November 1999

RAINFALL

As usual rainfall varied greatly across the region in November, but spring totals have been generally below average, according to Lindsay Smail of Geelong Weather Services. In the Otways water catchment areas, November falls were in some cases well above average (over 120%), the Bellarine Peninsula was also wetter than normal (100-120%), but totals closer to and northwest of urban Geelong continued to lag behind. Teesdale, for example, only received 25 mm for the month (63%) and Inverleigh 20 mm. (40%). The average across the Geelong urban area was around 32 mm, ranging from 23mm at Lara to 58 mm at Leopold South. At Mt Duneed the Bureau of Meteorology registered 32.4 mm.

TEMPERATURES

Geelong was also cooler than normal for November, with only the final three days of the month lifting the averaqe maximum to 20.4 degrees, compared to the normal 21.2. Overnight minimums averaged only 8.5, compared to the normal 10.2. Only eleven cloudy days were observed, compared to the normal 16.

THE OUTLOOK

Water restrictions look set to continue, and should be tightened, according to Mr Smail. Even with the possibility of improved summer rainfall, runoff will not be as great as in winter, and the tourist influx to the region will place an extra strain on supplies which have been augmented by underground drilling of groundwater for the past 18 months.

RAINFALL DATA

 

GEELONG REGION
Location Total for
Month
(mm)
Monthly
Average
(mm)
Aireys Inlet 65.6 59.7
Anakie 30.0 55.0
Anglesea 41.0 55.0
Apollo Bay 100.8 81.7
Bacchus Marsh n.a. 45.5
Ballan 61.0 47.5
Ballarat 34.8 56.0
Bannockburn 22.7 47.0
Barwon Heads 43.0 53.0
Bellbrae 45.0 51.2
Beeac 56.8 52.1
Birregurra 58.0 55.4
Cape Otway 100.4 64.1
Clifton Springs 48.5 41.9
Colac 56.6 57.7
Drysdale 54.0 41.9
Forrest (West Barwon) 80.2 88.2
Gellibrand 78.0 70.6
Inverleigh 19.5 47.2
Laverton 36.4 52.0
Melbourne (City) 42.6 60.0
Meredith (Darra) 35.2 60.7
Modewarre 34.2 48.0
Queenscliff 51.4 49.0
St Leonards 33.5 50.0
Teesdale 25.0 40.4
Wallington 38.0 46.2
Warrnambool Airport 93.8 64.2
Weeaproinah 160.2 140.2
Winchelsea 35.0 45.5

GEELONG SUBURBS
Location Total for
Month
(mm)
Monthly
Average
(mm)
Avalon 23.8 39.9
Bell Park 28.0 48.8
Belmont 30.0 50.6
City 25.0 47.2
Connewarre 31.5 52.4
Corio 29.0 45.0
Grovedale 31.0 50.6
Hamlyn Heights 26.0 56.4
Highton 25.0 50.4
Lara 23.5 40.9
Lara (Serendip) 23.3 40.9
Leopold 34.0 66.6
Leopold South 58.0 66.6
Manifold Heights 27.5 48.8
Mt Duneed Airport 32.4 45.0
Mt Duneed West 38.3 45.0
St Albans Park 28.3 47.2