Wednesday, 1 May 2019 - Monthly Climate Summary for Victoria - Product code IDCKGC16R0

Victoria in April 2019: very dry with warm days and mild nights

April 2019 was sixth-driest April for the State as a whole. Both maximum and minimum temperatures were warmer than average despite some cool weather near the end of the month.

Sixth-driest April on record

  • Most of Victoria had rainfall that was very much below April average, while in part of the State's northwest it was the lowest on record
  • Large areas of the State had less than 20% of their monthly average rainfall for April
  • State-wide it was sixth-driest April on record (the driest since 1997); total monthly rainfall was 79% below the long-term mean of 51 mm
  • Many sites had their lowest total April rainfall on record or their lowest total April rainfall for at least 20 years
  • Cold fronts brought light to moderate falls to southern parts of the State on the 9th and to parts of eastern Victoria on the 22nd
  • The highest daily rainfall total in Victoria was 42.0 mm, recorded at Mount Baw Baw on the 9th
  • The State's highest monthly total was also at Mount Baw Baw with 98.6 mm
  • For Victoria, this was the 4th driest start to the year (January-April) on record
  • For many parts of western and central Victoria the first four months of 2019 have been the driest since 1923

Warm temperatures

  • Daytime temperatures were much warmer than average across much of Victoria
  • Averaged across the State, April's maximum temperature was 1.62 °C warmer than the April average
  • Between the 15th and the 17th, and again on the 20th, approaching cold fronts directed warm air from the north into Victoria; during these warm spells, many sites across the State had their late season maximum temperature records
  • The highest April maximum temperature in Victoria was 35.2 °C, recorded at Walpeup Research on the 16th
  • Night-time temperatures were above average across the eastern and central parts of the State, while close to average in most of western Victoria
  • The Victorian minimum temperature was 0.83 °C warmer than the April average
  • There were several warm nights during the month; very warm daily minimum temperatures were recorded on the 17th, and some sites had their warmest April night on record, including Cape Otway Lighthouse which has 156 years of measurements
  • A strong cold front crossed Victoria on the 26th bringing cold air, damaging winds and powerful surf along the coast
  • The morning on 27th was cold, with many sites in inland parts of the State recording negative night-time temperatures
  • The lowest night-time temperature recorded in Victoria in April was −4.9 °C at Falls Creek on the 27th
  • The Victorian mean temperature in the first four months of 2019 has been the highest on record

Strong winds

  • The strongest winds during April, associated with the passage of a cold front, were recorded on the 26th, with gusts of 144 km/h reported at Wilsons Promontory Lighthouse

Further information

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Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

Extremes in April 2019
Hottest day 35.2 °C at Walpeup Research on the 16th
Warmest days on average 25.8 °C at Mildura Airport
Coolest days on average 10.0 °C at Mount Hotham
Coldest day 0.2 °C at Mount Baw Baw on the 9th
Coldest night -4.9 °C at Falls Creek on the 27th
Coolest nights on average 4.1 °C at Mount Hotham
Warmest nights on average 13.8 °C at Point Hicks (Lighthouse)
Warmest night 24.3 °C at Cape Otway Lighthouse on the 17th
Warmest on average overall 18.3 °C at Mildura Airport
18.3 °C at Walpeup Research
Coolest on average overall 7.1 °C at Mount Hotham
Wettest overall 98.6 mm at Mount Baw Baw
Driest overall 0 mm at Annuello
0 mm at Birchip (Marlbed)
0 mm at Birchip (Woodlands)
0 mm at Boundary Bend
0 mm at Bronzewing
0 mm at Hopetoun Airport
0 mm at Kerang
0 mm at Manangatang (Cocamba)
0 mm at Pira Wild Horse Plains
0 mm at Sea Lake (Post Office)
Wettest day 42.0 mm at Mount Baw Baw on the 9th
Strongest wind gust 144 km/h at Wilsons Promontory Lighthouse on the 26th

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

Maps
ObservedAnomalyDecile rank
Total
rainfall		 Map of Rainfall totals Map of Percentage of normal rainfall Map of Rainfall deciles
Mean
daily
maximum
temperatures		 Map of Mean maximum temperature Map of Anomaly in mean maximum temperature Map of Decile rank of mean maximum temperature
Mean
daily
minimum
temperatures		 Map of Mean minimum temperature Map of Anomaly in mean minimum temperature Map of Decile rank of mean minimum temperature

Click on a map to show it full size in a pop-up window

Record lowest April total rainfall
New record
(mm)		 Old
record		 Years of
record		 Average for
April
Rutherglen Research 0.8 1.3 in 1927 106 39.5
Laverton RAAF 4.2 7.8 in 1976 78 44.7
Essendon Airport 6.6 7.6 in 1981 74 53.7
Mangalore Airport 1.2 3.8 in 1997 62 38.3
Briagolong 4.2 6.0 in 2018 49 58.5
Bendigo Airport 3.2 3.8 in 1993 28 31.2
Cerberus 17.2 18.0 in 1999 28 59.6
Falls Creek 9.8 15.8 in 1997 26 84.2
Wallan (Kilmore Gap) 8.4 9.4 in 2008 25 52.5
Newham (Cobaw) 3.8 9.0 in 1999 24 44.5
Lima East (Charnwood) 10.8 12.2 in 2004 22 51.6

Lowest April total rainfall for at least 20 years
Observed
(mm)		 Most recent
lower		 Average for
April
Blackwood 13.1 1.0 in 1923* 71.5
Heathcote 3.0 1.8 in 1927 41.8
Lancefield 1.8 0.3 in 1923* 51.8
Yea 2.2 1.8 in 1927 48.9
Eltham 11.6 0.0 in 1923* 61.7
Rochester 0.8 0.0 in 1945 30.7
Stanhope 1.2 0.0 in 1945 33.5
Echuca Aerodrome 0.4 0.0 in 1945* 32.0
Eberys 4.4 0.0 in 1923* 40.6
Maryborough 3.4 1.5 in 1949 38.6
Redesdale 2.0 1.3 in 1949* 40.4
Bullengarook East 9.4 6.4 in 1959* 58.0
Moorabbin Airport 16.0 8.2 in 1963* 61.1
East Sale 8.0 6.8 in 1981 47.5
Melbourne Airport 5.0 4.8 in 1981 43.0
Strathbogie 9.0 5.6 in 1981 65.1
Morwell (Latrobe Valley Airport) 12.8 10.2 in 1993 55.1
Wodonga 10.0 2.3 in 1967* 49.9
Castlemaine Prison 7.4 4.9 in 1994* 40.6
Charlton (Donald St) 0.4 0.0 in 1996 27.0
Lake Boga 1.2 0.0 in 1997 21.1
Mincha 0.4 =0.4 in 1997 24.1
Mount Hotham 42.4 17.4 in 1997 104.1
Port Fairy AWS 14.0 12.8 in 1997 49.1
Aireys Inlet 9.4 6.8 in 1997* 47.2
Cape Otway Lighthouse 33.0 30.2 in 1997* 70.7
Koetong 11.0 6.6 in 1997* 69.2
Walpeup Research 0.6 0.4 in 1997* 23.4
Derrinallum (Craigmore) 11.4 11.0 in 1999 45.8
Donald 0.6 0.0 in 1999 23.4
Horsham Aerodrome 0.8 0.2 in 1999 24.9
Longerenong 1.2 0.0 in 1999 28.7
Natimuk 3.4 0.6 in 1999 29.0
Ouyen (Post Office) 0.6 0.0 in 1999 21.9
Rupanyup (Post Office) 2.6 0.0 in 1999 27.5
Stawell Aerodrome 1.4 0.2 in 1999 27.6
Warracknabeal Museum 2.2 0.0 in 1999 25.6

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



Record highest April daily minimum temperature
New record
(°C)		 Old
record		 Years of
record		 Average for
April
Cape Otway Lighthouse 24.3 on the 17th 22.8 on the 3rd in 1886 156 11.7
Sheoaks 21.7 on the 17th 21.5 on the 5th in 1992 28 8.8
Warrnambool Airport NDB 20.3 on the 17th 17.3 on the 3rd in 2005 21 9.0
Viewbank 22.9 on the 17th 22.7 on the 15th in 2004 20 10.1


Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

Summary statistics for April 2019
Maximum temperatures
(°C)		 Minimum temperatures
(°C)		 Rainfall
(millimetres)
Mean for
April
2019		 Diff
from
average		 Highest for
April
2019		 Mean for
April
2019		 Diff
from
average		 Lowest for
April
2019		 Total for
April
2019		 Average
for
April		 Rank of
April
2019		 Fraction of
April
average
North Mallee (district 76)
Mildura Airport 25.8 +2.1 34.4 16th 10.8 +0.6 3.8 27th 1.2 19.1 low 6%
Ouyen (Post Office) 25.5 +2.0 34.7 16th 10.4 +0.8 3.0 27th 0.6 21.9 v low 3%
Walpeup Research 25.5 +2.5 35.2 16th 11.1 +1.0 2.5 27th 0.6 23.4 v low 3%
South Mallee (district 77)
Hopetoun Airport 24.9 +0.9 34.7 16th 8.8 -0.2 -0.8 27th 0 19.6 v low 0%
Swan Hill Aerodrome 25.1 +1.2 33.7 17th 10.0 +0.9 3.3 12th 0.2 20.2 v low 1%
North Wimmera (district 78)
Kellalac (Warracknabeal Airport) 24.1   33.6 16th 8.4   0.6 27th 1.8
Nhill Aerodrome 23.2 +0.4 33.7 16th 9.1 0.0 2.1 10th 0.6 19.0 v low 3%
Warracknabeal Museum 23.9 +1.4 33.2 16th 8.0 -1.0 0.6 27th 2.2 25.6 v low 9%
South Wimmera (district 79)
Edenhope Airport 22.2 +0.8 33.9 16th 8.7 -0.4 2.3 18th 10.0 32.1 v low 31%
Grampians (Mount William) 13.9 +1.3 22.9 16th 5.9 -0.2 0.5 27th 35.8 74.1 v low 48%
Horsham Aerodrome 23.2 +0.8 33.6 16th 7.0 -0.2 -0.2 27th 0.8 24.9 v low 3%
Kanagulk 22.0 +0.6 33.3 16th 7.4 -1.1 1.2 12th 9.8 31.2 v low 31%
Longerenong 23.2 +1.6 33.5 16th 8.1 0.0 0.2 10th 1.2 28.7 v low 4%
Pyrenees (Ben Nevis) 17.9 +2.0 26.8 16th 8.3 0.0 2.5 27th 11.6 44.5 v low 26%
Stawell Aerodrome 21.8 +1.0 31.2 16th 8.5 -0.1 2.2 27th 1.4 27.6 v low 5%
Lower North (district 80)
Charlton 24.3 +1.0 32.4 17th 9.2 0.0 2.0 27th 0.2 22.9 v low 1%
Echuca Aerodrome 24.5 +2.2 31.3 17th 9.5 +0.1 2.0 30th 0.4 32.0 v low 1%
Kerang 24.9 +2.1 33.2 17th 10.8 +1.4 4.2 27th 0 25.6 lowest 0%
Kyabram 24.1 +2.2 30.7 17th 9.7 +0.9 2.4 27th 2.0 36.7 v low 5%
Upper North (district 81)
Bendigo Airport 23.4 +2.0 31.8 17th 8.9 +0.9 2.1 10th 3.2 31.2 lowest 10%
Shepparton Airport 24.2 +1.6 30.5 17th 9.9 +1.3 2.1 27th 5.6 32.5 v low 17%
Tatura Inst Sustainable Ag 23.3 +1.7 30.3 17th 9.1 +0.7 0.5 27th 3.4 34.0 v low 10%
Yarrawonga 24.9 +1.8 30.1 20th 10.1 +1.0 1.9 11th 6.8 30.0 low 23%
Lower Northeast (district 82)
Benalla Airport 24.2 +1.5 29.8 20th 8.5 +0.2 1.2 27th 18.0 39.6 average 45%
Dartmouth Reservoir 22.0 +1.2 26.4 6th 7.6 +0.4 0.0 27th 16.6 58.6 low 28%
Hunters Hill 18.5 +1.9 23.0 20th 9.7 +1.2 1.4 27th 17.0 67.8 v low 25%
Rutherglen Research 24.8 +2.8 29.9 20th 8.2 +1.1 0.2 28th 0.8 39.5 lowest 2%
Strathbogie 21.2 +2.3 27.1 20th 6.6 +0.9 -0.7 12th 9.0 65.1 v low 14%
Wangaratta Aero 24.3 +1.7 29.1 20th 7.9 +0.9 1.0 11th 11.0 37.1 low 30%
Upper Northeast (district 83)
Falls Creek 11.1 +1.2 15.2 20th 4.8 +1.6 -4.9 27th 9.8 84.2 lowest 12%
Mount Buller 11.3 +1.3 16.4 20th 4.9 +1.2 -3.1 27th 36.0 105.0 v low 34%
Mount Hotham 10.0 +1.5 14.2 20th 4.1 +1.4 -4.5 27th 42.4 104.1 v low 41%
Omeo 20.0 +1.1 25.3 20th 6.3 +0.8 -0.9 27th 8.0 34.6 v low 23%
East Gippsland (district 84)
Combienbar AWS 19.3 +1.4 25.9 17th 10.3 +0.6 4.8 27th 13.8 85.1 v low 16%
Gabo Island Lighthouse 20.2 +1.0 23.9 3rd     10.3 27th 51.8 83.7 average 62%
Gelantipy 18.1 +1.5 24.4 17th 8.1 +1.0 1.9 28th 7.6 56.7 v low 13%
Lakes Entrance (Eastern Beach Road) 20.4 +0.1 30.7 17th 11.4 +0.3 6.1 12th 18.0 61.0 v low 30%
Mallacoota 21.1 +1.0 26.6 3rd 13.1 +1.4 6.8 12th 27.8 90.5 low 31%
Mount Nowa Nowa 20.2 +0.9 29.7 17th 11.3 +0.5 6.2 27th 9.8 79.1 v low 12%
Orbost 21.2 +0.1 28.6 21st 11.3 +0.6 6.8 2nd 6.2 75.0 v low 8%
Point Hicks (Lighthouse) 20.7 +0.8 28.6 17th 13.8 +0.7 8.4 27th 39.2 85.6 low 46%
West Gippsland (district 85)
Bairnsdale Airport 21.5 +0.7 31.8 17th 9.4 +0.7 2.4 30th 6.8 55.6 v low 12%
Corner Inlet (Yanakie) 19.9   31.4 17th 10.9   3.9 12th 39.8
East Sale 21.9 +1.6 32.2 17th 10.0 +1.4 3.3 12th 8.0 47.5 v low 17%
East Sale Airport 22.1   32.4 17th 10.2   4.5 12th 6.0
Morwell (Latrobe Valley Airport) 21.9 +1.3 31.1 17th 10.1 +1.4 3.8 12th 12.8 55.1 v low 23%
Mount Baw Baw 11.4 +1.5 17.5 20th 4.6 +0.8 -2.1 27th 98.6 135.6 average 73%
Mount Moornapa 19.7 +1.3 30.6 17th 10.5 +0.6 6.0 27th 10.8 79.0 v low 14%
Nilma North (Warragul) 21.1   30.3 17th 10.3   4.5 7th 47.6
Pound Creek 21.1 +0.5 31.1 21st 9.5 0.0 0.6 12th
Wilsons Promontory Lighthouse 18.3 +1.0 27.3 21st 13.6 +0.9 9.3 27th 39.4 83.5 low 47%
Yarram Airport 21.5 +1.1 32.1 17th 9.7 +0.8 3.2 12th 18.8 42.4 v low 44%
East Central (district 86)
Cerberus 21.8 +1.9 31.5 16th 10.1 +0.1 3.4 12th 17.2 59.6 lowest 29%
Coldstream 22.5 +1.9 30.2 16th 7.5 +0.6 0.8 12th 19.0 57.6 low 33%
Cranbourne Botanic Gardens 21.8 +1.8 30.6 17th 10.6 +0.3 4.3 30th 30.6 68.0 low 45%
Essendon Airport 22.6 +2.4 31.1 16th 10.9 +0.9 5.6 2nd 6.6 53.7 lowest 12%
Ferny Creek 18.2   25.6 17th 9.9   3.9 27th 62.0
Melbourne (Olympic Park) 22.0   30.3 16th 12.0   6.7 12th 7.2
Melbourne Airport 22.6 +2.2 31.1 17th 10.4 +0.2 5.4 12th 5.0 43.0 v low 12%
Moorabbin Airport 22.2 +2.0 31.8 16th 11.3 +0.8 5.0 30th 16.0 61.1 v low 26%
Rhyll 21.0 +1.4 28.1 16th 13.0 +0.3 9.8 27th 25.6 57.1 low 45%
Scoresby Research Institute 22.3 +2.2 30.1 16th 10.5 +0.4 5.7 12th 23.6 66.6 v low 35%
Viewbank 22.7 +1.3 31.2 16th 10.3 +0.2 4.0 12th 15.2 55.1 v low 28%
West Central (district 87)
Avalon Airport 22.2 +1.7 33.4 16th 10.2 +0.5 2.5 30th 8.6 37.3 v low 23%
Breakwater (Geelong Racecourse) 22.1   33.3 16th 10.4   3.5 30th 4.0
Laverton RAAF 22.4 +2.1 31.6 17th 10.6 +0.7 4.6 12th 4.2 44.7 lowest 9%
Sheoaks 20.8 +1.5 30.6 16th 9.4 +0.6 1.5 30th 10.8 37.4 low 29%
North Central (district 88)
Castlemaine Prison 22.0 +1.8 29.0 16th 8.6 +0.9 0.0 27th 7.4 40.6 v low 18%
Eildon Fire Tower 20.0 +1.6 25.9 20th 10.0 +0.7 3.1 27th 9.6 42.9 v low 22%
Lake Eildon 22.7 +1.7 29.0 16th 8.6 +0.7 3.5 11th 13.2 59.0 v low 22%
Mangalore Airport 23.6 +2.1 29.8 17th 8.9 +0.3 -1.0 27th 1.2 38.3 lowest 3%
Maryborough 22.7 +2.1 29.8 16th 8.7 +0.4 2.3 27th 3.4 38.6 v low 9%
Puckapunyal Lyon Hill (Defence) 23.0   29.2 17th 10.7   1.8 27th 1.6
Puckapunyal West (Defence) 22.4   29.1 17th 10.2   1.7 27th 2.4
Redesdale 23.3 +2.5 29.9 17th 7.8 +0.4 -0.5 27th 2.0 40.4 v low 5%
Wallan (Kilmore Gap) 19.7 +2.6 26.6 17th 9.3 +0.4 4.4 27th 8.4 52.5 lowest 16%
Western Plains (district 89)
Ararat Prison 21.9 +2.2 30.0 16th 7.5 +0.2 0.5 12th 9.0 41.1 v low 22%
Ballarat Aerodrome 20.2 +2.5 28.3 16th 8.3 +0.8 1.8 27th 14.4 50.7 low 28%
Westmere 21.3 +1.1 31.3 16th 7.7 0.0 0.0 19th 12.4 34.0 low 36%
West Coast (district 90)
Aireys Inlet 21.0 +1.8 32.2 16th 11.6 0.0 7.5 27th 9.4 47.2 v low 20%
Cape Nelson Lighthouse 19.5 +1.2 32.5 20th 12.1 -0.3 6.7 23rd 24.0 44.5 low 54%
Cape Otway Lighthouse 18.8 +0.8 30.7 16th 12.3 +0.6 7.5 23rd 33.0 70.7 low 47%
Casterton 20.7 +0.1 32.7 16th 8.3 -0.6 1.1 23rd 25.2 44.0 v low 57%
Colac (Mount Gellibrand) 20.1 +0.8 30.8 16th 10.0 0.0 5.5 27th 11.0 40.5 v low 27%
Dartmoor 20.6 +0.4 32.9 16th 8.7 -0.3 0.4 23rd 18.0 49.7 v low 36%
Hamilton Airport 20.4 +0.5 31.7 16th 8.7 +0.4 3.3 23rd 19.6 39.8 low 49%
Mortlake Racecourse 21.4 +1.3 32.7 16th 8.0 +0.1 0.5 19th 12.4 43.2 v low 29%
Port Fairy AWS 20.3 +0.9 33.4 16th 10.9 0.0 3.8 23rd 14.0 49.1 v low 29%
Portland (Cashmore Airport) 19.2 +0.7 31.5 16th 9.4 -0.5 2.1 23rd 34.2 58.5 low 58%
Warrnambool Airport NDB 20.4 +0.3 32.3 16th 9.2 +0.2 1.3 23rd 28.6 52.5 low 54%

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

Notes

The Monthly climate summary, generally published on the first working day of each month, lists the main features of the weather in Victoria using the most timely and accurate information available on the date of publication; it will generally not be updated. More extensive discussion of significant weather events, along with later information and data that has had greater opportunity for quality control, will be presented in the Monthly Weather Review.

This statement has been prepared based on information available at 11 am on Wednesday 1 May 2019. Some checks have been made on the data, but it is possible that results will change as new information becomes available.

In some situations, some or all of the rainfall is in the form of hail or snow. In these cases the totals given are for the water equivalent: the depth of liquid water that results from melting any frozen precipitation. There can be significant 'undercatch' of snow in strong winds, meaning the true precipitation can be higher than that reported.

Averages for individual sites 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.

Where temperature area averages are mentioned, they are derived from the ACORN-SAT dataset.

Further information

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