Tuesday, 1 November 2022 - Monthly Climate Summary for Victoria - Product code IDCKGC16R0

Victoria in October 2022: wettest month on record, very warm nights

October rainfall was very much above average across most of Victoria including large areas of highest on record, thanks in part to record daily rainfall on the 12th and 13th. For Victoria overall, it was the highest rainfall for any month since records began in 1900 (not just the wettest October). Maximum temperatures were below average across much of northern Victoria and close to average elsewhere; in contrast, minimum temperatures were very much above average across most of the state.

Wettest October on record

• October was much wetter than average across most of the state, with large parts of central and northern Victoria having their wettest October on record.
• For the state as a whole, rainfall was more than double the 1961-1990 October average of 64.6 mm.
• A cold front and a low pressure trough interacting with humid air over northern Australia, brought rain and thunderstorms to Victoria on the 6th and 7th. Widespread rainfall and showers resulted in daily rainfall totals between 10 and 30 mm at many sites. There were isolated higher falls, mostly associated with thunderstorms.
• Showers and rain developed across most of Victoria on the 12th in a moist northerly airflow, with the heaviest falls in central parts of the state; through these areas, widespread daily rainfall totals between 20 and 60 mm were recorded, with isolated totals exceeding 100 mm. A cold front crossed Victoria on the 13th, bringing widespread rainfall and strong winds, with the highest daily totals in the central and north-eastern parts.
• Many sites had their highest October daily rainfall on record between the 12th and 14th.
• The highest daily rainfall total recorded in Victoria this October was 123.2 mm at Lima East on the 13th.
• With a number of sites in central and north-eastern Victoria receiving more than 150 mm over 48 hours to 9 am on the 14th, and some sites having their wettest two consecutive days on record, major to record flooding occurred on many rivers, leading to road closures, and inundating many homes, properties and large areas of farmland.
• Severe thunderstorms and showers developed on the 21st over parts of Victoria, with the west of the state recording the highest daily rainfall totals; some sites had more than 60 mm in the 24 hours to 9am on the 22nd.
• A slow moving low pressure trough crossed the state on the 22nd, delivering showers, rainfall and thunderstorms mostly to central and north-eastern Victoria, while a low-pressure system that formed over south-western New South Wales moved over the state with widespread rainfall, showers and thunderstorms that led to renewed river rises and flooding in northern parts of the state.
• Another cold front crossed Victoria on the 31st, bringing more showers, thunderstorms and strong gusty winds.
• Many sites with over 100 years of record had their highest total October rainfall, or highest total October rainfall for at least 20 years.
• The highest monthly totals were in Victoria's north-east, with Mount Buller the state's wettest site with 490.0 mm.
• Over the first ten months of the year (January - October), Victoria's rainfall was 29% above average, the fifth-highest on record, and the highest since 1974.

Second-warmest October nights on record

• Mean minimum temperatures were very much above average across most of the state.
• Victoria's mean minimum temperature was 1.80 °C above 1961-1990 average, making it the second-warmest on record for October.
• Some sites had their highest October mean daily minimum temperature on record, while Rutherglen Research had its highest October mean daily minimum temperature since 1963.
• The warmest night in Victoria saw 17.7 °C at Shepparton Airport on the 21st.
• Wangaratta Aero had its warmest October night on record
• Maximum temperatures were below average in much of northern Victoria and close to average elsewhere.
• Statewide, the mean maximum temperature was 1.06 °C below October average, the lowest since 2003.
• Maximum temperatures were cool on many days, due to widespread cloud cover, rainfall and cold airmasses that followed the passage of fronts.
• The lowest daily maximum temperature this October was 0.2 °C, recorded at Mount Baw Baw on the 9th.
• Victoria's year-to-date (January to October) mean minimum temperature was 1.26 °C above average, the highest on record, while the mean maximum temperature was close to average.

Floods, thunderstorms and strong winds

• On the 7th, parts of Greater Melbourne, particularly the south-eastern suburbs, experienced thunderstorms, heavy rainfall and flash flooding. Frankston North had 37.8 mm, most of which fell in about 2 hours.
• Damaging to destructive wind gusts were associated with a passage of cold fronts on the 13th and 31st. The strongest wind gust in Victoria this October, 137 km/h, was recorded at Mount Hotham on the 13th.
• On the 14th, major flood warnings were issued for the Maribyrnong, Ovens, King, Broken, Goulburn, Campaspe, Loddon, Avoca, Murray and Wimmera Rivers, and the Mt Emu, Castle and Seven Creeks. Numerous Minor to Moderate warnings for catchments across Victoria were also issued.
• Severe thunderstorms developed on the 21st over parts of the state's west resulting in flash flooding in Geelong and Hamilton, while north-east of Melbourne there was heavy rainfall and flash flooding on the 25th.

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

* 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