FINAL MONTHLY CLIMATE SUMMARY (May 2002) - VICTORIAN REGIONAL OFFICE

Dry May in Victoria, with some very warm days

Victoria has experienced a dry May 2002, with some very warm days, according to data collected by the Bureau of Meteorology. Rainfall totals for the month were below normal in all Districts, with the Lower North and Upper North districts receiving less than half their usual allocation. Monthly maximum temperatures (table 1), were well above average throughout the State, with a number of long-period stations (data extending back at least 20 years) experiencing their highest average May daytime temperatures on record. Overnight temperatures were generally slightly below normal.

Record high May maximum temperatures included:

• Warracknabeal, with an average maximum temperature of 19.6 deg C (normal 17.8 deg C, previous record 19.4 deg C in May 1984),
• Kerang, with 19.9 deg C (normal 17.9 deg C, previous record 19.3 deg C in 1984),
• Kyabram, with 19.2 deg C (normal 16.8 deg C, previous record 18.3 deg C in 1991),
• Wilsons Promontory, with 16.5 deg C (normal 14.9 deg C, previous record 16.2 deg C in 1988),
• Bundoora, with 17.9 deg C (normal 16.8 deg C, previous record 17.8 deg C in 1980),
• Melbourne Airport, with 17.9 deg C (normal 16.6 deg C, previous record 17.6 deg C in 1988),
• Lake Eildon, with 17.5 deg C (normal 16.0 deg C, previous record 17.4 deg C in 1988),
• Mangalore, with 18.8 deg C (normal 16.6 deg C, previous record 18.6 deg C in 1972), and
• Ararat, with 16.8 deg C (normal 15.2 deg C, previous record 16.7 deg C in 1993).

Several other locations registered average May maximum temperatures that were the equal highest on record.

These included:

• Walpeup, with an average maximum temperature of 20.0 deg C (normal 18.4 deg C, 20.0 deg C previously recorded in May 1984), and
• Casterton, with 18.3 deg C (normal 16.6 deg C, 18.3 deg C previously recorded in 1980).

Autumn maximum temperatures were also well above average throughout the State, with a number of long-period stations experiencing their highest average Autumn daytime temperatures on record.

These included:

• Warracknabeal, with an average maximum temperature of 24.4 deg C (normal 22.4 deg C, previous record 23.8 deg C in Autumn 1985),
• Nhill, with 23.6 deg C (normal 22.0 deg C, previous record 23.3 deg C in 1971),
• Echuca, with 24.1 deg C (normal 22.5 deg C, previous record 24.0 deg C in 1985),
• Kerang, with 24.6 deg C (normal 22.7 deg C, previous record 24.1 deg C in 1985),
• Kyabram, with 23.7 deg C (normal 21.5 deg C, previous record 22.9 deg C in 1985),
• Benalla, with 23.9 deg C (normal 22.2 deg C, previous record 23.3 deg C in 1988),
• Rutherglen, with 23.8 deg C (normal 22.2 deg C, previous record 23.5 deg C in 1976),
• Wilsons Promontory, with 18.2 deg C (normal 17.2 deg C, previous record 18.0 deg C in 1988),
• Mangalore, with 23.2 deg C (normal 21.4 deg C, previous record 22.9 deg C in 1988), and
• Casterton, with 22.2 deg C (normal 20.6 deg C, previous record 22.0 deg C in 1988).

Several other locations registered average Autumn maximum temperatures that were the equal highest on record.

These included:

• Walpeup, with an average maximum temperature of 24.8 deg C (normal 23.1 deg C, 24.8 deg C previously recorded in Autumn 1988),
• Tatura, with 22.7 deg C (normal 21.5 deg C, 22.7 deg C previously recorded in 1971), and
• Lake Eildon, with 22.5 deg C (normal 20.6 deg C, 22.5 deg C previously recorded in 1988).

Autumn overnight temperatures were generally close to normal.

May's warmest days were the 6th, when the State's highest maximum temperature for the month of 28.9 deg C was recorded at Ouyen, the 7th, when Melbourne registered 28.1 deg C, its second highest May temperature on record, and also the 8th, when Port Fairy and Avalon both recorded 28.0 deg C. The highest temperature recorded for Autumn was 39.1 deg C at Mildura on March 18.

Some very cold nights were experienced towards the end of May, following a cold outbreak which brought snow to the highlands. The State's lowest minimum temperature for May ( and also for Autumn) of -4.7 deg C was recorded at Mt Hotham Airport, during the night of the 28th/29th. Strathbogie recorded Victoria's lowest temperature for a non-alpine station, with an overnight minimum of -4.1 deg C on the night of the 30th/31st.

Autumn as a whole proved to be dry in all Districts except for East Gippsland, with a number of long-period stations experiencing their lowest Autumn rainfall total on record.

These included:

• Moorabbin, with a rainfall total of 103.8 mm (normal 185.4 mm, previous record 104.2 mm in Autumn 1967),
• Altona, with 50.8 mm (normal 144.2 mm, previous record 76.6 mm in 1993),
• Meredith, with 58.6 mm (normal 168.5 mm, previous record 61.2 mm in 1993),
• Queenscliff, with 53.0 mm (normal 153.1 mm, previous record 57.4 mm in 1993),
• Mangalore, with 40.0 mm (normal 145.3 mm, previous record 46.4 mm in 1994), and
• Willaura, with 44.2 mm (normal 134.7 mm, previous record 44.4 mm in 1967).

The generally below average rainfall during the past few months has been a consequence of the lack of major frontal passages and a persistence of high pressure systems over the region.

In Melbourne, 36.6 mm of rain fell during the month (normal 67.8 mm) (table 2), with 97.0 mm for Autumn (normal 164.0 mm). May minimum temperatures averaged 10.1 deg C (normal 9.5 deg C), while maximum temperatures averaged 18.8 deg C (normal 17.1 deg C). Autumn minimum temperatures averaged 12.6 deg C (normal 11.8 deg C), while maximum temperatures averaged 21.8 deg C (normal 20.6 deg C).

The Bureau's Seasonal Climate Outlook suggests an enhanced chance of the dry weather continuing over the next three months in all Districts (particularly in the Western, Central and West Gippsland districts), with above normal temperatures by day, and near normal temperatures at night.

For further information contact:
(Dr) Harvey Stern, tel: (03) 9669 4949 (BH)
Shift Supervisor, tel: (03) 9669 4916 (AH)

Table 1: May 2002 data. Normals are mainly 30 year means (1961-1990).

Albury	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Max Temp (C) (Normal)	30.7	30.8	27.2	22.4	17.6	13.8	12.8	14.6	17.4	20.7	24.7	28.4	21.8
Max Temp (C) (2002)	30.8	28.1	28.6	24.5	18.9	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Min Temp (C) (Normal)	15.4	15.1	12.3	8.2	5.6	3.5	2.6	3.6	5.6	7.8	10.6	13.1	8.6
Min Temp (C) (2002)	14.8	15.2	12.3	10.6	5.0	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Rainfall (mm) (Normal)	58.6	34.9	44.5	51.7	67.3	71.8	89.4	87.3	73.3	75.2	54.2	52.9	760.9
Rainfall (mm) (2002)	25.8	74.4	47.0	26.6	29.6	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Alpine	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Max Temp (C) (Normal)	16.3	15.6	13.6	8.4	5.1	1.9	0.3	1.1	3.9	7.5	11.2	14.1	8.3
Max Temp (C) (2002)	14.8	13.8	13.9	10.3	4.1	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Min Temp (C) (Normal)	6.8	6.9	5.7	1.5	-0.6	-3.0	-4.1	-3.8	-2.1	0.2	2.8	5.1	1.3
Min Temp (C) (2002)	5.9	6.3	5.9	4.7	-0.2	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Rainfall (mm) (Normal)	87.5	66.9	95.1	132.5	207.9	179.1	244.4	235.1	192.6	184.4	114.4	115.4	1855.4
Rainfall (mm) (2002)	100.0	67.1	61.4	58.4	116.0	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Bairnsdale	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Max Temp (C) (Normal)	25.4	25.5	23.6	20.5	17.3	14.9	14.3	15.4	17.3	19.5	21.3	23.4	19.9
Max Temp (C) (2002)	24.3	23.2	23.8	21.3	17.9	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Min Temp (C) (Normal)	12.6	12.6	11.1	8.5	6.7	4.8	3.8	4.3	5.8	7.5	9.3	11.1	8.2
Min Temp (C) (2002)	11.8	12.7	9.7	9.8	6.7	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Rainfall (mm) (Normal)	55.6	44.8	46.6	55.7	51.1	55.8	53.1	37.2	62.0	64.9	84.6	60.9	672.5
Rainfall (mm) (2002)	31.0	90.2	41.2	138.8	45.4	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Ballarat	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Max Temp (C) (Normal)	25.0	25.2	22.4	18.0	13.7	11.0	10.0	11.4	13.6	16.6	19.5	22.5	17.4
Max Temp (C) (2002)	23.2	23.3	22.6	20.5	15.6	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Min Temp (C) (Normal)	11.1	11.7	10.3	7.9	6.0	4.0	3.0	3.7	4.8	6.4	8.0	9.6	7.2
Min Temp (C) (2002)	10.2	10.5	9.6	8.0	5.4	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Rainfall (mm) (Normal)	42.7	37.2	42.9	55.1	70.3	55.3	66.6	77.3	64.4	71.4	54.4	46.6	684.2
Rainfall (mm) (2002)	24.8	75.6	9.2	40.4	50.0	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Bendigo	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Max Temp (C) (Normal)	28.8	28.7	25.5	20.8	16.1	13.0	12.1	13.8	16.4	20.0	23.6	26.5	20.4
Max Temp (C) (2002)	27.8	27.3	26.4	23.6	18.4	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Min Temp (C) (Normal)	14.3	14.7	12.8	9.4	6.7	4.3	3.5	4.6	6.0	8.2	10.7	12.7	9.0
Min Temp (C) (2002)	11.7	13.0	11.9	9.1	5.5	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Rainfall (mm) (Normal)	37.2	26.4	36.4	47.9	59.9	52.4	62.5	70.0	58.1	55.9	35.2	40.1	582.1
Rainfall (mm) (2002)	17.6	22.2	7.6	12.2	23.0	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Colac	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Max Temp (C) (Normal)	26.0	26.6	23.7	19.6	15.9	13.4	12.7	13.9	15.9	18.5	20.8	23.3	19.2
Max Temp (C) (2002)	22.8	23.8	22.5	20.9	16.2	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Min Temp (C) (Normal)	10.9	11.3	10.3	8.0	6.3	4.6	3.9	4.8	5.8	6.9	8.2	9.6	7.5
Min Temp (C) (2002)	11.2	11.8	11.2	10.4	8.4	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Rainfall (mm) (Normal)	39.4	29.9	45.1	64.4	80.7	74.7	90.4	98.4	78.3	83.4	56.6	50.9	792.1
Rainfall (mm) (2002)	21.0	89.4	2.4	38.0	46.6	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Echuca	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Max Temp (C) (Normal)	30.6	30.7	27.4	22.5	17.6	14.4	13.6	15.4	18.2	22.0	25.7	28.6	22.2
Max Temp (C) (2002)	30.1	28.9	28.0	25.0	19.4	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Min Temp (C) (Normal)	14.8	15.0	12.9	9.6	6.8	4.3	3.5	4.9	6.3	8.6	10.9	13.1	9.2
Min Temp (C) (2002)	13.5	13.6	12.3	9.9	5.6	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Rainfall (mm) (Normal)	35.6	21.8	33.3	35.3	47.5	35.4	41.7	46.8	39.7	40.5	30.1	29.1	436.8
Rainfall (mm) (2002)	15.8	37.8	13.6	7.0	17.2	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Geelong	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Max Temp (C) (Normal)	24.5	26.3	23.2	19.9	16.9	14.6	13.6	14.8	16.6	18.6	20.6	22.5	19.3
Max Temp (C) (2002)	23.1	24.1	23.0	21.5	18.1	.	.