June rainfall well down

Only about half the long-term average amount of rain fell in Warragul last month but the total for the first six months of the year is still tracking well above average.

Forecasts by the Bureau of Meteorology are for about normal July rainfall ahead of a “likely wetter than normal” August to October period.

And it believes average temperatures, both during the day and at night, could be about two degrees warmer than usual until September.

Last month’s rain at Warragul of 43.6 millimetres was only about half of the average for June over the past 115 years.

But the January to June total of 594.8 millimetres remained well above the 432.7 milliemetre average for that period. January and February were wetter than usual and the March-May autumn period produced 316.8 millimetres, 80 millimetres higher than the average.

Last month had only one day – the 24-hour period to 9 a.m. on June 23 - where more than 10 millimetres was registered with the 43.6millimetre total spread across 14 days.

The all years’ average rainfall at Warragul is 1007 millimetres, a figure not reached for eight years.

However, with the first six months of this year registering almost 60 per cent of that amount and the BoM’s “likely wetter than normal” outlook for the next few months indicate a likely above average year.