Victor Szwed
The first of December was the coldest start to summer since 1996 for Melbourne. How was Daylesford? There was snow on Mount Buller and other peaks. This was not so unique as cold snaps and snowfalls can occur even in February.
The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) web site indicates that Daylesford received 83.8mm of rainfall for November compared to the long-term average of 61.7mm. My weather system recorded just over 100mm. This rainfall was spread across the month which is much better than receiving one intense rainfall event and lots of dry days.
Our rainfall of 726mm to the end of November is still 13% under the long-term average of 829mm at the end of November. The BOM has rainfall records for Daylesford since 1867. The wettest year was 1973 with 1,321mm and the driest was 1982 with only 421mm. Our annual average is 877mm.
Varying weather conditions can result in quite different and interesting flora and fauna observations. My garden has been flourishing better than most years with very few frosts over spring and some good rainfalls for October and November.
Last week I observed 87 birds in a newly cut field just off Lyman Street, further east of East Street. I think that they were Straw Necked Ibis which are much darker than the white Ibis which are often referred to as “Bin Chickens” because they forage in refuse.
What does Summer hold out for us? According to the BOM we could expect December to be drier than normal. For the four-month period of December to March they predict roughly equal chances of above or below average rainfall. The La Nina conditions which bring greater than normal rainfall have eased.
The BOM forecast that days and nights are likely to be warmer than normal. These forecasts can be confusing as November felt cooler than normal with very few days into the mid-twenties. However, we had very few frosts over spring and apparently night-time temperatures did not drop as low as they usually have in the past. An important factor for us is that we are more than 600 metres above sea level and our temperatures drop lower than most areas so it can be challenging to compare to the broader Victorian forecasts.
Our local water reservoirs continue to be 100% full which is a great position to be in leading into summer.
With the significant growth of vegetation and very limited burn-off on public lands, the fire risks this summer are substantial, particularly with the BOM forecast of warmer than normal conditions. Make sure that you reduce fire risks on your property and also have your fire plan ready. Keep an eye out for neighbours and friends who live on their own or have physical and/or medical challenges.
Victor Szwed is a Daylesford Resident who contributes a monthly weather update to The Wombat Post.
