Monday, 3 March 2014 - Monthly Climate Summary for Victoria - Product code IDCKGC26R0

Victoria in February 2014: Hot Days, and Wet in the Northwest

February in Victoria was characterised by:
  • Very much hotter than normal daytimes
  • Above average rainfall in the northwest
  • Warmer than normal overnight temperatures in some parts

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

Rainfall

Rainfall totals were above average in the Mallee, below average in parts of the south and east, and close to normal in most other parts. The area averaged rainfall was 22.13 mm, which is 9.84 mm drier than the 1961-90 average of 31.97 mm. The wettest station overall was Mount Baw Baw with 99.4 mm. Some sites had their lowest total February rainfall on record. The wettest single day was at Werrimull with 67.5 mm on the 15th. Some sites had their highest February daily rainfall on record. There is a map of rainfall deciles below.

Temperature

The warmest on average was Mildura Airport in the far North West with 25.4 °C whilst the coolest on average was in the alpine region at Mount Hotham with 13.5 °C.

Maximum temperature

Daytime temperatures were above average to very much above average across the whole State. The area averaged maximum temperature was 29.33 °C, which is 1.64 °C warmer than the 1961-90 average of 27.69 °C, making it the 10th warmest February on record. The hottest day was the 2nd when Hopetoun Airport recorded 45.5 °C. Swan Hill Aerodrome recorded the warmest days on average with 33.9 °C. Mount Hotham recorded the coolest days on average with 17.9 °C. The coldest day was the 20th when both Mount Baw Baw and Mount Buller recorded 4.9 °C. Some sites had their highest February temperature on record. Some sites had their highest February mean daily maximum temperature on record. There is a map of maximum temperature anomalies below.

Minimum temperature

Average overnight temperatures ranged from close to normal to warmer than normal for most stations. The area averaged minimum temperature was 14.12 °C, which is 0.69 °C warmer than the 1961-90 average of 13.43 °C. The coldest nights were the 20th and 21st when Mount Hotham recorded -0.6 °C but Dinner Plain (Mount Hotham Airport) recorded the coolest nights on average with 8.6 °C. Mildura Airport recorded the warmest nights on average with 17.3 °C and the warmest night was the 3rd when Nhill Aerodrome recorded 29.4 °C. Some sites had their warmest February night (highest daily minimum temperature) on record. There is a map of minimum temperature anomalies below.

Wind

The strongest wind gust was at Wilsons Promontory Lighthouse with 120 km/h on the 20th.

Further information

Victorian Climate Services Centre
Bureau of Meteorology
Phone (03) 9669 4956
Extremes in February 2014
Hottest day 45.5 °C at Hopetoun Airport on the 2nd
Warmest days on average 33.9 °C at Swan Hill Aerodrome
Coolest days on average 17.9 °C at Mount Hotham
Coldest day 4.9 °C at Mount Baw Baw on the 20th
4.9 °C at Mount Buller on the 20th
Coldest night -0.6 °C at Mount Hotham on the 20th
-0.6 °C at Mount Hotham on the 21st
Coolest nights on average 8.6 °C at Dinner Plain (Mount Hotham Airport)
Warmest nights on average 17.3 °C at Mildura Airport
Warmest night 29.4 °C at Nhill Aerodrome on the 3rd
Warmest on average overall 25.4 °C at Mildura Airport
Coolest on average overall 13.5 °C at Mount Hotham
Wettest overall 99.4 mm at Mount Baw Baw
Wettest day 67.5 mm at Werrimull on the 15th
Highest wind gust 120 km/h at Wilsons Promontory Lighthouse on the 20th

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

Maps

Anomaly in mean maximum temperature

Map of Anomaly in mean maximum temperature

Anomaly in mean minimum temperature

Map of Anomaly in mean minimum temperature

Rainfall deciles

Map of Rainfall deciles

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

Record highest February daily rainfall
Highest daily rainfall
in February 2014 (mm) 		Previous wettest
for February		 Years of
record
Manangatang (Cocamba) 51.0 on the 15th =51.0 on the 21st in 2003 15



Record lowest total February rainfall
Total rainfall
for February 2014 (mm) 		Previous driest
for February		 Years of
record		 Average for
February
Meredith (Darra) 1.8 2.3 in 1956 140 47.6
Avon River at Stratford 14.2 18.2 in 2001 14 52.1
Balook (Mount Tassie) 14.6 17.6 in 2009 14 77.0
Moorabool River at Morrisons 5.0 = 5.0 in 2009 14 37.6
Orbost 10.4 19.6 in 2004 14 62.9
Wonnangatta River @ Waterford 8.2 12.6 in 2009 14 68.0
Moorabool River at Lal Lal 10.2 15.2 in 2001 13 39.4


Record highest February temperature
Highest temperature
in February 2014 (°C) 		Previous warmest
for February		 Years of
record		 Average for
February
Point Hicks (Lighthouse) 41.0 on the 9th 40.4 on the 1st in 2011 44 23.7
Frankston AWS 40.8 on the 8th 38.7 on the 19th in 1997 23 24.8


Record highest February mean daily maximum temperature
Mean daily maximum
temperature
for February 2014 (°C) 		Previous warmest
for February		 Years of
record		 Average for
February
Dinner Plain (Mount Hotham Airport) 24.1 24.0 in 2003 13 21.3


Record highest February daily minimum temperature
Highest daily minimum
temperature
in February 2014 (°C) 		Previous warmest
for February		 Years of
record		 Average for
February
Longerenong 27.1 on the 3rd 26.8 on the 15th in 2004 50 13.2
Tatura Inst Sustainable Ag 26.2 on the 9th = 26.2 on the 7th in 1997 50 14.4
Point Hicks (Lighthouse) 24.2 on the 9th 23.5 on the 8th in 1982 44 16.1
Castlemaine Prison 25.9 on the 9th = 25.9 on the 6th in 1997 43 13.5
Warracknabeal Museum 29.1 on the 3rd 27.3 on the 9th in 1970 41 14.2
Mount Moornapa 25.4 on the 9th 24.4 on the 8th in 1997 21 13.5
Wallan (Kilmore Gap) 25.2 on the 3rd 25.0 on the 6th in 1997 21 12.7
Combienbar AWS 25.1 on the 3rd 24.5 on the 4th in 2001 20 13.4
Stawell Aerodrome 26.7 on the 3rd 25.2 on the 7th in 1997 19 13.7
Eildon Fire Tower 25.4 on the 9th 24.7 on the 15th in 2004 18 13.8
Shepparton Airport 27.1 on the 9th 26.3 on the 7th in 1997 18 15.0
Horsham Aerodrome 27.7 on the 3rd 27.0 on the 15th in 2004 17 12.5
Mount Baw Baw 21.0 on the 3rd 20.0 on the 1st in 2011 17 8.2
Orbost 24.9 on the 9th 24.5 on the 21st in 2010 14 14.6
Nhill Aerodrome 29.4 on the 3rd 27.3 on the 1st in 2011 11 13.3

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

Summary statistics for February 2014
Maximum temperatures
for February
(°C)		 Minimum temperatures
for February
(°C)		 Rainfall
for February
(millimetres)
Mean for
February
2014		 Diff
from
average		 Highest for
February
2014		 Mean for
February
2014		 Diff
from
average		 Lowest for
February
2014		 Total for
February
2014		 Average
for
February		 Rank of
February
2014		 Fraction of
February
average
North Mallee (district 76)
Mildura Airport 33.5 +1.9 44.1 2nd 17.3 +0.8 9.7 21st 67.0 23.1 high 290%
Ouyen (Post Office) 33.5 +2.0 45.0 2nd 16.3 +1.0 9.4 20th 64.1 24.3 v high 264%
Walpeup Research 33.2 +2.0 44.8 2nd 16.4 +1.0 8.5 21st 56.6 23.8 high 238%
South Mallee (district 77)
Hopetoun Airport 33.3 45.5 2nd 14.9 6.9 22nd 10.0 14.1 average 71%
Swan Hill Aerodrome 33.9 +1.8 44.4 2nd 16.4 +0.4 8.0 21st 23.8 23.5 average 101%
North Wimmera (district 78)
Nhill Aerodrome 31.3 +0.9 44.5 2nd 14.1 +0.8 6.3 28th 8.8 11.7 average 75%
Warracknabeal Museum 32.0 +1.3 44.2 2nd 14.2 0.0 7.5 27th 5.2 21.5 low 24%
South Wimmera (district 79)
Edenhope Airport 29.4 44.7 2nd 12.9 6.8 17th 7.8
Grampians (Mount William) 22.2 36.6 2nd 11.4 3.0 20th 28.0
Horsham Aerodrome 31.3 +1.0 44.3 2nd 12.9 +0.4 5.4 17th 4.2 24.7 low 17%
Kanagulk 30.2 44.5 2nd 12.6 6.0 27th 4.6
Longerenong 31.9 +2.0 45.0 2nd 13.8 +0.6 6.5 27th 6.0 23.4 average 26%
Pyrenees (Ben Nevis) 26.3 39.4 2nd 13.8 4.5 20th 12.6
Stawell Aerodrome 30.0 +1.5 42.7 2nd 14.1 +0.4 9.5 20th 4.8 31.6 low 15%
Lower North (district 80)
Charlton 33.8 45.1 2nd 15.5 6.7 21st 8.2 14.6 average 56%
Echuca Aerodrome 33.2 +2.6 43.2 2nd 15.5 +0.3 8.5 21st 14.4 26.8 average 54%
Kerang 33.6 +2.4 44.4 2nd 16.5 +1.3 9.5 21st 20.6 23.9 average 86%
Kyabram 33.0 +3.1 42.8 2nd 15.3 +0.5 8.1 21st 17.0 29.3 average 58%
Upper North (district 81)
Bendigo Airport 32.2 +2.9 42.9 2nd 15.2 +0.9 7.8 17th 9.8 35.0 average 28%
Shepparton Airport 32.7 +1.8 42.9 2nd 15.2 +0.2 7.6 21st 19.6 42.5 average 46%
Tatura Inst Sustainable Ag 31.4 +1.9 41.2 2nd 15.0 +0.6 8.4 21st 11.0 33.8 average 33%
Yarrawonga 33.4 +2.0 42.8 9th 15.3 -0.5 8.6 22nd 22.6 49.3 average 46%
Lower Northeast (district 82)
Benalla Airport 32.5 42.0 2nd 15.1 9.4 21st 17.3
Corryong Airport 32.5 41.0 2nd 14.3 4.8 21st 23.8
Dartmouth Reservoir 30.5 +1.4 39.1 2nd 14.0 +0.3 4.5 21st 33.4 57.5 average 58%
Hunters Hill 27.1 +2.0 35.5 2nd 15.3 +1.3 6.5 20th 45.8 79.4 average 58%
Rutherglen Research 33.0 +2.3 41.9 9th 13.5 -0.4 5.0 21st 21.2 38.5 average 55%
Strathbogie 29.2 +1.9 39.4 2nd 11.4 -0.3 6.0 17th 25.2 44.6 average 57%
Wangaratta Aero 32.7 +1.8 42.2 9th 13.6 -0.2 8.1 22nd 28.4 47.8 average 59%
Upper Northeast (district 83)
Dinner Plain (Mount Hotham Airport) 24.1 +2.8 32.7 3rd 8.6 +0.5 0.5 21st 20.8 81.4 v low 26%
Falls Creek 19.1 +2.0 26.9 2nd 9.8 +1.3 0.8 20th 33.0 99.1 low 33%
Mount Buller 19.6 +2.6 28.2 2nd 10.4 +1.5 -0.1 20th 41.2 77.4 average 53%
Mount Hotham 17.9 +2.2 26.7 2nd 9.1 +1.1 -0.6 20th 58.6 107.7 low 54%
Omeo 28.2 38.3 2nd 9.9 3.4 21st 17.4
East Gippsland (district 84)
Combienbar AWS 27.0 +2.6 39.6 3rd 14.2 +0.8 7.6 22nd 23.8 89.0 v low 27%
Gabo Island Lighthouse 22.0 +0.4 25.4 25th 16.2 0.0 12.9 6th 6.6 68.2 v low 10%
Gelantipy 25.7 +2.8 37.6 3rd 12.5 +1.0 6.2 21st 12.6 71.5 v low 18%
Lakes Entrance (Eastern Beach Road) 24.7 41.7 9th 14.6 9.9 23rd 16.0
Mallacoota 25.1 +1.3 36.1 9th 16.1 +0.5 10.4 28th 14.0 64.5 low 22%
Mount Nowa Nowa 26.5 +2.1 40.3 3rd 14.2 -0.1 9.6 20th 11.8 68.8 v low 17%
Orbost 27.2 +1.9 41.4 9th 14.3 -0.3 10.7 23rd 10.4 62.9 lowest 17%
Point Hicks (Lighthouse) 24.7 +1.0 41.0 9th 16.0 -0.1 11.7 28th 34.2 57.7 average 59%
West Gippsland (district 85)
Bairnsdale Airport 27.5 +2.1 42.4 9th 12.7 -0.1 7.4 23rd 12.8 49.5 low 26%
East Sale Airport 27.0 +1.7 40.9 9th 13.0 -0.2 6.9 23rd 13.8 42.9 low 32%
Morwell (Latrobe Valley Airport) 29.0 +2.5 41.2 9th 12.7 -0.2 6.9 10th 17.0 45.2 low 38%
Mount Baw Baw 18.6 +2.0 29.2 2nd 9.3 +1.1 0.2 4th 99.4 103.6 average 96%
Mount Moornapa 27.4 +2.9 40.4 9th 13.8 +0.3 9.1 20th 23.6 72.2 low 33%
Pound Creek 26.8 39.6 9th 12.8 2.0 28th 6.4
Wilsons Promontory Lighthouse 22.3 +1.8 38.8 9th 16.2 +1.4 13.1 21st 9.2 46.6 v low 20%
Yarram Airport 26.3 41.8 9th 13.0 5.5 28th 14.4
East Central (district 86)
Bundoora (Latrobe University) 28.5 +1.7 42.2 8th 14.1 -0.1 9.8 5th 17.8 44.2 low 40%
Cerberus 26.1 +1.1 38.1 9th 14.1 -0.2 7.3 28th 5.4 40.0 v low 14%
Coldstream 30.0 +2.4 41.7 2nd 11.0 -1.0 5.3 28th 31.4 56.5 average 56%
Coldstream Comparison 29.9 41.6 2nd 10.8 5.0 28th 31.4
Cranbourne Botanic Gardens 27.4 +1.8 39.3 8th 13.6 -0.4 9.5 27th 18.2 52.3 low 35%
Essendon Airport 28.7 +3.0 42.5 8th 14.9 +1.0 10.5 27th 12.8 46.7 low 27%
Ferny Creek 25.6 37.9 2nd 13.3 7.5 20th 53.0
Frankston AWS 26.1 +1.3 40.8 8th 15.8 -0.2 11.9 28th
Melbourne (Olympic Park) 27.1 40.7 8th 16.3 12.3 28th 22.4
Melbourne Airport 28.8 +2.3 42.2 8th 14.3 +0.2 9.5 28th 12.8 43.7 low 29%
Melbourne Regional Office 28.4 +2.6 41.0 8th 16.8 +2.2 12.6 20th 23.2 47.9 average 48%
Moorabbin Airport 28.0 +2.0 40.5 9th 15.0 +0.7 9.6 28th 13.8 46.4 low 30%
Rhyll 25.6 +1.3 35.0 9th 16.3 +0.4 12.3 20th 5.8 42.5 v low 14%
Scoresby Research Institute 29.3 +2.9 41.7 2nd 13.9 +0.1 8.6 28th 20.0 53.7 low 37%
Viewbank 29.7 +2.2 42.1 2nd 14.3 -0.3 9.5 28th 17.0 51.5 low 33%
Wallan (Kilmore Gap) 27.5 +3.1 40.3 2nd 12.9 +0.2 7.6 28th 24.4 53.9 average 45%
Wonthaggi 25.8 +1.2 37.6 9th 14.5 +1.1 7.1 28th 14.4 46.4 low 31%
West Central (district 87)
Avalon Airport 27.5 +1.3 39.5 9th 14.1 -0.4 9.3 17th 11.0 34.5 low 32%
Breakwater (Geelong Racecourse) 26.3 38.8 2nd 14.5 10.9 20th 55.2
Laverton RAAF 27.3 +1.8 40.5 9th 14.6 +0.4 9.6 27th 16.4 46.9 low 35%
Sheoaks 27.5 +2.2 41.1 2nd 12.3 -0.5 5.8 27th 17.2 41.5 low 41%
North Central (district 88)
Castlemaine Prison 30.1 +1.8 41.5 2nd 14.1 +0.6 4.5 27th 14.2 38.1 average 37%
Eildon Fire Tower 28.4 +1.7 39.3 2nd 14.1 +0.3 7.4 22nd 15.6 45.1 low 35%
Lake Eildon 31.0 +2.0 41.9 2nd 12.6 -0.2 5.8 23rd 21.0 42.9 average 49%
Mangalore Airport 31.7 +2.4 43.0 2nd 14.8 +0.5 8.5 21st 11.2 35.3 average 32%
Maryborough 31.1 +2.4 43.1 2nd 14.4 +1.2 8.8 17th 12.6 32.8 average 38%
Redesdale 31.8 +3.1 42.8 2nd 13.3 -0.1 6.1 17th 0.6 37.6 low 2%
Western Plains (district 89)
Ararat Prison 29.2 +2.2 41.4 2nd 11.5 +0.2 4.8 27th 4.2 32.5 low 13%
Ballarat Aerodrome 28.0 +3.0 40.1 2nd 12.4 +0.9 5.2 27th 6.2 44.3 low 14%
Westmere 29.0 43.6 2nd 10.8 3.0 17th 11.8
West Coast (district 90)
Aireys Inlet 23.3 +0.3 31.8 9th 14.9 +0.2 9.9 20th 6.4 35.4 v low 18%
Cape Nelson Lighthouse 21.6 +0.3 37.7 2nd 15.2 0.0 10.7 20th 8.4 24.4 low 34%
Cape Otway Lighthouse 21.4 -0.2 36.2 2nd 15.4 +1.5 10.8 20th 10.6 42.0 low 25%
Casterton 28.5 43.3 2nd 12.2 5.4 17th 17.0 33.1 average 51%
Colac (Mount Gellibrand) 26.8 +1.7 41.1 2nd 13.2 +0.3 7.9 20th 2.8 28.9 v low 10%
Dartmoor 27.3 44.2 2nd 12.3 5.6 17th 15.6
Hamilton Airport 28.3 +1.6 43.5 2nd 11.9 +0.7 6.6 27th 17.2 24.2 average 71%
Mortlake Racecourse 28.6 +2.3 44.0 2nd 11.0 -0.6 4.3 11th 7.2 32.7 low 22%
Port Fairy AWS 22.6 -0.3 37.9 2nd 14.3 -0.3 8.8 11th 7.0 29.7 low 24%
Portland (Cashmore Airport) 23.9 +1.5 42.5 2nd 13.0 +0.3 7.4 17th 17.2 26.6 average 65%
Portland NTC AWS 20.7 34.3 2nd 15.4 9.6 20th
Warrnambool Airport NDB 25.8 +1.0 43.6 2nd 11.8 -0.6 3.9 11th 8.0 31.0 low 26%

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

Notes

A Monthly Climate Summary is prepared to list 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. Later information, including data that has had greater opportunity for quality control, will be presented in the Monthly Weather Review, usually published in the fourth week of the month.

This statement has been prepared based on information available at 3 pm on Monday 3 March 2014. Some checks have been made on the data, but it is possible that results will change as new information becomes available.

Averages 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.

The ACORN-SAT dataset is being used for temperature area averages from December 2012 onwards. The major change from earlier datasets is that the ACORN-SAT dataset commences in 1910, rather than 1950, and hence rankings are calculated using a larger set of years.

Further information

Victorian Climate Services Centre
Bureau of Meteorology
Phone (03) 9669 4956