While the coronavirus pandemic may have made winter feel like a longer, colder and wetter three months than usual, the Maryborough region did experience some above average chilly conditions.
The region was greeted with sunshine on the first day of spring and according to the Bureau of Meteorology’s (BoM) outlook, more is on the way.
For Victoria, the BoM is predicting a high chance of exceeding the median rainfall for central and northern parts of the state due to increased likelihood of a La Niña forming, as well as higher than average temperatures, especially at the start of spring until mid-September.
There is a very likely chance an above median rainfall of 133 mm will be recorded across Maryborough throughout September, October and November, according to the outlook, while there is equal likelihood the region will see tops above the maximum median temperature of 20 degrees.
While much of the state experienced a drier than average winter, including locally, August in the Central Goldfields Shire was the wettest since 2013, with 71.6 millimetres of rain recorded. The last month of winter was also the wettest of the three, with June recording 31.2 mm and July 28.4 mm — the driest in almost two decades — to bring the season’s total rainfall average for Maryborough to 131.2 mm, which is almost 20 mm less than 2019’s winter.
On August 13 the region received the season’s biggest deluge, with 15 mm of rain falling throughout the day.
According to the Bureau, across Victoria there was 25 percent below average rainfall for the season, the lowest since 2006.
While across the state days were warmer than average in most of eastern and south-central Victoria, winter kicked off with a bang — recording the coldest day of the three months on June 1, when the mercury couldn’t crack double digits, rising a mere two degrees from an overnight low of 7.1° to a chilly top of just 9.1°.
Fast forward to August and on the 27th you could really tell spring was just a few days away, with temperatures rising to a winter high of 19.1°.
The start of spring has continued this warmer streak, with the past seven days averaging above 15°.
Today is set to see a cloudy top of 20°, Wednesday will see a top of 17° and 19° on Thursday.