March, 2000

RAINFALL
The Bureau of Meteorology's station at Mt Duneed has just recorded Geelong's lowest March rainfall since 1889. Speaking yesterday, Lindsay Smail of Geelong Weather Services said Mt Duneed's total of 1.6 mm was Geelong's lowest March rainfall in 111 years, when 0.3 mm was registered. Most of the urban area received around 6 mm. In more recent times low falls had been recorded in 1948 (1.8 mm), 1945 (2.4 mm) and 1953 (2.8 mm) at North Geelong, he said. Geelong's average for March is 35 mm. The Otways catchment, whose March average is 61 mm, only registered 14.6 mm at Forrest.

TEMPERATURE
March was a generally warmer month this year, with an average daily maximum of 25.5 degrees (compared to normal 23.7) and an average daily minimum of 13.2 (compared to 12.8).

RAINFALL DATA

GEELONG REGION
LocationTotal for
Month
(mm)
Monthly
Average
(mm)
Aireys Inlet9.245.7
Anglesea8.641.0
Apollo Bay18.069.6
Bacchus Marsh7.044.8
Ballan17.234.0
Ballarat8.644.4
Bannockburn6.039.0
Barwon Heads6.043.0
Bellbraen.a.37.7
Beeac8.440.4
Birregurra7.241.4
Cape Otway33.455.8
Colac7.044.0
Drysdale8.559.4
Forrest (West Barwon)14.662.8
Inverleigh4.043.0
Laverton15.636.0
Melba Gullyn.a.n.a.
Melbourne (City)22.852.0
Meredith (Darra)11.051.6
Modewarre7.536.0
Paraparapn.a.36.0
Portarlington11.045.7
Queenscliff12.344.5
Shelfordn.a.38.0
St Leonards14.045.0
Teesdalen.a.45.7
Torquay4.636.0
Wallingtonn.a.51.0
Warrnambool Airport25.856.2
Weeaproinah35.3112.8
Werribee13.041.4
Winchelsea3.036.1
Winchelsea South3.238.0
GEELONG SUBURBS
LocationTotal for
Month
(mm)
Monthly
Average
(mm)
Avalon5.831.0
Bell Park5.837.4
Belmont7.531.9
City5.242.0
Cloverdale6.535.0
Connewarren.a.27.0
Corion.a.35.0
East Belmont6.031.9
Grovedale4.441.7
Hamlyn Heightsn.a.35.0
Highton3.940.3
Lara4.236.6
Lara (Serendip)5.836.6
Leopold Southn.a.32.5
Manifold Heightsn.a.37.4
Mt Duneed Airport1.641.7
Mt Duneed West7.228.1
Norlanen.a.34.6
St Albans Park6.442.0
Urban Area Average6.034.6