Under the Weather, By Lindsay Smail
April was very warm across the Geelong region, around two degrees Celsius higher than the latest 30-year average.
The mean monthly temperature finished at 17.1 Celsius, a big difference to the normal mean of 15.1.
It was the second warmest April on record since 1903. The warmest was in 1968 when the monthly mean reached 17.5 Celsius.
Geelong’s highest temperature for the month was 31.7 Celsius on 5 April. The month had two days that recorded maximums over 30 Celsius.
The warmest overnight temperature was on 28 April when 19.9 Celsius was recorded just before the 9am cut-off.
In terms of other weather events, April delivered a very stable month to the Geelong region. No strong wind gusts over 60km/h were recorded while storm and thunder days were also absent the entire month.
Unfortunately, the lack of weather events meant a disappointing month for rainfall as well.
Only 23.4mm was recorded at Geelong’s official weather station in Breakwater.
Eight days of the month had rain, with the most on 22 April with 6.4mm and on 30 April when 7.8mm was recorded.
Most areas in the region only received around 50 per cent of the normal 30-year average for the month.
The result was that the region’s water supplies finished the month around 32 per cent of capacity. Our reservoirs are now being augmented with water from aquifers and some Melbourne storages.
The latest outlook is for slightly more rain over the May-to-July period, which seems likely with the current demise of El Nino.
* Lindsay Smail operates Geelong Weather Services
