RAINFALL
After some late rains in the final two days, May has turned out to have been an average-to-above-average month in the region. Only two areas ended up with below average falls, the eastern Otways (including West Barwon) and Meredith-Inverleigh-Teesdale. A surprising feature of the month was the three thunder days which occurred; thunder being rare around Geelong in May.
TEMPERATURES
May was slightly warmer than normal, with the average maximum being 18.2 degrees (compared to 17.2) and average minimum 7.6 (compared to 8.1). In spite of this, the coldest overnight temperature ever recorded in May occurred on the 17th, when the thermometer measured 0.1 at Mount Duneed. But urban area overnight temperatures were usually three to four degrees higher than those measured at the airport, owing to the “urban heat island” effect. Lowest in the urban area was 4.2 degrees, recorded on the 17th. The warmest day was 23.5 degrees on the 3rd, which is well below the record of 28.1 set in 1985.
RAINFALL DATA
| GEELONG REGION | ||
| Location | Total for Month (mm) |
Monthly Average (mm) |
| Aireys Inlet | 44.2 | 55.6 |
| Anakie | 30.0 | 52.0 |
| Anglesea | 61.0 | 63.0 |
| Apollo Bay | 72.0 | 99.2 |
| Bacchus Marsh | n.a. | 40.3 |
| Ballan | 34.0 | 47.5 |
| Ballarat | 61.8 | 68.1 |
| Bannockburn | 36.0 | 46.0 |
| Barwon Heads | 89.0 | 64.0 |
| Bellbrae | 89.0 | 65.1 |
| Beeac | 59.0 | 57.2 |
| Birregurra | 58.6 | 64.5 |
| Cape Otway | 72.6 | 91.7 |
| Colac | 54.8 | 71.9 |
| Drysdale | 84.0 | 64.5 |
| Forrest (West Barwon) | 95.8 | 108.4 |
| Inverleigh | 41.5 | 56.6 |
| Laverton | 32.6 | 53.0 |
| Melba Gully | 172.0 | n.a. |
| Melbourne (City) | 66.0 | 58.0 |
| Meredith (Darra) | 40.0 | 60.2 |
| Modewarre | 82.0 | 55.0 |
| Portarlington | 73.0 | 58.4 |
| Queenscliff | 77.1 | 58.1 |
| Shelford | n.a. | 47.0 |
| St Leonards | 86.0 | 58.0 |
| Teesdale | 42.8 | 45.2 |
| Torquay | 71.7 | 58.0 |
| Wallington | n.a. | 60.2 |
| Warrnambool Airport | 64.2 | 71.6 |
| Weeaproinah | 238.8 | 200.1 |
| Werribee | n.a. | 43.4 |
| Winchelsea | 57.0 | 48.0 |
| GEELONG SUBURBS | ||
| Location | Total for Month (mm) |
Monthly Average (mm) |
| Avalon | 46.0 | 48.5 |
| Bell Park | 65.0 | 50.7 |
| Belmont | 52.0 | 47.1 |
| City | 58.0 | 49.8 |
| Connewarre | 66.0 | 43.9 |
| Corio | 59.5 | 43.0 |
| Grovedale | 66.8 | 49.8 |
| Hamlyn Heights | 56.0 | 53.5 |
| Highton | 56.7 | 49.8 |
| Lara | 32.5 | 39.4 |
| Lara (Serendip) | 35.0 | 39.4 |
| Leopold South | 78.9 | 44.4 |
| Manifold Heights | 52.0 | 50.7 |
| Mt Duneed Airport | n.a. | 49.0 |
| Mt Duneed West | 73.0 | 49.0 |
| Norlane | 55.0 | 47.2 |
| St Albans Park | 70.2 | 49.8 |