Under the Weather, by Lindsay Smail
MARCH was Geelong’s warmest since 2013, with a mean temperature of 19.5C.
This compares to the current 30-year March mean in Geelong of 17.8C.
It was also the city’s sixth warmest March since records began.
Six days recorded temperatures over 30C, compared to the average of 4.2. The highest daily maximum was 34.6C on 17 March.
Overnight minimums were much higher than average, with March 2016 recording an average 15C compared to 12.3C. This was the highest March minimum average since 1974.
The highest overnight minimum was 20.4C, recorded on 9 March when the temperature was still 31C at 2am before cooling down.
No nights were below 10C for the month, compared to the average 8.5.
Most of the region received below-average rain, except for the southern suburbs of Geelong, which averaged over 30mm.
The northern suburbs were closer to 25mm, compared to the latest 30-year average of 26.4mm.
Most of the month’s rain was recorded on 17 to 18 March, although March was storm-free.
The limited rain left the region’s storages at just over 35 per cent of capacity, with around 34 billion litres still in local dams and reservoirs.
One thunder day was recorded, on 3 March, while eight days had rain and several were overcast with drizzle.
– Lindsay Smail operates Geelong Weather Services
