May 1998

RAINFALL

May rainfall was generally well below average for most of the Geelong region, according to Lindsay Smail of Geelong Weather Services yesterday. Most places received less than half of their average May figure, and some fared much worse. Compared to last year, when Geelong received 100 mm in May, this year the falls ranged from 12.5 mm at Lara to 36.4 mm at Leopold South. The Geelong average for May is 47.2 mm.On the other hand, Melbourne CBD received 53 mm compared with its normal 57.

However, Otway water storage areas were also well down. At Forrest, site of the West Barwon Dam, only 62.4 mm was recorded, compared to the May average of 108.4. Runoff into the dam was very small.OUTLOOKWhen asked if a winter drought was forthcoming, Mr Smail explained that three-monthly predictions based on computer models and SOI phases, showed that the Geelong region and most of Western Victoria stood a good chance of receiving above average winter rainfall this year.”Sea surface temperatures in the Pacific and Indian Oceans help to determine the amount of moisture in the atmosphere passing over southern Victoria,” he said. “With those trends now established, there is a good chance of better-than-average winter rains.””The El Nino-Southern Oscillation figures have risen from minus 22 in April to minus 3 in May. In the past a rise like this has usually meant good rainfall for this region in the next three-month period. But this does not necessarily mean it is a certainty this year. In fact, in the short term, things look fairly dry for the next week or two. This may mean that pasture growth is restricted.”

TEMPERATURES

May was slightly cooler than average. Average minimum temperature was 7.8 degrees, compared to the average 8.1. Average maximum was 16.5 compared to 17.2.

RAINFALL DATA

GEELONG REGION
Location	Total for Month (mm)	Monthly Average (mm)
Aireys Inlet	n.a.	(55.6)
Anglesea	19.5	(70.8)
Apollo Bay	72.6	(99.2)
Bacchus Marsh	n.a.	(40.3)
Ballan	23.6	(47.5)
Ballarat	33.6	(68.1)
Bannockburn	18.0	(44.5)
Barwon Heads	25.0	(65.5)
Bellbrae	28.0	(60.5)
Beeac	32.6	(57.2)
Birregurra	25.8	(64.5)
Cape Otway	71.2	(91.7)
Colac (Elliminyt)	60.8	(82.8)
Colac (Town)	n.a.	(68.8)
Dereel	30.0	(n.a.)
Forrest (West Barwon)	62.4	(108.4)
Gellibrand	47.0	(93.7)
Inverleigh	28.0	(56.7)
Laverton	30.8	(50.8)
Melbourne (City)	52.4	(57.2)
Meredith (Darra)	22.9	(60.2)
Modewarre	23.0	(46.5)
Portarlington	n.a.	(58.4)
Queenscliff	22.1	(59.0)
Sheoaks	23.4	(55.1)
Shelford	29.7	(46.7)
Skipton	34.4	(n.a.)
Teesdale	27.5	(45.3)
Wallington	n.a.	(60.2)
Warrnambool AP	53.4	(71.6)
Weeaproinah	163.4	(200.1)
Werribee	33.0	(43.4)
Winchelsea	18.2	(48.0)

GEELONG SUBURBS
Location	Total for Month (mm)	Monthly Average (mm)
Avalon	20.2	(48.5)
Belmont	17.0	(54.6)
Clifton Springs	n.a.	(64.6)
Connewarre	20.3	(40.1)
Corio	20.7	(49.5)
Grovedale	19.6	(49.8)
Highton	15.0	(49.8)
Manifold Heights	19.2	(45.2)
Mt Duneed Airport	26.4	(47.0)
Mt Duneed West	27.3	(47.0)
Norlane	22.8	(49.5)
Lara	12.5	(30.6)
Leopold South	36.4	(46.2)
Serendip	14.6	(30.6)
Waurn Ponds	n.a.	(43.9)
Whittington	17.1	(48.8)

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