The passage of a low pressure which brought heavy rainfalls to Daly Waters, Tennant Creek and Alice Springs extended southwards into Victoria and parts of southern inland Victoria last week, bringing much needed rainfalls. In North East Victoria, Wangaratta received 22mms, which took its February total to 46mms. Rutherglen received 69.4 mms on one day which made it the wettest February day since 2011. Rainfall totals at Albury reached 69mms, at Benalla 40mms and at Yarrawonga 32 mms - that's above average for Albury and near average for both Benalla and Yarrawonga. Mt Buller had some of the heaviest falls with 177mms over several days including a deluge of 115.6mms to last Monday morning - the wettest February day on record, surpassing 100.8mm in 1953. Swan Hill recorded 42.6mms last Tuesday morning which was the wettest February day there since 69mms in 1969. Tennant Creek had recorded 262mms for the month up until 25 February, making it one of the wettest on record in 138 years. It was also heading for the coldest February on record with the mean maximum temperature of 33.5 degrees being nearly three degrees below normal. The highest temperature up until 25 February at Tennant Creek was only 35.8 degrees - the lowest since 35.5 degrees in February 1974. Needless to say it has been much hotter in Northern Victoria and the Riverina. Wind gusts at Wangaratta have reached 65 km/h every month since May last year, mainly from WNW to N.
