June 2001

RAINFALL

Although most suburbs and outlying districts up to a radius of about 20 kilometres from Geelong received above average June rainfall (over 43 mm) the Otways and Moorabool catchments once again suffered from below average falls. Forrest’s 76 mm was only around 70% of normal, but the water supply system is presently at 64% of capacity and Geelong’s water restrictions have been removed. The maximum recorded in the urban area was 76 mm at Highton and the lowest was 35 mm at Lara.

TEMPERATURES

As recorded at the Mt Duneed AWS, Geelong’s average daily maximum was 15.3 degrees, or a full degree above the long-term normal. The average minimum was 7.3, 1.4 degrees above the normal 5.9. This warmer than normal June has been a feature of the whole of SE Australia. The warmest overnight minimum was 13.1 degrees on the 8th and on the coldest night the temperature only dropped to 0.9 degrees on the 19th.

OTHER FEATURES

If Geelong’s official temperatures had been recorded in the urban area, the GWS figure of 9.0 degrees for the average overnight minimum would give a more realistic idea of the temperature in a suburban backyard. Although this figure shows the direct influence of the urban heat effect, it nevertheless would reflect a much truer picture.

RAINFALL DATA