October 2010

RAINFALL

Well above average rainfall across the entire region characterised Geelong’s October. Even the poor excuse for a rain gauge at Geelong Airportmanaged to record 88 mm, but most other places across the urban area reported well above 100 mm. The October average is 49.7 mm. It was our wettest October since 2000, when 142 mm fell. Urban Geelong has now had over 520 mm already for the year – our annual average reached already.The western Otways also received massive downpours in the final 24 hours of the recording period, and Lavers Hill with 91 mm was the clearwinner. Closer to the catchment however the West Barwon Dam at Forrest did not fare as well, with only 82 mm for the month. Despite that the overallcapacity has risen to over 70% once again with a good outlook for the rest of the year and into summer. The Moorabool catchment also performed wellwith Sheoaks recording 117 mm. Rain in Geelong fell on 14 days and in the wettest 24 hours over 30 mm was recorded in some suburbs on the 31st, due to widespread rains across Victoriawith a low pressure trough extending from the north. 16.6 mm was also recorded on the 15th and 13.8 mm on the 5th. On the 12th-13th, Moolap recorded 23 mm, the City 23 mm and Barwon Heads 25 mm from a severe storm which missed the rest of Geelong.Similar rainfall conditions are expected by most forecasters to remain into early 2011 with a continuation of La Nina and a warmer Indian Ocean.

TEMPERATURES

Geelong was fractionally cooler in October than the Geelong Airport 19-year average. Daily minimums averaged 7.4 degrees C compared to the mean 7.6C and maximums averaged 18.6 C, equal with the average.This means the raw, unhomogenised figures are showing it has been cooler than the average every month since June, after a warmer start to the year.Higher rainfall totals are undoubtedly linked to this trend.On the warmest day (29th) the temperature reached 28.0 degrees but on the 15th the top was only 11.6C. Coldest overnight temperature was 2.5C on the 2nd.

OTHER FEATURES

As well as the widespread rains of the 30th-31st, there were two severe storm days on the 6th and 12th. Thunder, lightning, flash flooding causing minordamage and strong wind gusts (70kph) occurred on the 6th, and similar conditions, with hail at Newtown, was reported on the 12th.There were 3 days of strong wind gusts and two thunder days.

RAINFALL DATA

< td align="center">49.7

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