The first fortnight in June in North East Victoria has seen maximum temperatures above normal for June. The mean maximum temperature at Wangaratta for the first fortnight of June was 14.7 degrees whilst the mean minimum temperature of six degrees was three degrees above normal - the highest since 6.3 degrees in June of 1991. Much the same readings occurred at Benalla and Rutherglen with minimum temperatures also the warmest since 1991. Rainfalls to date are already above average. We are yet to see one day with frosts at the North East major towns, which is a big contrast to the 24 days of frosts which happened in June of last year. Melbourne recorded a minimum temperature of 15.9 degrees last Saturday, 13 June, which is the highest on record for June. The previous June minimum record was 14.8 degrees in 1995. Other high readings were in June 1920 and 1917 and all did lead to excessive rainfalls in Victoria to about September and again in November and also in January and February the next year. Sydney has had a run of maximum temperatures notably above normal from April to well into June - the warmest since 1957. We had above average rainfall in June and July 1957 but the rest of 1957 was somewhat drier and warmer than normal with heavy rain in February 1958. Hobart had its warmest May on record with 17.4 degrees. The previous warmest Mays were in 2007 and before that in 1980 which did lead to a notably warmer conditions right up to January, after a wet winter.
