Geelong's April weather

[Lin...@geelongweatherservices.com]

April, 2012

RAINFALL
Most of the Geelong urban area and the Bellarine Peninsula received average to above average rain in April. Breakwater Racecourse received the long-term average amount of 45.4 mm, an average derived from many years at the old Airport site. In contrast, most of the Otway Ranges, Golden Plains and Moorabool Catchment were below average. Despite this, the catchments remain at 79% of capacity. This is on a par with last year and is a comforting situation for the citizens of the region.

Weather enthusiasts will be disappointed to learn that the old Weeaproinah site in the Otways is no more, after 111 years of operation. New property owners have closed down the station on the retirement of Frank Minchinton, and the Bureau of Meteorology has not, as yet, provided any resources for an automatic station near the old site. Geelong Weather Services will be attempting to include monthly figures from Beech Forest, Johanna Heights and Lavers Hill for comparisons. The nearby station at Wyelangta still operates but figures are only posted several months later.

TEMPERATURE
April's average daily temperatures were around 0.7 degree C warmer than the long-term average, given the recent site change. Average daily minimum was 10.6 degrees C and maximum 21.7 degrees C. This compares with 20.2 and 9.5 degrees respectively for the Airport averages. Factoring in the potentially misleading difference made by Geelong's Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect, the overall result was a generally warmer April.

There was one day over 30 degrees - on the 6th the temperature reached 31.8 degrees. The coldest day was the 24th with a maximum of 14.6 degrees. Lowest overnight temperature dropped to 5.2 degrees on the 30th.

OTHER
There were 3 thunder days (2nd, 22nd and 23rd) and a severe storm on the 6th - the first for the year - characterised by strong wind gusts (up to 76 kph at Breakwater) from Grovedale to Corio. Some structural damage and fallen trees occurred. There were no other occasions where wind gusts exceeded 60 kph, a typically mild autumn month with the occasional thunderstorm.

RAINFALL DATA

GEELONG REGION Location Total for Month (mm) Monthly Average (mm) Aireys Inlet 57.4 50.5 Anakie 27.2 41.0 Anglesea na 56.0 Apollo Bay 68.6 85.2 Bacchus Marsh na 42.4 Ballan 34.8 55.5 Ballarat 44.6 53.8 Bannockburn 28.8 42.0 Barwon Heads GC 64.4 51.0 Bellbrae na 52.4 Bells Beach na 52.4 Beeac 32.2 45.5 Birregurra 45.6 48.8 Boonah na n.a. Cape Otway 76.8 72.3 Colac 36.0 59.0 Clifton Springs 69.4 48.3 Cressy 26.4 50.2 Curlewis 69.6 48.0 Drysdale 82.4 48.3 Durdidwarrah 23.4 n.a. Forrest (Town) 54.0 83.1 Forrest

(West Barwon)

64.2	94.4
Gellibrand	na	77.5
Inverleigh	27.6	48.0
Johanna Heights	80.0	130.0
Lal Lal	24.0	n.a.
Lavers Hill	na	148.0
Laverton	38.8	49.0
Lethbridge	na	57.0
Little River (You Yangs)	18.5	43.2
Melba Gully	na	n.a.
Melbourne (City)	49.6	58.0
Meredith (Darra)	32.4	58.2
Moriac	50.5	45.0
Morrisons	na	n.a.
Mt Cowley	77.4	n.a.
Mt Gellibrand	31.6	n.a.
Mt Mercer	51.2	n.a.
Mt Sabine	62.6	n.a.
Point Lonsdale	54.1	52.0
Pollocksford	43.8	n.a.
Portarlington	na	53.6
Queenscliff	na	48.3
Shelford	na	44.0
Sheoaks	36.8	n.a.
Skipton	18.8	n.a.
St Leonards	na	50.0
Teesdale	38.0	46.0
Torquay	66.0	45.0
Werribee	35.0	46.0
Winchelsea	36.4	40.0

	GEELONG SUBURBS Location Total for Month (mm) Monthly Average (mm)
Avalon	30.2	46.7
Bell Park	45.5	45.1
Belmont	34.0	43.5
Breakwater	45.4	45.4
Connewarre	43.3	41.0
Corio	36.8	39.0
East Geelong	42.2	39.0
Grovedale	na	43.5
Grovedale South	50.2	43.5
Hamlyn Heights	40.0	43.0
Highton	42.0	43.4
Lara	29.5	39.1
Lara (Serendip)	na	39.1
Leopold	na	50.2
Leopold East	na	50.2
Manifold Heights	39.3	43.0
Moolap	43.2	45.0
Mt Duneed West	62.5	46.4
Waurn Ponds	38.4	44.0
Whittington	na	43.0
Geelong Urban Area Average	42.0	42.0

[Shane Ekerbicer]

Hi Lindsay,

It is very disappointing that long-term sites such as Weeaproinah are allowed to close. Even relocating sites such as the airport are disappointing. How does BoM expect to keep good long-term records if they keep closing or relocating sites. It is a joke in my opinion.

I received 29.3mm at my house in Lara, unfortunately my automatic rain gauge at Grovedale has failed and I have no data for April.

Regards,
Shane

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[Lin...@geelongweatherservices.com]

Hi Shane – Thanks for your interest in my report.  Unfortunately when I look at the BoM’s distribution of daily reporting rainfall sites I don’t see much common sense applied but I do see a lot of political expediency and false economies.  For example, here in Geelong we have 3 such AWS’s: Breakwater Racecourse; Moolap Aquatic Centre and the Salt Works (also at Moolap).  3 stations all within several km of each other,  but none in any number of important parts of the region.   The failure to establish an AWS replacement for Weeaproinah somewhere on the Otway ridge is ridiculous.  Locals have told me BoM rep’s have been frantically door-knocking residents to ask if anyone wants to manually read instruments and report twice daily (for a pittance) the way it has been done for more than a century.  No prizes will be given for any suggestions as to why the Bureau budget has been depleted.  I think most of us know.  Regards, LS.

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[Kevin Phyland]

Hi Shane,

similar to when Bendigo changed from the prison site to the airport.

Cheers,

Kevin.