Last month continued the dry trend across North East Victoria in 2025.

December rainfalls included 43mms at Wangaratta, 34mms at Rutherglen, 37mms at Benalla and 53mms at Albury.

The yearly totals at these major centres included 453mms at Wangaratta, 458mms at Rutherglen, 534mms at Albury and 446mms at Benalla - all being two thirds of the annual average.

Benalla's total was 240mms below the annual average of 686mms and the countryside around town looks it with a major bushfire out of control on the hottest day of this year on Thursday, 18 December when the temperature soared to 41 degrees.

Maximum temperatures in 2025 were a degree above normal whilst minimum temperatures were close to normal.

In Wangaratta the lowest temperature was minus 4.7 degrees on 5 June; the highest minimum temperature was 23.4 degrees on 6 January whilst at other main centres it was around 22 degrees in early February.

The coldest day was eight degrees on 8 June and there were similar cold days about 10 July as well.

Despite some heavy snowfalls during the winter, alpine regions had less rainfalls than average in 2025 although Mt Buller had a heavy fall of 121mms with a record wind gust for December of 115kph.

December was one of the windiest months ever recorded in Victoria.

Elsewhere in the country, all time record heavy rainfalls occurred in the Gulf region with Mornington Island recording a record 797mms for December.

The yearly total reached 2055mms - the third highest behind 2088mms in 1976 and 2604mms in 2011.

Records go back 111 years.