![HOPE: Past cases suggest the north-east is in for a wetter summer and winter. Picture: Shutterstock HOPE: Past cases suggest the north-east is in for a wetter summer and winter. Picture: Shutterstock](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/matthew.crossman/83e21618-e8f4-44f2-8d64-c90f89077d90.jpg/r0_518_5184_3444_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
The spring season we have just had in north-east Victoria was generally warmer and drier than normal.
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It was the warmest since 2015, with nine warmer springs dating back to 1902; four of these from 1937-44.
Excessive heat at the end of November was part of the worst heatwave over the eastern half of the nation for this time of year since 1913.
On Saturday, November 28 the temperature reached 42.6 in Rutherglen, a new high for November and 42.4 at Yarrawonga, which equals last year's November record.
Corowa recorded 43.0, which broke the November 1980 high of 42.5. Deniliquin's 44.1 was the hottest in November since 44.2 in 1888.
Albury's 41.8 was nearly a degree above last year's November record.
Hay recorded 45.5, which was half a degree above the 1980 November record. Narrandera recorded 43.4, the highest in November since 44.0 in 1980.
The summer of 1980-81 was much wetter and notably hotter than normal in north-east Victoria, with the heaviest rains in mid-December and near end of January 1981.
The hottest days near 40 about December 10, just before Christmas, and mid-January. The winter of 2021 will be a wet one indeed.
Alice Springs had its hottest November, with a mean maximum temperature of 38.0, since the record hot November of 38.4 in 1889.
It was also the ninth-successive warmer than normal November in Alice Springs.
From 1877-89, Alice Springs had 13 successive warmer than average Novembers.
In addition, the mean maximum temperature at Alice Springs rose from 30.7 in October to 38.0 in November, the biggest rise in any year for 115 years.
Perth, after having its wettest November on record and the coldest since 1991, has now recorded its coldest December morning with only 6.6 degrees.
Previous coldest December mornings for the first week of the month in Perth were in 1954, 1973, 2007 and 2010.
All these past cases led to heavy rain and storms in north-east Victoria in the middle part of December, and very hot days between Christmas and early January and very heavy rain mid-January.
St George, Queensland had its hottest start to summer with 45.0 degrees, since the 45.4 on Black Wednesday, December 3, 1913.
The summer of 1913-14 was also notably warmer than normal, but rainfall was below average over most of the eastern states.