Sunday, 3 May 2021 - Monthly Climate Summary for Victoria - Product code IDCKGC16R0

Victoria in April 2021: drier than average

April was drier than average for most of the state, with large parts of northern Victoria very much drier than average. Night-time temperatures were below average across most of northern Victoria and above average along parts of the coast. Daytime temperatures generally tended to be close to average.

Drier than average

• April was drier than average for most of the state, with large parts of northern Victoria very much drier than average.
• Most of the state's north had less than 20% of the monthly average rainfall for April.
• Mildura Airport did not record any rainfall this month.
• Averaged across the state, total monthly rainfall was 64% below the long-term mean of 51 mm.
• Cold fronts brought moderate to locally heavy falls to southern parts of the state on the 11th and to central and eastern Victoria on the 21st.
• The highest daily rainfall total in Victoria was 59.0 mm, recorded at Ferny Creek on the 11th.
• The state's wettest place this April was also Ferny Creek with 140.2 mm for the month.
• Victoria's rainfall since the start of this year (January–April) was 2% above average, mostly due to much wetter than average January.

Coolest nights since 2008

• Night-time temperatures were below average across most of Victoria's north, and above average along parts of the coast.
• The Victorian minimum temperature was 0.65 °C below the April average, the lowest since 2008.
• Daytime temperatures were close to average across Victoria away from the north-west, due to the multiple bursts of cold southerly air and increased cloud cover, which followed the passage of cold fronts.
• Averaged across the state, the mean maximum temperature was 0.41 °C above the April average.
• The month started with several unseasonably warm days, and daily maximum temperatures exceeded 30 °C in much of Victoria.
• The highest maximum temperature recorded in Victoria was 35.9 °C at Walpeup Research on the 4th.
• Falls Creek and Mount Hotham had their highest April temperature on record on the 2nd.
• A polar air mass followed in a wake of a strong cold front that crossed Victoria on the 10th, bringing damaging winds, powerful surf along the coast, and daytime temperatures more than 8 degrees below the April average at many sites.
• Another strong cold front crossed Victoria on the 20th bringing more cold air, gusty south-westerly winds and showers for much of the state.
• The lowest night-time temperature recorded in Victoria in April was −4.9 °C at Mount Hotham on the 21st.
• Aireys Inlet had its coldest April day on record on the 20th, while Walpeup Research and Colac (Mount Gellibrand) had their lowest April temperature on record on the 21st.
• Victoria's year-to-date mean temperature was around 0.2 °C below average, the coolest January–April period since 2004.

Strong winds and snow

• A strong cold front on the 10th brought a sharp decrease in temperatures to the state, and snow to the elevated parts of Victoria; Mount Baw Baw, Lake Mountain and Mount Buller recorded between 20 and 40 cm of snow. Lighter snowfalls were recorded at Falls Creek and Mt Hotham, with some graupel and light snow flurries observed to lower elevations at Marysville and the Dandenong Ranges.
• Damaging winds this April were associated with the passage of a cold front on the 10th, and the strongest wind gusts of 124 km were reported at Wilsons Promontory Lighthouse on the 10th and 11th.
• More snow fell on the Victorian Alps in the wake of a vigorous cold front that crossed Victoria on the 20th bringing low temperatures, rain and snow.

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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Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top