At the half way point of May, rainfall totals for Wangaratta (34.4mms), Benalla (32.1mms), Rutherglen (33.8mms) and Yarrawonga (22.4mms) are all just over half the monthly average. Wangaratta's current mean maximum temperature of 19.7 degrees and mean minimum temperature of 6.8 degrees so far this month are two to three degrees above average for May. The other main centres had much the same temperature means. Melbourne's mean maximum up to mid-May was 23.8 degrees, which is nearly four degrees above normal and the fifth warmest behind 1866, 1904, 1947 and 2007. All these past episodes led to a milder and wetter winter in Victoria and a somewhat wetter October to December period. The Melbourne suburb of Coldstream has recorded above average rainfall for May with 73mms after a thunderstorm overnight. Last Saturday night's heavy rain brought 45.4mms to Renmark - its wettest for May in 138 years of records. Walpeup in the Mallee recorded 39.2mms to Sunday morning, which was its wettest May day in 113 years of records.
