Victor Szwed
The rainfall on the 18-19th and 29th of April was most welcome across Victoria. Coming after six very dry weeks in our region, the rains provided some generous refreshment for our gardens heading towards winter.
Autumn colours, fog, rain and mild nights.
The Weather Bureau recorded 92mm for April after only 7.8mm over the six weeks prior to the 18th. My weather station recorded 110mm for April. The April mean is 64mm.
Autumn rainfall is vital for most farmers as their pastures need some good rain to have decent growth before the cold weather sets in. Their pastures won’t grow much in winter even with good rains. Similarly, winter grain crops appreciate decent Autumn moisture so that they get some good growth and then continue at a slower rate over winter. With world grain shortages due to the conflicts in Ukraine and Russia, good Australian crops are important to supply world markets.
The Bureau’s modelling suggests that May to July rainfall is likely to be above median for most of Australia including central Victoria. Some other forecasters are suggesting that we are heading into a third year of the La Nina weather system with more floods forcast for the east coast. While there may be significant rainfalls coming, the Bureau’s modelling is not as dramatic.
Daytime temperatures are expected to be close to average for central Victoria, warmer for southern Victoria and cooler for most of central Australia east to west. Minimum temperatures are expected to be above average right across the country. If you are interested, see the Bureau’s web site:
http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/outlooks/#/overview/summary
Daylesford water reservoirs are 80% full according to Central Highlands Water. Last year they were 82% at this time. With expected winter and spring rainfalls they should fill up over coming months. To see more, follow the link to their web site:
https://www.chw.net.au/community/water-storage-levels/
Victor Szwed is a local resident who contributes a regular weather column to The Wombat Post.
