Tuesday, 1 September 2020 - Monthly Climate Summary for Victoria - Product code IDCKGC16R0

Victoria in August 2020: cold nights in the west, wet in East Gippsland

Rainfall in August was above average in East Gippsland and in areas scattered across the north-west and south of the state. It was drier than average month in parts of the Victoria's south-west and north-east, but elsewhere rainfall totals were close to average. Night-time temperatures were cooler than average in a large part of western Victoria, but warmer than average in Gippsland, while daytime temperatures were generally close to average across the state.

Wet in East Gippsland, dry in the south-west

• Rainfall in August was above average in East Gippsland and in areas scattered across the north-west and south of the state; in contrast, it was drier than average in parts of Victoria's south-west and north-east.
• Averaged across the state, August rainfall was 10% below the long-term mean.
• On the 3rd, a cold front followed by a low pressure trough, brought strong winds, showers, and low-level snow to southern and north-eastern Victoria.
• A low pressure system located over southern NSW resulted in more rainfall across Victoria; many sites, particularly in northern Victoria, recorded to 9am on the 8th daily totals between 15 and 30 mm.
• A low pressure system that developed off the southern NSW coast, delivered heavy rainfall to East Gippsland, with daily totals to 9am on both the 16th and 17th generally between 20 and 40 mm.
• This was followed by a series of cold fronts between the 18th and 22nd, which brought widespread rainfall to the state; the highest daily totals, recorded in the south-central Victoria to 9am on the 23rd, locally exceeded 30 mm.
• The highest daily rainfall total in Victoria this August, 51.6 mm, was recorded at Wilsons Promontory Lighthouse on the 22nd, the state's highest daily total in August since 2013.
• Manangatang and Viewbank had their highest August daily rainfall on record.
• Ocean Grove had its highest total August rainfall on record, while some sites had their highest total August rainfall since at least 1981.

Cold nights in the west

• Night-time temperatures were cooler than average in large part of western Victoria, but warmer than average in Gippsland; daytime temperatures were close to average across the state.
• Victoria's mean daytime temperatures was close to the long-term average (0.02 °C), while the mean night-time temperature was 0.15 °C below average.
• A cold front crossed Victoria on the 3rd, directing Antarctic air over the state and bringing cold temperatures and snow to low levels.
• Some sites had their lowest August temperature on record during this event.
• A series of cold fronts crossed Victoria between the 18th and 22nd, generating strong and gusty winds, and leaving polar air in their wake; Lake Eildon had its lowest August daily maximum temperature on record on the 22nd.
• Despite the generally cool weather, there were some mild days and nights, and several unseasonally warm days close to the end of the month.
• The highest daytime temperature recorded in Victoria this month was 25.5 °C at Mallacoota on the 30th, in a north-westerly air-stream preceding the approaching cold front.

Winds and snow

• Widespread heavy snow fell on the 4th in the Alpine areas and to the lower levels, including at Mount Macedon, the Otway Ranges and Dandenong Ranges.
• A tornado was observed near Woodend, north-west of Melbourne on the 13th; it uprooted trees and lifted hay bales into the air.
• A cold front brought cold, wet and windy conditions to the state on the 21st and 22nd, with some alpine areas receiving more than 50 cm of snow; snow was also reported in the Grampians, Dandenong Ranges, Ballarat and Mount Macedon.
• Strong winds were recorded on number of days during the month; on the 27th, a cold front and associated trough rapidly crossed the state, resulting in squally westerly winds across southern and mountain districts; Wilsons Promontory Lighthouse reported 157 km/h, the strongest wind gust in Victoria this August; the State Emergency Services received more than 1000 calls for help, mostly for downed trees and powerlines.

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 higher value has gone unreported

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top