RAINFALL Another poor rainfall month has resulted in only 10mm for Geelong in May. Compared to the long-term average of 48mm, this was in the lowest 10% of all historical May totals, and completes a disastrous autumn, our driest on record since accurate records began in 1871. It was also our driest May since 1932, when only 10mm was recorded.…
Author: Lindsay Smail
April 2005
RAINFALL Another month of low rainfall has been experienced right across the Geelong region. The urban area received only 14 mm compared with the monthly average of 41.6mm. Some outer areas like Moriac, Barwon Heads, Clifton Springs and the You Yangs recorded between 15mm and 20mm, but even Weeaproinah in the Otways, the wettest farming area in Victoria, only managed…
March 2005
RAINFALL March was a drought month for Geelong with only 6.8mm falling at Mt Duneed and up to around 10mm across the urban area. The Otway and Moorabool catchments were also well below average, but the water supplies are around two-thirds full at 65.7%, which is better than last year’s 49% at the same stage. TEMPERATURE “A cooler but generally…
February 2005
RAINFALL A record-making rain event occurred over the first three days of the month, when Geelong received between 120mm and 160mm over a 46-hour period. Geelong’s highest ever fall in a 24-hour period was received at Grovedale (130mm) on 2nd. This was brought about by a slow-moving retrograding low pressure system over central Victoria. Severe flash flooding on the 2nd,…
January 2005
RAINFALL An exciting end to the month of January occurred on the 26th with Geelong’s heaviest summer downpour since records began around 1870. With 6-hour totals above 100mm across most of the urban area, the southern suburbs seemed to record more rain than other areas, and the highest confirmed reading was 128mm at South Geelong. Owing to the thunderstorms the…
Summary of 2004 Weather
(Temperature figures are from the Bureau of Meteorology station at Mount Duneed) Month Weather Conditions Temps (deg C) Rainfall (mm) Cumulative Rainfall Comments JAN Coldest January since 1958. 5 windy days >60kph. 2 thunder days incl 1 severe storm (29th). Only 2 days >30 degrees (19,20th). Av max 22.5 Jan av max. is 25.2. Av min 11.3. Av is…
December 2004
RAINFALL Owing to several thunderstorms most of urban Geelong received some good falls from the 9th to the 11th, although the BoM gauge at Mt Duneed was a little too far south to benefit greatly. Most of the storms propagated from the north and northwest and did not reach coasstal areas. Certainly the Otways missed out on most of the…
November 2004
RAINFALL November turned out to be a real surprise to long-term weather forecasters. Even at the start of the month most models were predicting a fairly dry month, with only some chance of rain in the first week. As it eventuated, by the middle of November Geelong had received over 60mm of rain, well in excess of the monthly average…
October 2004
RAINFALL October’s weather may have been a mixed bag, but there was little joy for farmers hoping dams would fill. October is normally the region’s wettest month – the average ranges from around 60mm at Moriac, Queenscliff, Barwon Heads and Mt Duneed to 70mm at Bellbrae and Barwon Heads, 90mm at Lorne, 102mm at Gellibrand to 170mm at Weeaproinah on…
September 2004
RAINFALL Rainfall was above average in the Geelong Urban area, the Bellarine Peninsula and Lara areas in September. However the Otways and Moorabool catchments both recorded below average totals. The main reason for the variation was that, on the 28th, a band of rain from the northwest and extending over northern Victoria actually propagated further to the south than predicted…
August 2004
RAINFALL Most areas of the region received average and above average rainfall in August. The Otway catchment was fractionally below average but water supplies still stand at over 71%, a good situation for this time of year. The Geelong urban area averaged 60mm, from 45mm at Belmont to 73mm at Mt Duneed West. TEMPERATURES August was warmer than normal by…
July 2004
RAINFALL The Geelong-Otways-Bellarine Peninsula region received generally above average falls in July. The Moorabool catchment did not fare as well, however, so despite the heavy rain in the Otways (West Barwon Dam received 180mm), the total Otways-Moorabool catchment system has risen only to 58% of capacity which is still better than at this time last year. (44%) Urban Geelong averaged…
June 2004
RAINFALL Well above average rainfall was received in the Otways catchment and average falls in the Moorabool, but generally below average across the urban area. The Bellarine Peninsula and Surf Coast generally also fared well with more than normal June tallies. The legendary Weeaproinah, although not in the Barwon catchment, was the recipient of a phenomenal 416mm, that’s almost twice…