Wednesday, 1 September 2010 - Seasonal Climate Summary for Melbourne Metropolitan Area and Environs - Product code IDCKGC1xx0

Melbourne Metropolitan Area and Environs in winter 2010: An average winter after all

Slightly above average rainfall was recorded across the Melbourne Metropolitan Area this winter, due to a slightly above average June, and exceptional falls this August. Both minimum and maximum temperatures were close to the long term winter average, despite strong variations across the months, specifically the very cold daytime temperatures observed throughout August.

  • Average winter rainfall
  • Cool days in August
  • Slightly below average overnight temperatures

Details Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

Rainfall

Every site in the Melbourne region reported average to above average rainfall this season. The Melbourne Regional Office was 10mm over the long-term winter average, for the first time since 2003. Frequent frontal systems and associated falls throughout August pushed seasonal totals slightly above average for the district.

Although August was the wettest month this season, the highest daily rainfall in the Central district was associated with a strong cold front which passed across the State on the 25th and 26th of June, with 40.8mm recorded at Ferny Creek (Dunns Hill) on the 26th. Ferny Creek was also the wettest location in the Melbourne region, with 345.6mm falling this winter, 80 mm more than that usually received. Additionally, Cerberus and Coldstream both experienced moist conditions, with seasonal totals of more than 240mm recorded.

Temperature

Maximum temperature

Winter daytime temperatures were close to average, despite warm days early in the season. Most sites experienced the warmest days on the 24th of June or the 30th of July, when high pressure systems brought warm dry inland air and clear skies to the Melbourne region. Undoubtedly, the sunniest day for August across Victoria was the 30th, which also happened to be the warmest winter day in the district, with 18.6°C at the Melbourne Regional Office.

Damp, cool wintry conditions were observed at Ferny Creek, experiencing the coolest days on average, a nippy 8.7°C. This location also observed the coldest days for the season, with just 4.9°C recorded on both the 29th of June and 25th of August.

Minimum temperature

Several cold snaps throughout the season, particularly in late June and July, brought frosty and foggy mornings to the Metropolitan region. The coldest night was an icy minus 3.2°C at Coldstream on the 9th of July, with Bundoora and Essendon Airport also reporting overnight temperatures close to zero. The 22nd of June was also especially cold in the south-east of Melbourne with temperatures falling below 1°C.

Consistently warm nights throughout August were observed in the Melbourne region, with most nights, particularly in the south of the region, remaining above 5°C. The warmest winter night was observed with the passing of a significant cloud band on the 25th of June, with 13.5°C at Moorabbin Airport. Not surprisingly, the warmest nights on average were 7.5°C at the Melbourne Regional Office.

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Extremes in winter 2010
Hottest day 18.6 °C at Avalon Airport on 30 Jul
18.6 °C at Melbourne Regional Office on 30 Aug
Warmest days on average 14.6 °C at Melbourne Regional Office
Coolest days on average 8.7 °C at Ferny Creek (Dunns Hill)
Coldest day 4.9 °C at Ferny Creek (Dunns Hill) on 29 Jun
4.9 °C at Ferny Creek (Dunns Hill) on 25 Aug
Coldest night -3.2 °C at Coldstream on 9 Jul
Coolest nights on average 4.0 °C at Coldstream
Warmest nights on average 7.5 °C at Melbourne Regional Office
Warmest night 13.5 °C at Moorabbin Airport on 25 Jun
Wettest overall 345.6 mm at Ferny Creek (Dunns Hill)
Driest overall 116.8 mm at Avalon Airport
Wettest day 40.8 mm at Ferny Creek (Dunns Hill) on 26 Jun
Highest wind gust 100 km/h at Laverton RAAF on 17 Jun

Details 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

Details Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top



Details Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

Summary statistics for winter 2010
Maximum temperatures
for winter
(°C)		 Minimum temperatures
for winter
(°C)		 Rainfall
for winter
(millimetres)
Mean for
winter
2010		 Diff
from
average		 Highest for
winter
2010		 Mean for
winter
2010		 Diff
from
average		 Lowest for
winter
2010		 Total for
winter
2010		 Average
for
winter		 Rank of
winter
2010		 Fraction of
winter
average
East Central (district 86)
Bundoora (Latrobe University) 13.4 -0.6 17.5 24 Jun 5.9 0.0 0.1 9 Jul 179.9 162.3 average 111%
Cerberus 13.6 -0.5 17.5 24 Jun 6.4 -0.2 -0.3 16 Jun 270.6 224.3 high 121%
Coldstream 13.2 -0.8 17.9 2 Jun 4.0 0.0 -3.2 9 Jul 247.2 193.2 high 128%
Cranbourne Botanic Gardens 13.4 -0.5 17.3 24 Jun     1.9 9 Jul 223.1 224.2 average 100%
Essendon Airport 13.6 0.0 17.3 1 Jun 5.8 +0.3 0.2 9 Jul 147.2 132.1 average 111%
Ferny Creek (Dunns Hill) 8.7 -1.0 12.7 24 Jun 4.8 -0.5 0.3 25 Aug 345.6 264.5 high 131%
Melbourne Airport 13.4 -0.3 17.4 30 Jul 5.6 -0.2 1.4 22 Jun 137.2 120.8 average 114%
Melbourne Regional Office 14.6 +0.5 18.6 30 Aug 7.5 +1.0 3.2 20 Jul 157.2 146.9 average 107%
Moorabbin Airport 13.7 -0.5 17.8 24 Jun 6.4 -0.1 0.5 22 Jun 181.0 185.4 average 98%
Scoresby Research Institute 13.3 -0.2 16.9 1 Jun 5.8 -0.3 0.2 22 Jun 221.2 225.1 average 98%
Viewbank (ARPANSA) 13.6 -1.0 17.3 1 Jun 5.7 -0.5 0.0 20 Jul 204.8 158.7 v high 129%
West Central (district 87)
Avalon Airport 14.1 -0.7 18.6 30 Jul 5.2 -0.2 -1.1 16 Jun 116.8 118.8 average 98%
Laverton RAAF 14.0 -0.2 18.0 30 Jul 5.6 +0.2 0.6 22 Jun 119.0 122.7 average 97%

Details Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

Notes

A Seasonal Climate Summary is prepared to list the main features of the weather in Melbourne Metropolitan Area and Environs 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 11 am on Wednesday 1 September 2010. 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.

Further information

Media
(03) 9669 4057
Enquiries

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