RAINFALL
It was a drier May than average right across the region with most areas receiving around 65% of the normal falls, except at Corio where a couple of heavy downpours contributed to another above average month. However the 3-monthly seasonal totals show a different picture and a close to normal autumn thanks to heavy falls in March.
Overall autumn falls were above 100% of average in most suburbs of the urban area except more northern areas such as Lara and Avalon. But, to the northwest places like Lal Lal, Anakie and Sheoaks all recorded above 100% of normal autumn falls. From Corio southwards to Waurn Ponds the figures were 100-120% greater than average. Most of the Bellarine Peninsula experienced a below average autumn, with 87% at Moolap to 80% at Barwon Heads, but more southerly areas such as Torquay (120%) and Aireys Inlet (103%) did better.
The Otway catchments in general recorded 95-100% of average autumn rain and capacities should rise slowly from the present 28.7% as soil moisture is replenished.
Year to date total for Geelong AP: 179 mm. Normal for Jan to May: 186 mm. There were no storms and rain fell on 18 days.
TEMPERATURE
It was a fractionally warmer May with temperatures around 0.25C above average. Average daily maximum was 17.5 degrees (compared to 17.0C) and minimums averaged 7.9C, exactly on average. The highest temperature was 23.8C on the 4th and the coldest day was the 11th, with only 12.5C. The lowest minimum reached 0.5C on the 23rd.
It was also a warmer autumn than the 19-year average at Geelong Airport. The overall average autumn temperature (1992-2009) for Geelong AWS is 14.9C, and the figure for this year is 16.1C. No records were broken for the month or the season, but May is now the seventh consecutive month with an above average temperature. As a La Nina situation begins to supercede El Nino, temperatures are expected to decrease again.
OTHER FEATURES
With several high pressure systems during the month fogs were again common in lower areas. There were five days of windy conditions with gusts over 60 kph, and the top gust was a 70 kph west-nothwesterly at the Airport on the 7th.
RAINFALL DATA
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