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Melbourne's coldest and wettest winter in more than a decade

Melbourne has endured its coldest winter in 12 years and wettest winter in 11 years, according to weatherzone.com.au.

Despite it being colder and wetter than any winter in the last decade, it has actually been warmer and only slightly wetter than normal.

Daytime temperatures averaged 14.6 degrees, half-a-degree above the long-term winter average. Nights averaged 7.5 degrees, one degree warmer than the long-term norm.

When both daytime and overnight temperatures were combined, Melbourne's average temperature came in at 11 degrees, above the long-term norm of 10.3, but still the coldest winter since 1998.

"Days were generally colder than in recent winters due to extra cloud and also a few strong cold southerly changes late in the season. Some of this cloud came in from the northwest and some came in the cold southerlies," Weatherzone meteorologist Brett Dutschke said.

"The extra northwest cloud bands in August brought significant rain to Melbourne and much of the state, which gave rivers, creeks and catchments a boost," Dutschke said.

After a dry start to the season 156 millimetres of rain fell in the city, only nine millimetres more than the long-term winter average, but it was the most winter rain since 1999.

It's been a significantly wet August and winter for western, central and northern parts of the state.

Ballarat gained 161mm in August, its wettest month in 33 years and wettest August in 101 years.

Bendigo had its wettest month and wettest winter in more than 18 years, accumulating 139mm this August and 288mm this winter.

Wangaratta picked up 201mm this winter, the wettest in five years, despite only just exceeding the long-term norm of 198mm.

Only parts of the Mallee and East Gippsland have been below par and not as wet as winter 2008.

"The spring outlook for Melbourne and the rest of Victoria is for further good rain events with the aid of relatively frequent northwest cloud bands. These cloud bands should persist due to a warmer than normal Indian Ocean," Dutschke said.

"One as soon as this weekend should bring widespread 30 to 60mm to inland parts of the state, which may lead to flooding. There's potential for close to 100mm in the northeast."

"The likelihood of near-or-above median rainfall will favour a season of warmer than normal nights and fewer frosts."

- Weatherzone

© Weatherzone 2010

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