HERE COMES THE SUN

WEEKEND OF WEATHER HOT AND COOL

THE region will be bathed in warmth to start December, and no one is happier than Summer Wake.

The 10-year-old from Torquay, pictured, hopes to be back at Cosy Corner tomorrow if predictions of a 31C top for Geelong and 29C beachside are on the mark to start the season that shares her name.

After a medium (40 per cent) chance of an evening shower to cool things off, the temperature will drop back to 19c with showers on Sunday.

The past two weeks, which included a 31.3C high, have yielded an average of 21.1C.

Bureau of Meteorology senior climatologist Simon Grainger said long-term records showed average temperatures in this period would normally be closer to 25.

The forces causing the comparably low temperatures have been the same ones fuelling record November temperatures and horrific fires in central and northern Queensland.

“It’s more likely for these cooler temperatures and rainfall to affect southern Australia in these conditions,” Mr Grainger said.

The opposite force caused below-average rainfall and aboveaverage temperatures around Geelong and the state in winter.

The bureau yesterday released its latest summer seasonal outlook, painting a picture of close to average conditions.

Geelong has an even chance of exceeding its median summer rainfall of 107mm in the December to February period.

But the city is more than 70 per cent likely to exceed its median minimum and maximum temperatures in the next few months, part of an optimistic outlook for coastal southern Australia. The forecast is at odds to season outlooks posted last month, which showed Geelong was set to experience more aboveaverage heat and less rainfall.