Under the Weather, by Lindsay Smail
Despite the general consensus among chilly locals, October 2016 in Geelong was only fractionally colder than average for the month.
Nights were 0.2C warmer than the 30-year average of 8.4C but the days were 0.6C cooler, leaving October with a mean temperature 0.2C above the monthly average.
The result would come as a surprise to many residents who speculated that the weather was significantly colder than usual. However, their observations were understandable on the final day of the month when snow was reported at Beech Forest, in the Otways, after a strong cold front traversed the state.
Back in Geelong, the month’s coldest night was 3.4C on 14 October, while the coolest day was on 22 October when the mercury rose to only 13.7C.
The warmest night recorded 15.3C on 16 October, with the warmest day hitting 26.6C on 25 October.
In contrast to the temperatures, the rain total was significantly different to the average.
Fifteen rain days for the month gave the official weather station at Breakwater a figure of 62mm for October and 68mm in urban Geelong compared to the 30-year mean of 52.3mm.
After a sixth consecutive above-average rainfall month, Geelong now has an accumulated 570mm for 2016 with two months to go until the end of the year compared to the annual average of 520 mm.
The October rain further boosted the region’s water storages, which were 85 per cent of capacity this week.
The month also had nine very windy days with gusts above 60km/h.
One severe wind storm damaged roofs and trees on 9 October when gusts reached 106km/h at Avalon, 95km/h at Queen’s Park and 90km/h at Breakwater.
Hail squalls hit the region on 5, 10 and18 October, with minor flooding of the Barwon River on 23 October.
* Lindsay Smail operates Geelong Weather Services.
