September 2000

RAINFALL AND WIND

“A very pleasing start to spring,” was how Lindsay Smail of Geelong Weather Services described September rainfalls right across the region. Most parts of the Geelong-Otways region recorded rainfall in excess of 120% of normal September totals. “This sets our earlier prediction of above average spring falls on a very firm footing,” he said. Rain fell on 20 days, which is four more than normal. A severe storm occurred on the 30th, which, although it only yielded less than 10 mm of rain generally across the district, included strong winds which damaged roofs, trees and power lines. Winds of 114 kph were reported at Lovely Banks, 111 at Point Wilson and even 75 kph in the Geelong urban area at St Albans Park. A short hail burst occurred at Grovedale and lightning was seen at St Leonards. The squall line occurred as the leading edge of a cold front which crossed Geelong between 4.45 pm and 5.30 pm.

TEMPERATURE

September was warmer than normal. Although the average daily maximum was exactly normal (16.7 degrees), the average minimum was 8.1 compared to the normal 6.8 degrees. This relatively warmer overnight average was mainly a result of some increased cloud cover for the month. The combination of warmer nights and a wet month has led to some remarkable spring growth.

RAINFALL DATA

 

GEELONG REGION
Location Total for
Month
(mm)
Monthly
Average
(mm)
Aireys Inlet 84.6 (71.9)
Anakie 117.5 (64.0)
Anglesea 69.0 (70.5)
Apollo Bay 158.0 (108.6)
Ballan 101.0 (51.5)
Ballarat 96.6 (73.0)
Bannockburn 83.9 (52.0)
Barwon Heads 60.0 (61.0)
Bellbrae 108.0 (60.5)
Beeac 108.0 (59.9)
Birregurra 90.0 (69.6)
Cape Otway 178.2 (89.6)
Colac 85.2 (114.9)
Drysdale 67.0 (68.6)
Forrest (West Barwon) 153.2 (130.6)
Inverleigh 63.0 (51.6)
Laverton 172.2 (52.8)
Lethbridge 95.2 (70.4)
Lovely Banks 78.0 (48.5)
Melba Gully 277.0 (n.a.)
Melbourne (City) 86.6 (59.4)
Meredith (Darra) 94.0 (70.4)
Modewarre 95.5 (58.9)
Paraparap 96.0 (58.9)
Point Lonsdale 50.5 (59.2)
Portarlington n.a. (59.2)
Queenscliff 71.3 (59.2)
Shelford n.a. (54.6)
Sheoaks 100.8 (n.a.)
Skipton 87.7 (n.a.)
St Leonards 70.0 (58.0)
Teesdale 104.5 (57.7)
Torquay 67.7 (58.0)
Warrnambool Airport 114.4 (108.0)
Weeaproinah 275.3 (200.3)
Winchelsea 94.0 (54.4)
Winchelsea South 91.0 (54.4)

GEELONG SUBURBS
Location Total for
Month
(mm)
Monthly
Average
(mm)
Avalon 57.8 (46.7)
Belmont 62.0 (57.7)
Bell Park 68.0 (55.0)
City 64.0 (53.2)
Cloverdale 71.5 (55.6)
Corio 66.0 (55.6)
East Belmont 65.7 (55.0)
Grovedale 69.6 (55.0)
Hamlyn Heights 73.0 (61.9)
Highton 66.7 (61.9)
Leopold South 58.0 (53.8)
Manifold Heights 66.8 (53.8)
Mt Duneed Airport 66.5 (53.2)
Mt Duneed West 85.2 (53.2)
Serendip (Lara) 73.2 (57.5)
St Albans Park 59.0 (50.3)
Urban Area Average 65.0 (53.0)