Tuesday, 1 June 2021 - Seasonal Climate Summary for Victoria - Product code IDCKGC26R0

Victoria in autumn 2021: below average rainfall; coolest nights since 2015

Rainfall totals for autumn were below to very much below average across much of western Victoria, with the north-west of the state receiving less than 40% of its autumn mean rainfall. It was also drier than average in most of the Northeast district, but wetter than average in Gippsland. Daytime temperatures were close to average across Victoria, while night-time temperatures were cooler than average across much of the state's north, and warmer than average along parts of the coast.

Below average rainfall

• Rainfall totals for autumn were below to very much below average across large parts of western Victoria, with Mallee receiving less than 40% of its autumn mean.
• It was also drier than average in most of the Northeast district, but wetter than average in Gippsland.
• Averaged across the state, rainfall was 23% below the autumn average of 159 mm.
• The season began with a wetter than average March, followed by a much drier than average April; May brought some heavy falls, but for the state overall, it was drier than average.
• Balook (in South Gippsland) was the wettest place in Victoria this autumn recording 541.8 mm this season.
• The highest daily rainfall total, 170 mm, was recorded at Madalya to 9am on 24 March, when a low pressure system brought falls of more than 100 mm to parts of Gippsland.
• Some sites had their highest autumn daily rainfall on record.
• Orbost had its highest total autumn rainfall on record, while East Sale, Darriman and Giffard had their highest total autumn rainfall in more than three decades.
• Despite a wetter than average January, Victoria's year-to-date rainfall was 3% below average, due to a much drier than average April.

Coolest autumn nights since 2015

• Night-time temperatures were cooler than average in Victoria's north-west, and warmer than average along parts of the coast.
• Averaged across the state, the mean minimum temperature was 0.35 °C below the autumn mean, the lowest since 2015.
• Some sites had their lowest autumn temperature on record on the last three days of the season.
• Some sites had their lowest autumn mean daily minimum temperature since at least 1995.
• Daytime temperatures were close to average across the state away from the far north-west where days were warmer than average.
• The mean daytime temperature for Victoria in autumn was 0.1 °C above the autumn average.
• Victoria's lowest daily maximum temperature this autumn was −3.9 °C, recorded at Mount Hotham on 15 May.
• Combienbar AWS (in the state's east) had its coldest autumn day on record on 15 May.
• Victoria's year-to-date mean minimum temperature was around 0.1 °C below average, the coolest since 2005.

Strong winds, snow, floods and frost

• Damaging easterly winds developed along the Gippsland coast on 23 and 24 March, as a low pressure system approached and crossed the southern New South Wales coast; the strongest wind gust of 133km/h was recorded at Wilsons Promontory Lighthouse on 24 March.
• A strong cold front on 10 April brought a sharp decrease in temperatures to the state, and snow to the elevated parts of Victoria; Mount Baw Baw, Lake Mountain and Mount Buller recorded between 20 and 40 cm of snow. Lighter snowfalls were recorded at Falls Creek and Mt Hotham, with some graupel and light snow flurries observed to lower elevations at Marysville and the Dandenong Ranges.
• More snow fell on the Victorian Alps in the wake of vigorous cold fronts that crossed Victoria on 20 April and 14 May.
• A cold front and a low pressure system that crossed the state on 10 May brought showers and thunderstorms. Moderate flooding was observed on 11 May in the Cann River around Chandler's Creek, and in the Genoa River.
• Widespread frost was observed in many parts of Victoria on the last several mornings of the season.

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 higher value has gone unreported

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top