A year of highs and lows

Alex de Vos
A local weather expert has described 2009 as a year of highs and lows.
Geelong Weather Services director Lindsay Smail said the year was hotter by 0.9C, while the rainfall recorded around the region was “well below” the average.
On February 7, Mr Smail said the region baked through its hottest day on record when the mercury tipped 47.4C.
In January 2009 the temperature reached 45.3C, topping the city’s previous record of 44.8C in January 2003, he said.
He said the region recorded its coldest day on June 17 when the temperature dropped to 9.8C. On July 8 Geelong residents shivered through its chilliest night when the mercury plummeted to a low 1.4C.
In November the region baked through another heatwave when it recorded five consecutive days above 30C.
Mr Smail said the November record started on the seventh when the mercury hit 31.9C, before climbing to 34.6C on November 8, 34.9C on the ninth, 33.6C on the 10th and 30.2C on the 11th.
Mr Smail said the hot weather returned on December 16, when Geelong experienced its first official taste of summer.
The mercury hit 39.6C before a cool change sent temperatures to the low 20s later in the month.
“Preliminary figures show that December was warmer than average by about 0.9C,” Mr Smail said.
“Daily minimums averaged 10.7C and maximums averaged 24.7C.
“Despite this, December figures since 1903 still show an overall flat trend with no noticeable long-term changes, although some short-term fluctuations have occurred, typical of any climate.”
During 2009 the region recorded 445mm of rainfall.
Mr Smail said the wettest 24 hours were recorded at Mt Duneed on November 22.
By 9am, 28.6mm of rain had fallen, he said.
He labelled November the wettest month with 90.4mm of rain falling at Mt Duneed and January the driest month, recording 0.4mm of rain.
“Generally rainfall in December was below average across the Geelong-Otway region,” Mr Smail said.
“In an impressive localised downpour, the area around Lara, Little River and You Yangs recorded 15-20mm on Christmas Eve, with only four millimetres falling in the city.”