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 average but this decreased towards the northeast where Melbourne’s western suburbs only got 40% of normal rainfall. Areas between Birregurra and Winchelsea actually registered more than 130% of their normal for July, while Torquay, less than 30 kilometres to the southeast, suffered with only a figure of 47%. Across the Geelong urban area the overall result was just below normal, although within the average range.
TEMPERATURES
With an average daily minimum of 6.0 degrees and maximum of 15.0 degrees, Geelong was approximately 1 degree warmer than the long-term July average (normal figures 5.1 and 13.9). On twenty occasions the overnight minimum was above average, despite the lowest temperature of minus 0.4 being recorded on the 11th.
OTHER FEATURES
There were two days of recorded hail, and at least three occasions on which unusual phenomena were reported. Strong winds on the 6th spread microscopic salt particles into the atmosphere creating the illusion of a gigantic sun at sunset; a sun dog was photographed on the 10th, and an extraordinary mirage effect probably caused by reflected street lights was viewed to the west from Waurn Ponds just after sundown on the 28th.
RAINFALL DATA
| GEELONG REGION |
 Location |
Total for
Month
(mm) |
Monthly
Average
(mm) |
| Aireys Inlet |
54.2 |
75.7 |
| Anakie |
|
49.0 |
| Anglesea |
42.0 |
64.0 |
| Apollo Bay |
110.8 |
116.8 |
| Bacchus Marsh |
25.0 |
34.3 |
| Ballan |
46.2 |
47.3 |
| Ballarat |
47.2 |
68.0 |
| Bannockburn |
47.4 |
43.0 |
| Barwon Heads |
25.5 |
59.0 |
| Bellbrae |
42.0 |
63.7 |
| Beeac |
69.0 |
63.2 |
| Benwerrin |
129.8 |
|
| Birregurra |
94.8 |
71.4 |
| Boonah |
98.0 |
|
| Cape Otway |
111.2 |
105.8 |
| Colac |
62.4 |
78.0 |
| Curlewis |
24.1 |
49.0 |
| Drysdale |
26.5 |
54.4 |
| Durdidwarrah |
49.0 |
54.4 |
| Forrest |
124.0 |
120.0 |
| Forrest (West Barwon) |
115.2 |
139.0 |
| Gellibrand |
147.2 |
106.2 |
| Inverleigh |
31.6 |
52.8 |
| Lake Colac |
56.6 |
52.8 |
| Lal Lal |
46.8 |
70.0 |
| Laverton |
20.2 |
42.0 |
| Lethbridge |
47.8 |
52.0 |
| Little River West |
30.0 |
36.8 |
| Melba Gully |
187.0 |
n.a. |
| Melbourne (City) |
19.8 |
49.0 |
| Meredith (Darra) |
51.8 |
55.4 |
| Moriac |
46.6 |
57.0 |
| Morrisons |
41.6 |
57.0 |
| Mt Cowley |
|
|
| Mt Mercer |
44.2 |
|
| Mt Sabine |
175.0 |
|
| Paraparap |
32.1 |
57.0 |
| Point Lonsdale |
18.0 |
56.0 |
| Pollocksford |
56.6 |
56.0 |
| Portarlington |
23.0 |
55.1 |
| Queenscliff |
29.0 |
56.6 |
| Scotsburn |
54.0 |
56.6 |
| Shelford |
37.2 |
45.0 |
| Sheoaks |
53.4 |
45.0 |
| Skipton |
45.0 |
n.a. |
| St Leonards |
27.0 |
55.0 |
| Teesdale |
50.2 |
42.7 |
| Torquay |
27.9 |
59.0 |
| Wallington |
|
54.1 |
| Weeaproinah |
207.0 |
227.7 |
| Winchelsea |
68.7 |
50.2 |
| Wurdi Boluc |
65.5 |
51.1 |
|
 |
| GEELONG SUBURBS |
| Location |
Total for
Month
(mm) |
Monthly
Average
(mm) |
| Avalon |
38.4 |
45.2 |
| Bell Park |
45.0 |
47.2 |
| Bell Post Hill |
41.0 |
47.2 |
| Belmont |
51.0 |
37.5 |
| City |
32.0 |
49.5 |
| Cloverdale |
56.5 |
40.0 |
| Connewarre |
28.9 |
41.4 |
| Corio |
51.7 |
40.0 |
| East Belmont |
41.1 |
37.5 |
| Grovedale |
37.4 |
49.2 |
| Hamlyn Heights |
44.0 |
50.9 |
| Highton |
35.8 |
49.2 |
| Lara |
40.2 |
38.6 |
| Lara (Serendip) |
40.1 |
38.6 |
| Leopold East |
32.7 |
47.4 |
| Leopold South |
|
47.4 |
| Manifold Heights |
42.2 |
47.2 |
| Mt Duneed Airport |
30.0 |
53.8 |
| Mt Duneed West |
40.0 |
53.8 |
| St Albans Park |
28.0 |
49.5 |
| Waurn Ponds |
56.0 |
49.0 |
| Whittington |
38.5 |
49.5 |
| Urban Area Average |
38.0 |
49.5 |
|
