Monday, 1 April 2024 - Monthly Climate Summary for Victoria - Product code IDCKGC16R0
Victoria in March 2024
Rainfall
- Area-averaged rainfall for March was 9.2 mm, which was 78% below the 1961–1990 average, it was the seventh driest March on record and the driest since 1986.
- March rainfall totals were below to very much below average across much of the state and the lowest on record for parts of the South West, Central, North Central and West & South Gippsland districts.
- Below average rainfall for the state was attributed to a greater frequency of high pressure systems dominating weather conditions across the state throughout the month resulting in dry and settled conditions.
Temperature
- Area-averaged, the mean temperature in March was 1.74 °C above the 1961–1990 average, it was the eighth-warmest March on record and the warmest since 2017.
- Area-averaged, the mean maximum temperature in March was 2.68 °C above the 1961–1990 average, it was the fourth-warmest March on record and the warmest since 2017.
- Mean maximum temperatures were very much above average across Victoria, with anomalies 2.0 °C above the 1961–1990 average across the state.
- From the 9th to 11th, Victoria experienced a three day low-to-severe intensity heatwave, due to a slow moving high pressure system in the Tasman Sea directing hot northerly winds into Victoria. Many sites across Victoria had prolonged daytime temperatures 10 °C above average over a three day period.
- Castlemain Prison and Kanagulk had their highest March temperature on record, Hunters Hill had its highest March mean daily maximum temperature on record and Rutherglen Research and Mount Hotham had their highest March mean daily maximum temperature for at least 20 years.
- Area-averaged, the mean minimum temperature in March was 0.80 °C above the 1961–1990 average.
- Gabo Island Lighthouse had the warmest average March night-time temperature for the state at 16.3 °C, which was 0.8 °C above the long-term March average and Mount Baw Baw had the coldest nights on average at 7.8 °C, which was 1.5 °C above the long-term March average.
- Several sites had their warmest March night (highest daily minimum temperature) on record on the 10th.
Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top
| Extremes in March 2024 | |
|---|---|
| Hottest day | 41.6 °C at Walpeup Research on the 9th |
| Warmest days on average | 31.8 °C at Mildura Airport |
| Coolest days on average | 15.9 °C at Mount Hotham |
| Coldest day | 6.5 °C at Mount Baw Baw on the 20th |
| Coldest night | -3.1 °C at Mount Hotham on the 21st |
| Coolest nights on average | 7.8 °C at Mount Baw Baw |
| Warmest nights on average | 16.3 °C at Gabo Island Lighthouse |
| Warmest night | 26.2 °C at Melbourne Airport on the 10th |
| Warmest on average overall | 23.6 °C at Mildura Airport |
| Coolest on average overall | 11.8 °C at Mount Baw Baw |
| Wettest overall | 55.4 mm at Reeves Knob |
| Wettest day | 38.0 mm at Mount Hotham on the 20th |
| Strongest wind gust | 120 km/h at Wilsons Promontory Lighthouse on the 20th |
Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top
| Maps | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Observed | Anomaly | Decile rank | |
| Total rainfall |
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| Mean daily maximum temperatures |
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| Mean daily minimum temperatures |
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Click on a map to show it full size in a pop-up window
| Record highest March temperature | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
New record (°C) |
Old record |
Years of record |
Average for March |
|||
| Castlemaine Prison | 38.5 | on the 9th | 38.0 | on the 7th in 1991 | 54 | 24.7 |
| Kanagulk | 40.6 | on the 9th | 40.4 | on the 8th in 2016 | 20 | 25.9 |
| Record highest March mean daily maximum temperature | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
New record (°C) |
Old record |
Years of record |
Average for March |
||
| Hunters Hill | 25.5 | 24.7 | in 2016 | 30 | 21.7 |
| Highest March mean daily maximum temperature for at least 20 years | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Observed (°C) |
Most recent higher |
Average for March |
|||
| Rutherglen Research | 31.1 | 32.6 | in 1940* | 27.4 | |
| Mount Hotham | 15.9 | 17.0 | in 2000 | 13.1 | |
* note: there are gaps in the historical record at this site, so it is possible a higher value has gone unreported
| Record highest March daily minimum temperature | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
New record (°C) |
Old record |
Years of record |
Average for March |
|||
| Essendon Airport | 26.1 | on the 10th | 25.3 | on the 13th in 2013 | 55 | 12.7 |
| Melbourne Airport | 26.2 | on the 10th | 25.4 | on the 1st in 2019 | 54 | 12.8 |
| Hopetoun Airport | 24.2 | on the 10th | 23.7 | on the 7th in 2013 | 20 | 12.5 |
| Record lowest March temperature | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
New record (°C) |
Old record |
Years of record |
Average for March |
|||
| Omeo | -0.7 | on the 21st | 0.3 | on the 15th in 2021 | 20 | 9.0 |
| Record highest March mean temperature | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
New record (°C) |
Old record |
Years of record |
Average for March |
||
| Hunters Hill | 19.5 | = 19.5 | in 2016 | 30 | 16.6 |
Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top
| Summary statistics for March 2024 | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum temperatures (°C) |
Minimum temperatures (°C) |
Rainfall (millimetres) |
||||||||||
| Mean for March 2024 |
Diff from average |
Highest for March 2024 |
Mean for March 2024 |
Diff from average |
Lowest for March 2024 |
Total for March 2024 |
Average for March |
Rank of March 2024 |
Fraction of March average |
|||
| North Mallee (district 76) | ||||||||||||
| Mildura Airport | 31.8 | +3.3 | 40.0 | 9th | 15.5 | +1.6 | 6.7 | 21st | 6.6 | 18.9 | average | 35% |
| Ouyen (Post Office) | 30.7 | +2.2 | 40.6 | 9th | 14.4 | +1.3 | 8.2 | 21st | 5.2 | 19.2 | average | 27% |
| Walpeup Research | 31.3 | +3.2 | 41.6 | 9th | 14.3 | +1.1 | 6.8 | 21st | 14.8 | 20.5 | average | 72% |
| South Mallee (district 77) | ||||||||||||
| Hopetoun Airport | 30.5 | +1.8 | 41.0 | 9th | 13.1 | +0.6 | 5.6 | 24th | 8.8 | 14.7 | average | 60% |
| Swan Hill Aerodrome | 31.2 | +2.6 | 39.7 | 9th | 13.8 | +0.8 | 6.2 | 21st | 0.2 | 16.0 | low | 1% |
| North Wimmera (district 78) | ||||||||||||
| Kellalac (Warracknabeal Airport) | 29.6 | 40.7 | 9th | 12.2 | 4.8 | 21st | 2.8 | |||||
| Nhill Aerodrome | 29.0 | +1.8 | 40.3 | 9th | 12.0 | +0.4 | 4.4 | 21st | 16.4 | 15.2 | average | 108% |
| South Wimmera (district 79) | ||||||||||||
| Edenhope Airport | 27.6 | +1.9 | 40.4 | 9th | 11.8 | +0.3 | 4.0 | 21st | 0 | 24.2 | lowest | 0% |
| Grampians (Mount William) | 19.9 | +2.6 | 31.4 | 9th | 9.6 | +1.2 | 2.5 | 20th | 7.0 | 54.3 | v low | 13% |
| Horsham Aerodrome | 28.8 | +1.9 | 40.2 | 9th | 10.9 | +0.6 | 3.5 | 21st | 16.0 | 14.4 | average | 111% |
| Kanagulk | 27.9 | +2.0 | 40.6 | 9th | 10.8 | -0.2 | 3.1 | 21st | 0 | 22.7 | lowest | 0% |
| Longerenong | 28.6 | +2.3 | 40.1 | 9th | 11.7 | +0.8 | 2.8 | 21st | 0 | 22.2 | lowest | 0% |
| Pyrenees (Ben Nevis) | 24.1 | +3.8 | 35.3 | 9th | 11.8 | +1.6 | 4.9 | 20th | 2.2 | 40.0 | v low | 6% |
| Stawell Aerodrome | 27.5 | +2.2 | 38.7 | 9th | 11.9 | +0.3 | 3.6 | 21st | 2.6 | 19.5 | v low | 13% |
| Lower North (district 80) | ||||||||||||
| Charlton | 30.4 | +2.4 | 39.9 | 9th | 12.8 | 0.0 | 5.2 | 21st | 0.6 | 22.8 | v low | 3% |
| Echuca Aerodrome | 30.3 | +3.0 | 38.5 | 9th | 13.2 | +0.3 | 5.9 | 21st | 2.8 | 30.6 | low | 9% |
| Kerang | 30.4 | +2.6 | 38.8 | 12th | 13.9 | +1.0 | 7.9 | 21st | 0.8 | 26.8 | v low | 3% |
| Kyabram | 29.8 | +3.1 | 38.4 | 9th | 13.4 | +0.8 | 5.9 | 21st | 9.8 | 30.1 | low | 33% |
| Upper North (district 81) | ||||||||||||
| Bendigo Airport | 29.1 | +3.0 | 38.3 | 9th | 12.1 | +0.2 | 3.1 | 21st | 0 | 31.3 | lowest | 0% |
| Shepparton Airport | 29.9 | +2.4 | 37.4 | 9th | 13.2 | +0.6 | 5.7 | 21st | 19.8 | 33.1 | average | 60% |
| Tatura Inst Sustainable Ag | 28.8 | +2.5 | 36.9 | 9th | 13.0 | +1.0 | 6.7 | 29th | 10.4 | 34.3 | low | 30% |
| Yarrawonga | 31.1 | +3.1 | 38.2 | 12th | 13.6 | +0.7 | 5.7 | 21st | 12.0 | 35.4 | low | 34% |
| Lower Northeast (district 82) | ||||||||||||
| Benalla Airport | 29.8 | +2.3 | 36.6 | 9th | 12.4 | -0.2 | 5.9 | 25th | 10.6 | 53.2 | v low | 20% |
| Corryong Airport | 30.3 | +2.8 | 35.2 | 7th | 9.6 | -1.3 | 3.4 | 21st | 24.4 | 72.4 | v low | 34% |
| Hunters Hill | 25.5 | +3.8 | 31.3 | 7th | 13.6 | +2.0 | 4.4 | 21st | 26.2 | 71.2 | low | 37% |
| Rutherglen Research | 31.1 | +3.7 | 37.0 | 12th | 10.6 | -0.4 | 2.9 | 21st | 17.2 | 39.2 | average | 44% |
| Strathbogie | 26.4 | +2.4 | 33.4 | 9th | 9.3 | +0.1 | 2.9 | 22nd | 24.0 | 56.7 | average | 42% |
| Wangaratta Aero | 30.1 | +2.5 | 36.1 | 9th | 10.2 | -0.7 | 4.6 | 21st | 16.8 | 41.5 | low | 40% |
| Upper Northeast (district 83) | ||||||||||||
| Edi Upper | 28.7 | +2.1 | 34.8 | 10th | 11.7 | +0.3 | 3.8 | 21st | 22.0 | 59.8 | low | 37% |
| Falls Creek | 16.8 | +2.7 | 23.5 | 10th | 8.2 | +2.0 | -2.7 | 21st | 40.4 | 104.8 | low | 39% |
| Mount Buller | 16.9 | +2.7 | 23.3 | 10th | 8.8 | +2.1 | -1.9 | 21st | 33.8 | 82.9 | low | 41% |
| Mount Hotham | 15.9 | +2.8 | 21.9 | 10th | 7.9 | +2.1 | -3.1 | 21st | 42.0 | 116.6 | low | 36% |
| Omeo | 26.4 | +3.2 | 34.8 | 10th | 8.2 | -0.8 | -0.7 | 21st | 25.6 | 54.4 | low | 47% |
| East Gippsland (district 84) | ||||||||||||
| Combienbar AWS | 23.7 | +2.1 | 34.7 | 10th | 12.8 | +0.8 | 6.5 | 21st | 23.2 | 79.4 | low | 29% |
| Gabo Island Lighthouse | 21.7 | +0.7 | 26.7 | 12th | 16.3 | +0.8 | 10.8 | 22nd | 35.4 | 72.8 | average | 49% |
| Gelantipy | 22.7 | +2.4 | 32.3 | 10th | 10.5 | +0.7 | 2.9 | 21st | 19.6 | 63.4 | low | 31% |
| Lakes Entrance (Eastern Beach Road) | 22.9 | +0.3 | 33.1 | 10th | 13.5 | 0.0 | 6.4 | 22nd | 22.2 | 62.0 | low | 36% |
| Mallacoota | 23.8 | +1.3 | 32.2 | 10th | 15.1 | +0.7 | 8.7 | 25th | 33.8 | 73.7 | low | 46% |
| West Gippsland (district 85) | ||||||||||||
| Bairnsdale Airport | 25.7 | +1.8 | 39.0 | 9th | 12.0 | +0.6 | 5.1 | 22nd | 27.8 | 47.6 | low | 58% |
| Corner Inlet (Yanakie) | 23.5 | +0.7 | 37.2 | 10th | 13.1 | -0.5 | 3.5 | 22nd | 10.8 | 38.9 | v low | 28% |
| East Sale | 25.8 | +2.2 | 38.3 | 10th | 11.6 | 0.0 | 5.8 | 21st | 9.8 | 48.7 | v low | 20% |
| East Sale Airport | 26.2 | 38.9 | 9th | 11.6 | 5.7 | 21st | 11.0 | |||||
| Morwell (Latrobe Valley Airport) | 27.0 | +2.5 | 39.3 | 10th | 11.2 | -0.2 | 2.9 | 21st | 13.4 | 47.4 | v low | 28% |
| Mount Baw Baw | 16.0 | +2.1 | 25.2 | 10th | 7.8 | +1.5 | -1.1 | 21st | 33.4 | 107.2 | lowest | 31% |
| Mount Moornapa | 23.8 | +1.6 | 36.7 | 9th | 12.6 | +0.6 | 6.5 | 21st | 41.4 | 64.3 | average | 64% |
| Nilma North (Warragul) | 25.8 | +1.8 | 37.1 | 9th | 12.0 | -0.4 | 3.8 | 21st | 14.8 | 50.5 | v low | 29% |
| Pound Creek | 24.6 | +0.9 | 37.8 | 9th | 11.6 | -0.5 | 2.4 | 22nd | 3.2 | 52.9 | v low | 6% |
| Wilsons Promontory Lighthouse | 21.0 | +1.6 | 35.3 | 10th | 15.8 | +1.6 | 11.1 | 21st | 13.6 | 69.6 | v low | 20% |
| Yarram Airport | 25.2 | +1.5 | 39.2 | 9th | 10.7 | -1.0 | 3.3 | 22nd | 10.0 | 53.1 | v low | 19% |
| East Central (district 86) | ||||||||||||
| Cerberus | 24.5 | +1.4 | 38.6 | 10th | 12.4 | -0.3 | 5.2 | 22nd | 2.6 | 43.3 | lowest | 6% |
| Coldstream | 27.1 | +1.9 | 36.9 | 9th | 9.4 | -0.5 | 2.6 | 22nd | 4.0 | 48.1 | lowest | 8% |
| Essendon Airport | 26.2 | +2.1 | 38.4 | 9th | 14.2 | +1.5 | 8.8 | 21st | 4.2 | 39.1 | v low | 11% |
| Ferny Creek | 22.6 | +1.7 | 33.6 | 10th | 12.9 | +0.8 | 7.5 | 21st | 21.6 | 81.5 | v low | 27% |
| Frankston (Ballam Park) | 25.4 | 37.7 | 9th | 13.6 | 8.1 | 22nd | 4.0 | |||||
| Melbourne (Olympic Park) | 25.1 | +1.0 | 37.6 | 9th | 14.9 | +0.1 | 9.4 | 21st | 2.8 | 33.9 | v low | 8% |
| Melbourne Airport | 26.3 | +2.1 | 38.5 | 9th | 13.2 | +0.4 | 7.3 | 21st | 2.0 | 37.1 | lowest | 5% |
| Moorabbin Airport | 25.2 | +1.4 | 38.1 | 9th | 13.5 | +0.4 | 8.0 | 22nd | 6.4 | 43.7 | v low | 15% |
| Rhyll | 24.5 | +1.9 | 34.1 | 10th | 15.5 | +0.7 | 11.1 | 22nd | 5.8 | 38.9 | lowest | 15% |
| Scoresby Research Institute | 26.4 | +2.2 | 37.1 | 9th | 13.1 | +0.6 | 7.8 | 22nd | 10.2 | 52.9 | v low | 19% |
| Viewbank | 27.4 | +2.1 | 38.3 | 9th | 12.8 | -0.1 | 6.3 | 22nd | 3.6 | 42.6 | lowest | 8% |
| West Central (district 87) | ||||||||||||
| Avalon Airport | 25.7 | +1.5 | 40.3 | 9th | 12.5 | -0.2 | 7.3 | 24th | 2.2 | 26.6 | v low | 8% |
| Breakwater (Geelong Racecourse) | 25.3 | +1.2 | 39.8 | 9th | 13.0 | -0.5 | 7.6 | 22nd | 3.8 | 24.3 | v low | 16% |
| Laverton RAAF | 25.8 | +2.1 | 39.6 | 9th | 13.5 | +0.8 | 7.9 | 22nd | 4.0 | 34.2 | lowest | 12% |
| Point Cook RAAF | 24.9 | 39.7 | 9th | 13.4 | 8.2 | 22nd | 8.4 | |||||
| She Oaks | 25.2 | +2.1 | 38.5 | 9th | 11.0 | -0.2 | 3.7 | 21st | 3.2 | 25.5 | v low | 13% |
| North Central (district 88) | ||||||||||||
| Castlemaine Prison | 27.0 | +2.3 | 38.5 | 9th | 11.9 | +0.9 | 2.0 | 21st | 2.4 | 35.2 | lowest | 7% |
| Eildon Fire Tower | 25.4 | +2.2 | 33.1 | 9th | 12.7 | +1.0 | 6.0 | 24th | 10.2 | 40.4 | v low | 25% |
| Lake Eildon | 28.0 | +2.2 | 35.6 | 9th | 10.8 | +0.1 | 4.8 | 21st | 16.4 | 51.9 | low | 32% |
| Mangalore Airport | 28.8 | +2.6 | 37.4 | 9th | 12.6 | +0.3 | 6.2 | 22nd | 8.8 | 35.8 | low | 25% |
| Maryborough | 28.1 | +2.7 | 38.3 | 9th | 12.0 | +0.7 | 5.5 | 21st | 0.2 | 31.0 | v low | 1% |
| Puckapunyal Lyon Hill (Defence) | 28.0 | 36.9 | 9th | 13.8 | 6.5 | 21st | 8.8 | |||||
| Puckapunyal West (Defence) | 27.1 | 36.7 | 9th | 13.0 | 6.8 | 21st | 4.4 | |||||
| Redesdale | 29.0 | +3.4 | 37.0 | 9th | 11.4 | +0.6 | 2.2 | 21st | 0.6 | 33.9 | v low | 2% |
| Wallan (Kilmore Gap) | 24.0 | +2.4 | 33.9 | 9th | 12.0 | +0.9 | 6.2 | 21st | 1.8 | 46.4 | lowest | 4% |
| Western Plains (district 89) | ||||||||||||
| Ararat Prison | 27.3 | +3.3 | 38.3 | 9th | 9.1 | -0.6 | 0.2 | 21st | 2.9 | 29.7 | lowest | 10% |
| Ballarat Aerodrome | 25.5 | +3.2 | 36.9 | 9th | 10.7 | +0.7 | 2.5 | 21st | 0.8 | 41.6 | lowest | 2% |
| Westmere | 26.1 | +1.3 | 39.0 | 9th | 9.2 | -1.0 | 0.6 | 21st | 0.4 | 22.5 | v low | 2% |
| West Coast (district 90) | ||||||||||||
| Aireys Inlet | 23.6 | +1.9 | 39.6 | 9th | 14.1 | +0.4 | 9.8 | 24th | 2.4 | 36.4 | lowest | 7% |
| Cape Nelson Lighthouse | 21.2 | +0.9 | 39.2 | 9th | 14.4 | +0.4 | 7.6 | 21st | 7.6 | 34.7 | lowest | 22% |
| Cape Otway Lighthouse | 21.6 | +1.3 | 37.2 | 11th | 14.7 | +1.4 | 8.5 | 21st | 8.4 | 55.4 | v low | 15% |
| Casterton | 26.3 | +1.8 | 39.8 | 9th | 11.0 | 0.0 | 1.7 | 21st | 1.8 | 31.2 | lowest | 6% |
| Colac (Mount Gellibrand) | 25.0 | +2.0 | 38.6 | 9th | 12.5 | +0.6 | 8.0 | 21st | 4.0 | 29.4 | v low | 14% |
| Dartmoor | 26.1 | +2.4 | 41.0 | 9th | 10.8 | -0.4 | 2.6 | 21st | 4.0 | 35.0 | v low | 11% |
| Hamilton Airport | 26.2 | +2.1 | 39.3 | 9th | 10.9 | +0.5 | 3.3 | 21st | 0.8 | 32.7 | lowest | 2% |
| Mortlake Racecourse | 25.8 | +1.8 | 39.8 | 9th | 9.9 | -0.2 | 2.6 | 22nd | 3.6 | 31.5 | lowest | 11% |
| Port Fairy AWS | 23.0 | +1.5 | 41.0 | 9th | 13.5 | +0.4 | 6.6 | 22nd | 4.8 | 36.6 | v low | 13% |
| Portland Airport | 23.0 | +1.9 | 40.0 | 9th | 11.6 | -0.2 | 3.7 | 22nd | 8.2 | 45.8 | v low | 18% |
| Warrnambool Airport NDB | 24.8 | +1.8 | 40.7 | 9th | 11.3 | +0.3 | 2.5 | 21st | 10.0 | 45.2 | lowest | 22% |
Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top
Notes
The Monthly climate summary, usually published in the first week of the following month, lists the main features of the weather in Victoria using the most timely and accurate information available on the date of publication; it will generally not be updated.
This statement has been prepared based on information available at 4 pm on Monday 1 April 2024. Some checks have been made on the data, but it is possible that results will change as new information becomes available.
In some situations, some or all of the rainfall is in the form of hail or snow. In these cases the totals given are for the water equivalent: the depth of liquid water that results from melting any frozen precipitation. There can be significant 'undercatch' of snow in strong winds, meaning the true precipitation can be higher than that reported.
Averages for individual sites 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.
Where temperature area averages are mentioned, they are derived from the ACORN-SAT dataset.
Information about Australian Indigenous seasonal calendars is available at the Indigenous Weather Knowledge website.
Unless otherwise noted, all maps, graphs and diagrams in this page are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence
