01/12/2011: Melbourne, 35 degrees one day, 12 degrees the next - here endeth the second warmest spring on record, according to weatherzone.com.au.

The last day of spring chilled to just 12 degrees in the afternoon, making it 23 degrees colder than the previous afternoon. Factor in the wind chill and it would've felt more than 25 degrees colder. What a way to end spring.

"Melbourne is one of the few places in the country which can cool so rapidly, being so far south on the mainland. This is a fine example of what spring can throw at us," Weatherzone meteorologist Brett Dutschke said.

Spring as a whole was a fine achievement, as was November. Both were Melbourne's second warmest on record.

In 157 years of records, only the 2009 spring and November were warmer.

This spring's nights were two degrees warmer than average. Overnight minimum temperatures averaged 11.8 degrees. The long-term average is 9.6 degrees.

This spring's days were also two degrees warmer than average. Daytime maximums averaged 21.6 degrees, compared to the long-term norm of 19.6 degrees.

Combining nighttime and daytime temperatures, this spring's average temperature came out at 16.7 degrees. In 2009, spring averaged 17 degrees.

This November's average minimum was 14.5 degrees, compared to the long-term norm of 11.5. The average maximum was 24.5 degrees and the long-term norm is 21.9.

"Warmer than normal waters surrounding southeastern Australia are largely responsible for our warm spring. This warm weather looks like continuing through summer. Both nights and days are looking warmer than normal," Dutschke said.

"Warm waters and a weak La Nina should also give us near-or-above average summer rainfall, continuing on from our wetter-than-average spring. In spring we had 245mm of rain, 62mm more than the long-term norm and the third consecutive wetter-than-average spring."

Media Inquiries:

Brett Dutschke
media@weatherzone.com.au
02 9965 9269

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