was below average in parts of northern, central, and eastern Victoria, but it was wetter than average in the southwest. Night time temperatures were cooler than average through central and northern Victoria, while daytime temperatures were generally close to average.

Below average rainfall in most districts

• For Victoria as a whole, August rainfall was 21% below average, continuing a run of eight consecutive months of drier than average conditions for the State
• Rainfall in August was below average in northern, central, and eastern areas of the State
• Rainfall was above average in western parts of the Wimmera, coastal parts of the Western District and West Gippsland, and in the Lower Northeast
• In the State's east, Combienbar had its lowest total August rainfall on record and Ensay had its lowest total August rainfall since 1997

Cool nights

• Night time temperatures were cooler than average through central and northern Victoria
• Towards the end of the month, clear skies and cold, dry air resulted in a week of cooler than average night time temperatures
• On both the 28th and 29th, minimum temperatures were more than 5 °C cooler than average across large areas of the State
• For Victoria as a whole, the 28th was the coldest night on record so late in the season, and the 29th was even colder, with a statewide mean minimum temperature of −1.09 °C
• On the 28th, Rutherglen Research recorded −5.7 °C, the coldest morning so late in the season in site's 102 year history
• The coldest temperature recorded in the State in August was −9.8°C at Mount Hotham on the 29th, on the same morning that several other sites had their lowest August temperature on record
• The mean minimum temperature for Victoria as a whole was 0.20 °C cooler than average
• For daytime temperatures, August continued a run of 12 consecutive months of above average maximum temperatures for the State
• The mean maximum temperature for Victoria as a whole was 0.39 °C warmer than average
• Warm and windy conditions on the 11th resulted in very high bushfire weather conditions in East Gippsland and a fire that started near Marlo burnt out of control towards Cape Conran, exceeding 800 hectares in size; a shed and fencing were destroyed in the fire
• On the 19th, Combienbar had its coldest August day on record
• Eildon Fire Tower had its lowest August mean daily minimum temperature on record and a few sites had their lowest August mean daily minimum temperature for at least 20 years

Snow

• Cold outbreaks following the passage of cold fronts brought regular snowfalls to Alpine areas
• Snow depths at the higher elevations were well above average, with Falls Creek, Mount Hotham, and Mount Buller all recording their highest natural snow depths in August since 2004
• There was snow to low levels in the Dandenong Ranges on the 19th, covering the ground in a thin layer of snow and graupel

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

Click on a map to show it full size in a pop-up window

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

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top