Wednesday, 1 February 2023 - Monthly Climate Summary for Victoria - Product code IDCKGC16R0

Victoria in January 2023: drier than average

January rainfall was below average across most of Victoria's south. Mean maximum temperatures were above average in much of central and western Victoria. Mean minimum temperatures were above average across most of the state's south and east.

Drier than average

• January rainfall totals were below average across most of Victoria's south, with areas of very much below average rainfall scattered in the Central and West Gippsland districts.
• Rainfall totals were above average to very much above average in the state's north-east.
• For Victoria as a whole, rainfall was about 26% below the 1961–1990 average January rainfall of 39.5 mm.
• A low pressure trough brought isolated thunderstorms and rainfall to parts of central and northern Victoria on the 2nd.
• A cold front and an associated low pressure trough brought widespread rainfall to the state on the 17th, with daily totals generally between 5 and 20 mm.
• Low pressure troughs brought thunderstorms and heavy rainfall to north-west Victoria on the 22nd, north-east Victoria on the 23rd and southern Victoria on the 25th.
• Another low pressure trough resulted in heavy rain in the far north-east of the state on the 30th, and some sites had their highest January daily rainfall on record
• Hunters Hill had its highest total January rainfall on record and Rutherglen Research had its highest total January rainfall since 1974.

Above average temperatures

• For Victoria as a whole, mean maximum and mean minimum temperatures were 0.89 °C and 1.16 °C above average respectively.
• Mean maximum temperatures were above average in much of central and western Victoria, while mean minimum temperatures were above average across most of the state's south and east.
• After a warm start to the month, a cool change due to a southerly airflow moved through Victoria bringing mild temperatures between the 3rd and 6th; this was followed by period of warm temperatures and from the 11th a heatwave started to develop across Victoria; daytime temperatures on the 14th were 6 to 10 degrees above average across the state.
• A cold front brought a short period of relief from the heat to southern areas of the state on the 15th, and another cold front on the 17th brought mild temperatures to all parts of Victoria.
• Victoria experienced another warm period between the 25th and 28th followed by a cool change that brought milder weather to the state for the final days of January.
• The highest daytime temperature recorded in Victoria this January was 42.3 °C at Walpeup Research on the 17th, in a northerly airflow preceding the approaching cold front.
• The state's warmest night-time temperature of 26.0 °C was recorded at Mildura Airport on the 2nd.
• Gabo Island Lighthouse had its warmest January night on record.
• Combienbar AWS had its lowest January mean daily maximum temperature for at least two decades.

Thunderstorms, hail and flash floods

• On the 2nd, a cluster of severe thunderstorms moved through the Maryborough and Bendigo regions bringing intense rainfall and gusty winds; large hail around 4 cm in diameter was reported south of Bendigo, and large quantities of small hail covered the ground in Bendigo.
• On the 17th, damaging winds brought down trees and power lines in parts of western and central Victoria.
• Severe storms brought heavy rainfall to Geelong, Bellarine Peninsula and Melbourne's north-eastern suburbs on the 24th, causing flash flooding and leaving thousands of households without power.

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 lower value has gone unreported

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top