Monday, 2 December 2019 - Seasonal Climate Summary for Victoria - Product code IDCKGC26R0

Victoria in spring 2019: dry with warm days

Victoria in spring 2019 was drier than average, with areas of very much below average rainfall totals across the State's north. Daytime temperatures were warmer than average across most of Victoria, except for the southwest, and very much warmer than average in East Gippsland. Night-time temperatures were below to very much below average in most of Victoria's west and north, with an area of lowest on record night-time temperatures between Nhill and Warracknabeal in the State's west

Below average rainfall

• Total rainfall for spring was below average in most of Victoria, and very much below average in large areas across the State's north; rainfall was below average in September, well below average in October (Victoria's eight-driest October on record), and close to average in November
• State-wide, average rainfall was 39% below the long-term spring mean of 181 mm
• A low pressure systems and associated troughs brought widespread moderate totals across Victoria between 2 and 8 November, with locally heavy falls mostly in the Alpine and southern parts of the State
• The State's highest daily rainfall total of 76.0 mm was recorded at Falls Creek on 8 November
• Wangaratta Aero had its lowest total spring rainfall on record, while Wodonga had its lowest total spring rainfall since 1938

Mostly above average daytime temperatures

• Daytime temperatures in spring were warmer than average across most of the State, and very much warmer than average in East Gippsland
• Victoria's mean maximum temperature was 1.01 °C warmer than the long-term average for spring
• Mean maximum temperatures were above average in September, much above average in October (Victoria's eight-warmest October on record), and close to average in November
• Temperatures reached into the 40s at many locations (including Greater Melbourne) on 21 November, and many sites had their highest spring temperature on record
• The warmest temperature in the State during the spring was 43.6 °C recorded at both Kyabram and Swan Hill Aerodrome on 21 November
• Night-time temperatures were below to very much below average in most of Victoria's west and north, with an area of lowest on record night-time temperatures between Nhill and Warracknabeal, in the State's west.
• State-wide mean minimum temperature was 0.25 °C below the long-term average for spring, the coolest spring since 2003
• Night-time temperatures were cold in September and November, and close to average in October
• Victoria's overall mean temperature for spring was 0.38 °C above average, 0.4 °C cooler than spring 2018

Strong winds, fires and snow

• The passage of cold fronts brought strong and gusty winds to Victoria on a number of days during spring
• The strongest wind gust was on 21 September, when a gust of 139 km/h was recorded at Mount Hotham
• Areas of raised dust were observed across the northwest of Victoria on 25 and 26 October, with visibility at Mildura Airport at times reduced to 3 km or less
• A series of cold fronts that crossed the State between 4 and 9 November brought snow to the Victorian Alps, with further snow falling on the 25th
• The highest possible fire danger rating, a Code Red Day was declared for the Mallee and Northern Country regions on 21 November due to the extreme heat, and many schools and childcare centres in these areas were closed; the last time a Code Red Day was declared in Victoria was in January 2010;
• A cold front and associated trough crossed Victoria on 21 November generating a line of thunderstorms; lightning strikes and hot, gusty winds resulted in more than 60 fires across the State
• In East Gippsland, fires near Bruthen, Ensay and Gelantipy have burnt thousands of hectares of bush
• Strong winds on 21 November smashed debris into powerlines, leaving thousands of Victorians without a power, and caused a dust storm which affected the Mildura region, with visibility at Mildura Airport occasionally reduced to as low as 500 m

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

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* note: there are gaps in the historical record at this site, so it is possible a lower value has gone unreported

* 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