Wednesday, 1 April 2020 - Monthly Climate Summary for Victoria - Product code IDCKGC16R0

Victoria in March 2020: wet in the north, dry in the south and east

March was wetter than average in most of the northern and central Victoria, but drier than average in large areas in the south and est. Daytime temperatures were below average across most of the eastern half of the state and in small patches in the northwest, while night-time temperatures generally tended to be closer to average.

A wet March in the north of the State

• March was wetter than average in most of northern and central Victoria, with some parts very much wetter than average
• Large areas in the south and east of Victoria observed drier than average conditions
• Averaged across the State, rainfall was just 2% above the long term March average of 41 mm
• A low pressure trough which extended to the tropics, brought moisture from the ex-Tropical Cyclone Esther and widespread rainfall to Victoria on the 5th
• Many sites had their highest March daily rainfall on record on the 5th, including Heathcote and Tangambalanga NE Diary, which both have more than 100 years of measurements
• Close to the end of the month, a cold front and the associated trough brought rainfall to most of Victoria, with daily totals to 9am on the 30th generally between 5 and 15 mm
• Upper Plenty, Strath Creek and Viewbank had their highest total March rainfall on record, while several sites had their highest total March rainfall since at least 1999
• The highest daily rainfall in the State, 129.2 mm was recorded at Whitlands on the 5th; the wettest place during the month was also Whitlands, with a March total of 187.1 mm

Cooler than average

• Days were cooler than average in most of the eastern half of Victoria, but close to average elsewhere
• Averaged across the State, the mean daily temperature was 0.36 °C below the long-term March average
• There were several warm days during the month, notably on the 1st, 12th and 19th, when daytime temperatures above 30 °C were recorded across large areas of the State
• The highest temperature in Victoria during the month was 37.5 °C, recorded at Walpeup Research on the 19th
• Temperatures dropped sharply across the State after the passage of several cold fronts, as cooler air followed in their wake
• The coolest maximum temperature in Victoria was 3.7 °C at Mount Baw Baw on the 14th
• Night-time temperatures were generally close to average
• Statewide, the mean minimum temperature was 0.16 °C above the March average

Heavy rainfall and flooding

• The remnants of the ex-tropical cyclone Esther brought heavy falls to Victoria on the 5th; the State Emergency Services received more than 300 calls, mostly related to flooding and building damage

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