IDA00V00

BUREAU OF METEOROLOGY
VICTORIAN REGIONAL OFFICE

Notes on the Weather for Victoria
Issued at 1630 on Wednesday the 21st of March 2001

Recent Events
A cold front and associated rain band crossed the state this morning, bringing
falls mostly between 10 and 25mm on and south of the ranges and between 5 and
15mm in the north. Highest recorded in the 24 hours to 9 am this morning was
29mm at Casterton and Hamilton, followed by 28mm at Cavendish, 27mm at Merino,
24mm at Halls Gap and 23mm at Harrow and Dunkeld. In the following 6 hours to
3pm the rainband cleared to the east of the state, Mt Hotham recording 23mm and
Falls Creek 19 mm. Showers and thunderstorms developed in the cold and unstable
postfrontal airmass during the day, with falls mostly 5mm or less, however
Ararat recorded 12mm, Lookout Hill 11mm and Mt Gellibrand 10mm. 

Overnight temperatures were generally 1 to 4 degrees below average as the cool
change extended eastwards, although the change had not reached eastern
districts, where minima were a couple of degrees above the mean. Coldest in the
state was Mt Buller with 3 degrees, followed by 5 degrees at Lookout Hill, while
9 degrees was recorded at several stations including Walpeup, Stawell, Ballarat,
Dunns Hill and Maryborough.

Cloud covered most of the state during the day with winds showing great
variability. Strong and gusty westerly winds extended eastwards behind the cold
front, then tended fresh northerly during the day, with southeasterlies
developing in the west and lighter winds in parts of the east. 

Cold conditions were experienced across most of the state, with maximum
temperatures mostly 4 to 12 degrees below average. The exception was the far
east where the cool change failed to reach until this afternoon, with Pt Hicks
reaching 28 degrees and Mallacoota 27 degrees. Apart from the east, Central
district was warmest state wide with Viewbank reaching 21 degrees followed by
Moorabbin with 20 degrees.  

In Melbourne the temperature ranged from a minimum of 12.5 degrees at 6.45 am to
19.5 degrees at 1:40 pm.


Explanatory Notes
A deep low pressure system  over southwestern Victoria will move eastwards
across the state today then weaken. A new low will form over eastern Bass Strait
and deepen early Thursday before moving away to the southeast of Tasmania on
Friday. Another front will cross Victoria on Saturday with a moderating
southwest airstream affecting the state on Sunday.