Under the Weather, by Lindsay Smail
A May with three distinct phases of weather has completed a wet but slightly warmer-than-average autumn across Geelong.
May 2017 began with a first fortnight that was colder than normal. Then followed a warmer than average third week before the final seven days finished colder than usual.
All these variations averaged out into a fractionally cooler month overall.
Minimums averaged 8C, compared to the mean figure of 8.3C. Maximums averaged 17C, compared to the mean of 17.1C, giving a figure .2C below the May 30-year mean temperature.
The warmest day was 21 May when temperatures reached 20.8C. The coldest day was 16 May, with 13C.
Overnight minimums varied from 3.5C on 12 May to 13.7C 11 days later.
May was also particularly dry, with only 27.8mm of rain recorded in urban Geelong.
Only 40 to 60 per cent of the normal rain for May was recorded in an area stretching from the Otways to the Bellarine Peninsula.
Sixteen days had rain, with the heaviest delivering 12.6mm to Breakwater on the 28 May.
May was most-notable for several massive forecast failures. Heavy rain was predicted for 19 May but only .2mm eventuated, while several days had maximum temperatures well below what was predicted.
The cause of the failures can be put down to the difficult task of forecasting weather during a highly changeable autumn.
The month was otherwise settled, with no strong wind gusts, storms or thunder days but several foggy mornings.
Autumn overall was very wet thanks to above average rain in March and April. Almost all places recorded well over double the seasonal average.
However, owing to a warm March and April, temperatures were slightly above average.
* Lindsay Smail operates Geelong Weather Services
