Weather Watch | Coming winter likely to be dry

It is expected to be another drier than average winter, though not as dry as the past three winters with the rainfall closer to average in both June and August.

I have just completed a survey of annual rainfall figures and annual mean maximum temperatures for two 45-year periods.

The years covered ranged from 1875 to 1919, and from 1975 to 2019.

This was done for few stations which have records for about 150 years.

At Bendigo, the annual mean maximum temperature for the 1875 to 1919 period was 21.2 degrees.

This was 0.25 warmer than the 1975 to 2019 period.

Rainfall was much the same for these two periods.

At Deniliquin, the mean maximum temperature was 1.3 higher for the 1875 to 1919 period than the 1975 to 2019 period. The annual rainfall was 60mm higher for the 1875 to 1919 period. Bourke was also 0.8 higher for the 1875 to 1919 period.

The annual rainfall was about the same at 342mm.

At Moree, the 1875 to 1919 period was 1.2 degrees higher at 27.7 than the 26.5 for the 1975 to 2019 period.

The annual rainfall at Moree was 580mm for both periods. It was 0.3 warmer at Narrabri for the 1875 to 1919 period. The annual rainfall at 644mm was 30mm higher for the 1875 to 1919 period than the other period.

In Queensland, both Roma and Charleville were about 40mm wetter for the 1875 to 1919 period than for the other period.

As this month draws to a close, the city of Melbourne is having it's coldest February-March period for 40 years, and also the wettest since 1973.

This is the worst situation to happen at the height of the coronavirus pandemic.

An upper level system has been producing thunderstorm activity from Walgett to Forbes, with some heavy falls recorded.

Further rain is expected at the end of this month.

April will be relatively dry and slightly warmer for the first three weeks before more rain arrives in the last week of April.