Monday, 3 August 2020 - Monthly Climate Summary for Victoria - Product code IDCKGC16R0

Victoria in July 2020: below average rainfall, some cold days and nights

July rainfall was lower than average across the state away from Gippsland, with large areas recording very much below average rainfall. Daytime temperatures were generally warmer than average, while night-time temperatures were cooler than average in most of western Victoria, and much warmer than average in East Gippsland.

A dry July across much of the state

• Statewide, rainfall was 35% below the long-term July mean of 70 mm, the driest July since 2002.
• Much of western Victoria and large areas in the north-east had rainfall totals in the driest 10 % on record for July.
• Most of Gippsland had above to very much above average July rainfall.
• A pair of strong cold fronts crossed Victoria in the first three days of the month, bringing strong gusty winds, thunderstorms and showers to the south and the north-east of the state.
• A cold front and a complex low pressure system resulted in widespread rainfall in Victoria, with daily totals to 9am on the 11th and 12th locally exceeding 30 mm, while a low pressure system that developed in the Tasman Sea brought welcome rain to eastern Victoria in the following few days.
• Another low pressure system, located close to the NSW coast delivered heavy rainfall to Gippsland, with many sites recording daily totals to 9am on the 28th in excess of 40 mm and locally much higher.
• The highest daily total in the state, 122.0 mm, was recorded at Weeragua (East Gippsland) on the 28th; this was also the wettest place in Victoria during the month, recording a July total of 314.4 mm.
• Murderers Hill and Maffra had their highest July daily rainfall on record, while several sites had their highest total July rainfall on record.
• The statewide year-to-date rainfall total was around 393 mm, 10% above average.

Some cold days and nights

• Daytime temperatures were warmer than average across much of the state.
• Averaged across Victoria, the mean maximum temperature was 0.50 °C warmer than average.
• The highest daytime temperature in Victoria this month, 21.7 °C, was recorded at Mildura Airport on the 1st
• It was a warm start to the month, followed by low daily maximum temperatures in a wake of cold fronts; however, for most of the month, Victoria was under the influence of high pressure systems, with generally dry and mild days.
• Due to fog and low clouds, which prevented the ground and air above it from being warmed by the sun, low daytime temperatures were recorded on the 8th in the north-west of Victoria; Mildura Airport, Ouyen PO and Swan Hill Aerodrome had their coldest July day on record on the 8th.
• Night-time temperatures were below average across most of western Victoria; in contrast, in East Gippsland and adjacent areas they were very much above average or highest on record.
• Some sites had their lowest July mean daily minimum temperature on record or lowest July mean daily minimum temperature for at least two decades.
• Gelantipy and Mallacoota had their highest July mean daily minimum temperature on record
• The 4th saw cool night-time temperatures in a wake of a cold front, and many sites across Victoria had temperatures close to zero; the lowest night-time temperature recorded in the state during July was −5.8 °C at Falls Creek on the 4th.
• A ridge of high pressure slowly moved over Victoria between the 13th and 18th, resulting in clear skies and light winds, which led to cold mornings, particularly on the 16th and 17th, when many sites across the state recorded daily minimum temperatures below 0 °C.
• For the year-to-date, the mean maximum temperature was 0.24 °C below average, the coldest January to July period since 2011

Snow, frost and hail

• 10-25 cm of snow fell in the Victorian Alps in a wake of cold fronts which crossed the state at the beginning of the month.
• Frost and fog were observed across much of western and central Victoria on the 16th and 17th, due to the clear skies and light winds.
• Showers of small hail were reported across parts of Melbourne and Gippsland, following the passage of a cold front on the 19th.

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 lower value has gone unreported

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top