WEATHER WATCH: Heavy rainfall follows record warm temperatures

Some areas of Victoria were fortunate to receive above average rainfalls during the summers of 1888-1889, 1980-81 and 2013-14.

Coonabarabran has recorded its warmest September in 144 years of records. The mean maximum temperature of 24.7 degrees was four degrees above normal. The previous warmest Septembers were in 1888, 1895, 1980 and 2013. All these certainly led to dry conditions, warmer than usual during the spring season and then to a summer season much hotter than usual from outback Queensland to Victoria with rainfalls below average generally.

Dubbo has also recorded its warmest September in 152 years of records with the mean maximum temperature of 25.7 being 4.3 degrees above normal. The total rainfall at Dubbo was only 2.6 millimetres; the fourth driest behind 1957, 1961 and 2007. Previous warmest Septembers at Dubbo were in 1888, 1901, 1919 and 2013.

During the past week many places in Western Australia recorded their hottest September day on record. These include Mardie, 41.7, Onslow, 41.6, Mandora, 42.8, Geraldton, 39, Kalgoolie, 37.9 and Meekatharra, 38.5.

Ceduna broke its September record twice this month with readings of nearly 40 degrees and also has recorded its warmest September since 2013.

Melbourne, with only 10.8 millimetres in September, recorded its driest ever September in 183 years of records. Previous very dry Septembers in Melbourne were in 1881, 1907, 1938, 1968, 1981, 2008 and 2018. Quite a few of these did lead to above average rainfalls in both November and December in some districts, but January and February were excessively hot in our regions - 50.2 degrees at Wilcannia on January 11, 1939.

The month of October has started with a continuation of very hot days that characterised the last 10 days of September.

Sydney recorded two more hot days of 35 degrees and this followed a very similar pattern which also happened in late September and early October of 1998. The first week of October 1998 saw light to moderate rainfalls in Victoria and the Riverina, which also happened to some extent this week, apart from heavy rainfalls at Alpine resorts and in West Gippsland where Latrobe Valley recorded 50 millimetres in 12 hours. The wettest October day there was 83 millimetres in 1953.

Mount Hotham has recorded 88 millimetres in 12 hours and does look set to break the October daily record of 100 millimetres, which did happen in early October 1928, and this happened coincidentally after record September heat of 1928. It was notably drier and warmer than usual from November 1928 right through to January 1929 in our region.

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