RAINFALL

Heavy rains on the 12th-13th brought up the monthly totals to well above average for most of the Geelong-Bellarine-Otways region. Rainfalls ranged from 60 mm to 95 mm through Geelong (long-term average 39) to over 213 mm at Weeaproinah (average 113) and 115 mm at the West Barwon Dam (average 73), but only maintaining catchment levels at a fairly meagre 28%. The wettest 24-hour and 48-hour periods brought 60-70 mm across Geelong on the 12th-13th, and 204 mm to Mt Sabine at the head of the West Barwon catchment.

At 3pm on the 13th, the barometric pressure dropped to 995.4 hPa as an intense cut-off low pressure system responsible for the heavy rain passed overhead.

TEMPERATURE and OTHER FEATURES

Temperatures were fractionally (0.2 degree C) below average for December. There were 3 days over 30 degrees and the hottest day was the 22nd when the maximum reached 35.0 degrees C. On the coldest day (13th) the top temperature only reached 15.4 degrees. The coldest night was the 4th when the mercury fell to 3.3 degrees C.

There were 4 days of very strong winds which gusted to 78kph at Mt Duneed on the 30th.

There were no storms or thunder-days in Geelong, which is quite unusual for December in this region.

A yearly summary of Geelong's weather appears near this article.

RAINFALL DATA

GEELONG REGION Location Total for Month (mm) Monthly Average (mm) Aireys Inlet 120.2 40.1 Anakie 102.2 55.0 Anglesea na 48.0 Apollo Bay 139.6 63.6 Bacchus Marsh na 42.2 Ballan 105.8 45.9 Ballarat 83.4 52.5 Bannockburn 68.2 42.0 Barwon Heads 65.1 47.0 Bellbrae 104.0 54.0 Bells Beach na 54.0 Beeac 47.3 42.4 Benwerrin 176.6 n.a. Birregurra 84.2 43.4 Boonah na n.a. Cape Otway 85.0 52.7 Clifton Springs 88.0 n.a. Colac 88.4 46.6 Cressy 87.0 44.2 Curlewis 76.9 44.2 Dereel 122.4 44.2 Drysdale na 44.7 Durdidwarrah 95.0 n.a. Fiskville na n.a. Forrest 102.6 73.0 Gellibrand na n.a. Gerangamete na n.a. Inverleigh na 45.5 Johanna 157.4 na Lake Colac na 45.5 Lal Lal na n.a. Lavers Hill 198.0 45.5 Laverton 93.4 47.0 Lethbridge na 55.9 Melba Gully na n.a. Melbourne (City) 76.6 59.0 Meredith na n.a. Meredith (Darra) 95.4 51.8 Moriac 85.2 n.a. Mt Buninyong na n.a. Mt Cowley 204.4 n.a. Mt Mercer na n.a. Mt Sabine 265.6 n.a. Point Lonsdale 65.2 45.0 Pollocksford 60.2 n.a. Portarlington na 45.5 Queenscliff na 43.4 Shelford na 45.0 Sheoaks 88.6 42.0 Skipton 75.8 n.a. St Leonards 80.0 45.0 Teesdale na 39.9 Torquay 88.0 40.0 Warncoort na n.a. Weeaproinah 213.4 112.9 West Barwon 114.6 n.a. Winchelsea na 41.1 Wooloomanata na n.a. You Yangs 71.5 n.a.

GEELONG SUBURBS Location Total for Month (mm) Monthly Average (mm) Avalon 61.8 49.0 Bell Park 68.5 47.8 Belmont 69.7 44.0 Connewarre na 52.1 Ceres 75.5 44.0 Corio 72.8 42.0 Grovedale 78.0 44.2 Grovedale South na 44.2 Hamlyn Heights 66.0 57.0 Highton na 44.2 Lara 62.0 41.9 Lara (Serendip) 64.5 41.9 Leopold 69.5 63.9 Leopold East na 42.0 Manifold Heights na 47.8 Moolap na 38.0 Mt Duneed Airport 75.2 42.2 Mt Duneed West 76.6 42.2 Waurn Ponds 95.2 42.2 Whittington na 42.0 Urban Area Average 75.0 44.9