(Current figures are from the Bureau of Meteorology station at Breakwater “Geelong Racecourse AWS”, with all temperature and rainfall averages from several official Geelong BoM sites from most recent 30-year averages, 1984-2013)
Month | Weather Conditions | Temps (deg C) | Rainfall (mm) | Cumulative Rainfall | Comments |
JAN | Warmer than average by 1.75°. 7 days >30°, 5 days >40° (equal 1908), 4 day heat wave >40°, most since 1908. Hottest Jan day recorded: 45.4° on 17th. | Av max 27.3 . Jan av max. is 25.0. Av min 14.7. Av is 13.5. | Breakwater 24.6 mm. Urban area averaged 20 mm.January 30-yr normal is 39.3 mm. | Breakwater 24.6 mm.Urban area 20 mm.Normal Geelong cumulative total (1 month) is 39.3mm. | Very dry right across region (50-60%). 6 rain days. Catchments 84%. 2 thunder days, no severe storms. 3 very windy days & some small fires. |
FEB | Warmer than av by 0.85°. 5 days >30°. Top 38.8°. 3 very windy days incl 72 kph on 9th. 4 days of thick haze from Gippsland fires (11-14th). | Av max 26.3. Feb av max. is 25.1. Av min 14.5. Av is 14.0. | Breakwater 55.2 mm. Urban area averaged 25 mm. February normal is 35.7 mm. | Breakwater 79.8 mm.Urban area 45 mm.Normal Geelong cumulative total (2 months) is 75.0 mm. | Very dry across region, 3 rain days. Remarkable severe t/storm only over central Geelong on 19th – 54 mm incl 49 mm in 20 mins. Hail & flash flooding. Catchments 78%. |
MAR | Warmer by 0.75°. 6 days >30°. Top 34.0°. 1 very windy day (72 kph on 15th.) Low max 17.4° on 22nd and low min 8.2° on 20th. High min 18.2° on 5th. | Av max 24.2. Mar av max. is 23.3. Av min 12.9. Av is 12.3. | Breakwater 23.0 mm. Urban area averaged 28 mm. March normal is 28.1 mm. | Breakwater 102.8 mm.Urban area 73 mm.Normal Geelong cumulative total (3 months) is 103.1 mm. | Below av rain in general ; southern and western suburbs higher. Otways and Bell Pen also drier. 2 thunder days but no severe storms. AWS malfunction on 22nd – patched. Catchments 75%. |
APR | Warmer by 0.75°. 1 day >30°; top 35.7° on 1st – April record. Low max 16.0 on 30th, High min 20.8° on 2nd, low min 3.2° on 28th. | Av max 20.2. Apr av max. is 20.4. Av min 11.6. Av is 9.9. | Breakwater 47.4 mm. Urban area averaged 50 mm. April normal is 39.8 mm. | Breakwater 150.2 mm.Urban area 123 mm.Normal Geelong cumulative total (4 months) is 142.9 mm. | Well above av rain in most of region. 1 thunder day but no severe storms. AWS malfunction* on 15th patched by GWS. No strong wind days. Catchments 72%. |
MAY | Warmer by 1.5°. Geelong’s 3rd warmest May. 12 days over 20° incl record 10 consec days >20°. High 25.3 on 16th, min 2.0 on 8th. 1 frost. Autumn warmer by almost 1 degree. | Av max 19.0. May av max. is 17.1. Av min 9.2. Av is 8.1. | Breakwater 29.0 mm.* Urban area averaged 30 mm. May normal is 41.5. | Breakwater 179.2 mm.Urban area 153 mm.Normal Geelong cumulative total (5 months) is 184.4 mm. | Below av rain across region. 0 thunder days, 0 storms, 0 strong wind days, very mild, settled month. Another AWS malfunction (rain) on 13th. Autumn rainfall normal. Catchments now 70%. |
JUNE | Warmer by 1.3°. No frosts, 1 day >18°. Max 18.8° on 11th. True wintry weather in final week brought by intense lows over Bass Strait & Sth Vic. | Av max 15.4 . June av max. is 14.5. Av min 8.0. Av is 6.3. | Breakwater 69.4 mm. Urban area averaged 60 mm. June normal is 46.1. | Breakwater 248.6 mm.Urban area 213 mm.Normal Geelong cumulative total ( 6 months) is 230.5 mm. | Well above av rain in whole region. No thunder days but 1 severe wind storm on 24th causing damage. 6 consec days with winds over 60 kph, incl 83 kph on 24th. Catchments 71 %. |
JULY | Warmer by 0.85°. 1 frost, 2 days >18°. Max 18.4° on 28th. Warmest o’night min 13.8° on 31st. Cold outbreak & Antarctic blast on 31st : severe winds. | Av max 14.0. July av max. is 13.9 . Av min 7.2. Av is 5.6. | Breakwater 29.2 mm. Urban area averaged 40 mm. July normal is 43.6. | Breakwater 277.8 mm.Urban area 253 mm.Normal Geelong cumulative total (7 months) is 274.1 mm. | Below av rain to E and W of Geelong but above av to S & SW. 1 severe wind storm on 31st. 2 very windy days on 29th & 31st (76 & 83 kph). 2 hail days, & snow in Otways on 17th. Catchments 80%. |
AUG | Equal to 30-yr average: 10.5°. Max 22.4° on 31st. Min 0.7° on 3rd. 3 frosts, Hail/graupel on 1st. 1 strong wind gust on 1st. Winter overnight minimum 1.1° above avge – new record (7.1°). | Av max 14.9. Aug av max. is 15.0. Av min 6.0. Av is 6.0. | Breakwater 46.2 mm. Urban area averaged 50.0 mm. August normal is 46.9. | Breakwater 324.0 mm.Urban area 303 mm.Normal Geelong cumulative total ( 8 months) is 321.0 mm. | Below av generally but urban and sthn areas were ABOVE. No severe storms. Several fogs, esp in final week. Rain on 13 days; max 15 mm on 24th after thunder storm 23rd. Catchments 84%. |
SEPT | Warmer by 1.25°. Max 30.2° on 28th (3rd warmest Sept day). 3 strong wind gusts incl 87 kph on 28th & 99 kph at Queens Park. | Av max 18.5. Sept av max. is 16.9. Av min 8.0. Av is 7.1. | Breakwater 14.8 mm. Urban area averaged 15 mm. September normal is 50.8. | Breakwater 338.8 mm.Urban area 318 mm.Normal Geelong cumulative total ( 9 months) is 371.8 mm. | Well below average rain right through region. Lowest for year to date. No severe storms, no thunder days. BoM predicts dry spring but no El Nino is likely. Catchments 83%. |
OCT | Warmer by 1.95°. 3 days >30°, max 33.8° on 31st. 3rd warmest October, but 1940 still hottest. 4 strong wind gusts (max 72 kph on 6th & 27th.) | Av max 22.0 Oct av max. is 19.1 . Av min 9.3. Av is 8.3. | Breakwater 16.2 mm. Urban area averaged 22 mm. October normal is 53.8. | Breakwater 355.0 mm.Urban area 340 mm.Normal Geelong cumulative total (10 months) is 425.6 mm. | Another well below average rainfall month; most areas 30-50%. No severe storms, 1 thunder day. BoM predicts dry summer. Catchments 80% of capacity. |
NOV | Warmer by 1.1°. 6 days >30°, max 35.4° on 8th. Equal warmest spring on record with 2011. | Av max 22.9. Nov av max. is 21.2. Av min 10.8. Av is 10.3. | Breakwater 46 mm. Urban area averaged 45 mm. November normal is 52.8. | Breakwater 401 mm.Urban area 385 mm.Normal Geelong cumulative total ( 11 months) is 478.4 mm. | Barely average rain in Geelong & Bellarine, lower elsewhere in region. No severe storms, 3 thunder days, 2 strong wind days (incl 69 kph on 1st). Catchments on 77% capacity. |
DEC | Warmer by 0.5 C. 3 days above 30 C, max 32.4 C on 16th. Overall it was Geelong’s hottest year on record, by a mere 0.1 C. (15.55 C mean). Previous record of 15.4 was held by 1988 and 2013. | Av max 23.3. Dec av max. is 23.2. Av min 12.7. Av is 11.8. | Breakwater 35.8 mm. Urban area averaged 40 mm. December normal is 43.6. | Breakwater 436.8 mm.Urban area 425 mm.Normal Geelong cumulative total (12 months) is 522.0 mm. | Average to below average rain. 4 thunder days.No severe storms.4 very windy days, incl 85 kph on 29th. |
* Indicates a patched figure has been assigned by GWS owing to a malfunction of the BoM station or its transmission.
OVERALL: New records and extremes set: 8 (See bold print above); Year warmer by 1° C (1984-2013 mean 14.5°C); Tornadoes: none reported; Willy-willies: none reported; Hottest Day: 45.4° on 17th Jan; Warmest Night: 25.3° C on 15th January; Coldest Day: 9.3° C on 9th July; Coldest Night: 0.7° C on 3rd Aug; Wettest Day: 54.2 mm on 19th Feb; Wettest Month: 69.4 mm in June at Breakwater; Driest Month: 14.8 mm in Sept; No of Days above 30°C: 32 (average 21); Number of “Thunder Days” in Urban area: 15 (14 in 2013); Number of severe storms: 3; Weather Fatalities: 0; Strongest Wind Gust: kph on at ; Number of frosts: 5 (av = 15); Number of windy days (gusts >60kph): 29 (29 in 2013).
© Copyright Geelong Weather Services, 2015.