RAINFALL
A miserable 2.2mm was recorded at the Mt Duneed Airport AWS in February. This was not Geelong’s driest ever February, but, added to the 1mm in Januaryit marked the driest start to the year since 1891, almost an all-time record. There were only 4 rain days, but thunder / lightning was experienced ontwo days. Much of the precipitation received consisted of patchy, misty drizzle and dew. Water catchments are now 22% of capacity.
All areas in the region fared likewise and even Weeaproinah in the Otways only got 16mm. Despite the very low rainfall, summer overall was not asfar below average as it could have been, Geelong having received 80mm in December.
TEMPERATURES and OTHER FEATURES
Geelong in February was 0.5 degree warmer than the long-term mean. Daily maximums averaged 25.5ºC compared with the normal 24.9ºC, and minimums averaged13.9ºC compared with 13.5ºC. A new all-time maximum record was achieved on “Black Saturday” (Feb 7th), the day of Victoria’s worst bushfires, when 47.4ºC was recorded at Mt Duneed and 47.8ºC at Avalon, breaking the previous February and all-time records by a full two degrees. There were three days over 30ºC.
During the month drifting smoke from the Gippsland fires was noticeable over Geelong on at least 12 days, and there were three days when wind gusts at Mt Duneed exceeded 60 kph.
RAINFALL DATA
| GEELONG REGION | ||
| Location | Total for Month (mm) |
Monthly Average (mm) |
| Aireys Inlet | 3.6 | 38.9 |
| Anakie | 5.8 | 44.0 |
| Anglesea | na | 45.0 |
| Apollo Bay | 8.8 | 50.3 |
| Bacchus Marsh | na | 42.8 |
| Ballan | 5.0 | 48.7 |
| Ballarat | 1.4 | 44.7 |
| Bannockburn | 2.8 | 35.0 |
| Barwon Heads | 5.0 | 41.0 |
| Barwon Heads Golf Club | 4.4 | 41.0 |
| Bells Beach | na | 30.4 |
| Bellbrae (1) | 7.2 | 30.4 |
| Bellbrae (2) | 5.0 | 30.4 |
| Beeac | 0.9 | 37.6 |
| Birregurra | na | 36.3 |
| Boonah | 5.8 | 40.0 |
| Cape Otway | 1.6 | 41.8 |
| Colac (Mt Gellibrand) | 1.0 | 43.8 |
| Clifton Springs (BoM) | 3.2 | 39.4 |
| Cressy | 0.6 | 35.6 |
| Curlewis | 2.5 | 37.4 |
| Durdidwarrah | 1.0 | 48.3 |
| Gellibrand | na | 46.0 |
| Gerangamete | 1.6 | 47.2 |
| Inverleigh | na | 42.9 |
| Laverton | 1.8 | 49.0 |
| Lal Lal | na | 49.8 |
| Little River West | 1.0 | 32.0 |
| Melba Gully | 12.0 | |
| Melbourne (City) | 3.0 | 48.0 |
| Meredith (Darra) | 8.0 | 47.2 |
| Meredith | na | 47.2 |
| Moriac | 4.5 | 35.0 |
| Morrisons | 5.0 | 45.8 |
| Mt Cowley | 5.8 | 49.6 |
| Mt Mercer | 0.0 | 43.8 |
| Mt Sabine | 2.2 | 48.8 |
| Ocean Grove | 4.6 | 32.0 |
| Pt Lonsdale | 2.3 | 38.1 |
| Scotsburn | na | 34.0 |
| Shelford | na | 34.0 |
| Sheoaks | 3.6 | 34.0 |
| Skipton | na | 34.0 |
| St Leonards | na | 40.0 |
| Teesdale | na | 32.3 |
| Torquay | 2.0 | 44.0 |
| Weeaproinah | 16.2 | 87.5 |
| West Barwon | 2.0 | 44.8 |
| Winchelsea | 1.4 | 34.5 |
| GEELONG SUBURBS | ||
| Location | Total for Month (mm) |
Monthly Average (mm) |
| Avalon | 2.6 | 37.3 |
| Bell Park | 2.4 | 43.8 |
| Belmont | 2.0 | 39.0 |
| City | 3.0 | 36.1 |
| Connewarre | na | 39.8 |
| Corio | 1.8 | 36.0 |
| Grovedale | 1.5 | 36.3 |
| Grovedale South | 2.2 | 39.1 |
| Hamlyn Heights | 1.0 | 38.2 |
| Highton | na | 39.0 |
| Lara (1) | 3.5 | 37.6 |
| Lara (2) | 1.0 | 37.6 |
| Lara (Serendip) | 5.4 | 37.6 |
| Leopold East | na | 40.7 |
| Leopold | 7.5 | 40.7 |
| Moolap | 2.2 | 48.8 |
| Mt Duneed Airport | 2.2 | 32.0 |
| Mt Duneed West | 2.4 | 32.0 |
| Waurn Ponds | 3.4 | 32.0 |
| Whittington | na | 36.1 |
| Urban Area Average | 2.0 | 37.6 |