Weather set to stabilise
Forecasters are predicting a return to dry and settled weather across the Wimmera after a week of storms and heavy rain.
Bureau of Meteorology meteorologist Miriam Bradbury said Wimmera residents could expect a period of dry and generally settled weather, with mild to warm days and cool to mild nights.
She said predictions were that rain across the Wimmera from February to April would be average and accompany above-average temperatures.
Ms Bradbury provided forecast details after a major low-pressure weather pattern moved across Victoria, dumping from 4.2mm at Kaniva to 62.9mm at Ararat from January 24 to 30 and continuing across Victoria and into NSW.
Storms and above-average summer rain predictions had been part of confirmation of a La Niña system influencing south-eastern Australia.
Ms Bradbury said the La
Niña, the opposite of El Niño and based on Pacific Ocean temperatures and currents, was likely at its peak.
She said most meteorological models indicated a return to neutral conditions during February and March.
“La Niña is a climate driver, not a weather trigger, so no single weather event can be tied to La Niña,” she said.
But she said the system had created humid weather and most of the state had experienced wetter-than-normal conditions and a higher likelihood of severe thunderstorms and heavy rain.
The thunderstorm activity produced lightning strikes across the Wimmera last week, sparking a series of alarms, but Ms Bradbury said the threat of ‘dry’ lightning was at a ‘very’ low risk for the Wimmera.
She said humid air carrying a lot of moisture had continued across the Wimmera and developing storms also produced rain.
“Storms are not a high risk over the remainder of the forecast period, so the risk of dry lightning for the week ahead will continue to remain negligible,” she said.
Official rain figures across the Wimmera between January 24 and 30 showed Horsham
recorded 57mm, Ararat 62.9 mm, Stawell 38.2mm, Warracknabeal 63mm, Edenhope recorded about 39.2mm, Rupanyup 45.6mm and Kaniva 4.2mm.