Monday, 3 September 2012 - Seasonal Climate Summary for Victoria - Product code IDCKGC26R0

Victoria in winter 2012: A mostly normal season

Winter 2012 in Victoria was characterised by:

• Rainfall that was higher than normal in the south but lower than normal in some parts of the north
• Night-time temperatures that were cooler than normal in the north and warmer than normal in parts of the south
• Cooler than normal daytimes in the northeast and parts of Gippsland.

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

Rainfall

Most stations in Victoria recorded winter 2012 rainfall totals close to their long-term winter average. Rainfall during June was above average in southern and eastern parts of the State but below average in some parts of the north. Many stations set new daily rainfall records for winter on 5 June as an east coast low caused heavy rainfall and damaging winds over southern Victoria. Other stations set new daily rainfall records for winter on 22 June when a low pressure system and associated cold front moved across the State. More than 50 stations broke existing daily rainfall records for winter in 2012, most of those on either 5 or 22 June. Most of the state recorded average rainfall duing July, however there were areas of above average rainfall scattered across the State (there was an area of very much below average rainfall in the West and South Gippsland District). Rainfall totals for August were close to normal in most parts, however, there were areas of below average rainfall in the northwest and a patch of very much above average rainfall in the East Gippsland District. The wettest station overall for winter was Wyelangta with 834.2 mm. The wettest single day was 5 June when Reeves Knob recorded 203.4 mm. A handful of stations recorded their highest total winter rainfall on record but many more observed their highest winter daily rainfall on record. There is a map of rainfall deciles below.

Temperature

The warmest station on average (maximum and minimum temperatures combined) was Gabo Island Lighthouse with 11.6 °C whilst the coolest on average was Mount Hotham with -2.2 °C.

Maximum temperature

Average maximum temperatures for winter 2012 were close to normal in most Victorian districts. There were below average daytime temperatures recorded in parts of the North East and East Gippsland districts. June was a mild month with most of the State recording near normal maximum temperatures. Daytime temperatures in July were warmer than usual for most of the state except parts of the northwest. August was another mild month with most of the state reporting close to normal daytime temperatures. The hottest day was 28 August when Mildura Airport recorded 22.8 °C and Mildura Airport also recorded the warmest days on average with 16.7 °C. The coldest day was 31 August when Mount Hotham recorded -4.5 °C and Mount Hotham also recorded the coolest days on average with -0.4 °C. There is a map of maximum temperature anomalies below.

Minimum temperature

Average minimum temperatures for winter were cooler than normal in the northern districts. Elsewhere, night-time temperatures were close to normal except for some parts of the south were they were higher than usual. During June, night-time temperatures were cooler than usual in parts of the north and also in Gippsland, in other areas they were close to normal. July delivered warmer than normal nights for much of the southern half of the State. Minimum temperatures were warmer than normal in the southwest but cooler than normal in the northeast during August but elsewhere they were typical for the month. The coldest night for winter was 6 July when Mount Hotham recorded -8.0 °C and Mount Hotham recorded the coolest nights on average with -4.0 °C. The warmest night was 15 June when Gabo Island Lighthouse recorded 13.4 °C and Wilsons Promontory Lighthouse recorded the warmest nights on average with 9.3 °C. Some sites had their lowest winter mean daily minimum temperature on record. There is a map of minimum temperature anomalies below.

Wind

The strongest wind gust was 148 km/h, recorded at Wilsons Promontory Lighthouse on 9 August.

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

Maps

Anomaly in mean maximum temperature

Anomaly in mean minimum temperature

Rainfall deciles

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top