( Figures are from the Bureau of Meteorology station at Mount Duneed ) Weather Conditions Temps (deg C) Rainfall (mm) Cumulative Rainfall Comments J A N Jan 1st was the coldest since 1970. 4 days over 30 degrees, incl 37.4 max on 26th. Coolest max was 17.9 on 21st. Average max 23.1 Jan average max. is 25.2. Average min 11.7.…
Category: 2002
December 2002
RAINFALL Another disappointing rainfall month was only partly alleviated by late rains on the 31st which fell too late to be included in the December totals, which averaged around 25 mm for the urban area and only 70% of normal across the region. Despite this, with water storages at 65% of capacity, there is no outlook for water restrictions this…
November 2002
RAINFALL Around half the average rainfall for November was received in the Geelong-Otways Region. Even this poor showing was better than the meager amounts falling just to Geelong’s north, where Lara only received 19 mm and Laverton 12mm. Most of the rain fell in the period 24th to 26th when early morning thunderstorms helped to contribute 20 mm or more…
October 2002
RAINFALL “Geelong’s rainfall for October was in the lowest 20% of all recorded falls since 1871,” said Lindsay Smail, Director of Geelong Weather Services yesterday, when commenting on the poor monthly regional rainfalls. Geelong’s 27 mm was only half of that normally expected in October, and the city had only had 60% of the rain it normally gets up until…
September 2002
RAINFALL AND WIND “The windiest September for many years”, was how Lindsay Smail, Director of Geelong Weather Services, described the month past. “There were 12 days on which the region had wind gusts exceeding gale force in strength,” he added. Maximum gust was 112 kph at Point Lonsdale on the 18th, and there were numerous occasions of severe storm force…
August 2002
RAINFALL August’s rainfall was generally below average over most of the Geelong-Otways Region. Over the urban area the totals were about 68% of the long-term average, and in the Otways catchment the proportion was around the same. There were some pockets of heavier falls, notably at Bellbrae, Paraparap, Teesdale and St Leonards. TEMPERATURES The average temperatures were very close to…
July 2002
RAINFALL An interesting rainfall pattern has emerged from the July figures with wide variations across the region. A large swathe of land extending from Forrest and Colac up to Belmont received above average falls, while coastal areas from Bellbrae to the Bellarine Peninsula received less than half the average. A small triangle encompassing Sheoaks, Teesdale and Lara were all above…
June 2002
RAINFALL Above average rainfall in the Otways gave a welcome boost to Geelong’s water storages in June. The immediate Geelong district was also mainly above average, but not to as great an extent, with most of the urban area recording over 45 mm for the month. Eastward across the Bellarine Peninsula, and northward from Avalon, low totals were the result…
May 2002
RAINFALL Several large variations in rainfall totals have occurred over the Geelong region during May, according to Lindsay Smail, Director of Geelong Weather Services. Even although high totals over 170 mm were recorded in parts of the Otways, this was still about 15% short of the average. Most other districts also received below average rainfall, eg, Forrest (65%), Bannockburn (65%),…
April 2002
RAINFALL Below average rainfall again characterised most of the Geelong region in April. The urban area averaged 28 mm, with the northern and eastern suburbs achieving a little more, but still below the district average of 40 mm. Apart from a 12-hour period on the 12th-13th, most of the month was dry, dominated by high pressure ridges and southeasterly winds.…
March 2002
RAINFALL “A miserable result,” was the conclusion of Lindsay Smail, Director of Geelong Weather Services, after March’s low rainfall totals. Across the Geelong region, totals were as low as 2 mm around Colac and Beeac, and further ranged from 6 mm at Mt Duneed to 26 mm at Avalon. Main reason for the local difference was the thunderstorms on the…
February 2002
RAINFALL Above average rainfall across the region was caused entirely by the heavy downpours and thunderstorms in the early morning of the 8th, during which parts of the Beeac-Lismore district recorded around 150 mm in less than six hours. The Geelong urban area received an average of 40 mm at that time, and around 45 for the month. Surfcoast towns…
January 2002
TEMPERATURE “This was a much cooler January than normal,” according to Lindsay Smail, Director of Geelong Weather Services. The average maximum of 23.1 degrees and minimum of 11.7 degrees were both around two degrees cooler than the long-term average for Geelong, making the average temperature 17.4 degrees. It was not our coldest ever; that was in 1957 when the average…