RAINFALL
Most of the Geelong district, except for the northwest from Ballarat to Melbourne CBD which was particularly dry, experienced around 80% of average rainfall for February. Normally one of our driest months (average 32 mm), this one was no exception with urban Geelong recording just 29 mm. An exception was the district of Dereel, which, thanks to heavy thunderstorms, recorded 107 mm, mostly on the 6th.
The Otways region received average to above average rain for the month, (Mt Sabine 122mm) but catchments are still at the level of 31% of capacity.
Rainfall outlook for March is not optimistic and the autumn projection by the Bureau of Meteorology is for below average falls. However some private consultants consider that although March may not bring good rains, the rest of autumn is looking quite hopeful, with La Nina and its improved rainfall chances expected to last until the middle of the year.
There was one thunder day (4th) and no severe storm or damage.
TEMPERATURES and OTHER FEATURES
February was more than one degree cooler than normal. The average daily maximum was 23.1 degrees C (compared to the long-term average 24.9C) and the daily minimums averaged 13.0 degrees C compared to 13.5 degrees C. The hottest day was the 19th with 36.8 degrees C and the coolest overnight was the 28th with a low of only 9.4 degrees C. There were 4 days over 30 degrees C.
There were 5 windy days with gusts over 60 kph, including a gust of 72 kph at Mt Duneed on the 23rd.
Summer was just fractionally warmer than the long-term average, but nowhere near the recorded extremes set in 1980-81 (hot) and 2001-02 (cold).