Monday, 1 June 2020 - Monthly Climate Summary for Victoria - Product code IDCKGC16R0

Victoria in May 2020: dry in the north; cool days and nights

May was drier than average in large areas in the north of Victoria, and wetter than average in parts of the south; elsewhere rainfall in May was generally close to average. Both daytime and night-time temperatures were cooler than average in large parts of the State.

Dry in parts of the north

• May was drier than average in the northwest and northeast of the State and several scattered pockets, and wetter than average in parts of the south
• Statewide, rainfall was 21% below the long-term May average of 65 mm
• Widespread showers have been experienced over much of Victoria on the 1st and 2nd, with the highest falls about the ranges east of Melbourne
• The highest daily rainfall total was 64.6 mm at Moe South on the 2nd
• A pair of cold fronts crossed Victoria on the 7th and 9th, and another one on the 20th bringing strong winds, thunderstorms and rainfall. Daily totals were generally between 10 and 20 mm, with locally higher falls
• A low pressure system over the Tasman Sea brought welcome rain to the far east Victoria on the 23rd and 24th
• The last week of the month was generally dry, due to the dominating influence of high pressure systems
• With 160.0 mm recorded during the month, the wettest place in Victoria was Balook, in Victoria's southeast
• Colac Airport had its highest May daily rainfall on record

Cool days and nights

• May started with cool daytime and night-time temperatures in the wake of a vigorous cold front which brought winter-like conditions to Victoria
• The lowest daytime temperature in Victoria this month was −2.4 °C at Mount Hotham on the 1st
• A cold start was followed by a mix of cool and mild weather, with daytime and night-time temperatures below average in large parts of the State
• Mount Buller had its lowest May mean daily maximum temperature on record, while some sites had their lowest May mean daily maximum temperature for at least two decades
• Chilly mornings often followed the passage of the cold fronts due to lingering cold air mass and clear skies; the coldest night-time temperature in Victoria this month was -5.9 °C at Mount Hotham on the 10th
• Cape Nelson Lighthouse had its lowest May mean daily minimum temperature on record, and Melbourne Airport, Rhyll and Morwell had their lowest May mean daily minimum temperature since at least 1994
• The Victorian mean maximum and minimum temperatures were 0.75 °C and 0.82 °C below average respectively

Snow, strong winds and tornado

• On the 1st and 2nd, a deep low pressure system centred near Tasmania and a high pressure system to the west, created a strong pressure gradients at the surface and strong winds, with gusts exceeding 80 km/h over southern parts of Victoria; the strongest wind gust in the State in May was 137 km/h recorded at Wilsons Promontory Lighthouse on the 2nd
• Significant snowfalls were reported in the Alpine area during the first several days of the month
• A strong cold front brought a band of thunderstorms, accompanied by lightning and winds in excess of 100 km/h to southcentral Victoria in early hours on the 20th; the hardest hit areas were west of Geelong where more than 100 houses were severely damaged, as thunderstorms produced a tornado with winds estimated to be in excess of 150 km/h; State Emergency Services received around 130 calls for help from Geelong area, and 220 across the State

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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* 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 lower value has gone unreported

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top