VIC:Wettest winter for 11 years in Melbourne

AAP General News (Australia)
08-27-2010
VIC:Wettest winter for 11 years in Melbourne

MELBOURNE, Aug 27 AAP - Melbourne is in the grip of its wettest winter in 11 years.

After seven years of below-average winter rain, Melbourne has received 156mm of rain
so far this winter, above the average of 147mm.

And regional Victoria has also benefited from good rainfall, with Ballarat recording
its wettest month in 33 years and Bendigo its wettest month in 18 years.

Tom Saunders, meteorologist at The Weather Channel, said the rainfall was starting
to have an impact on the state's water storage levels, with the combined level now above
40 per cent in August for the first time in four years.

"Melbourne has not actually recorded an entire year with above-average rain since 1996.

This year could be close, with rain so far only 30mm below the long-term average to August,"

he said.

It has also been a bumper snow season in Victoria's alps.

After a slow start to the season, some resorts now have their deepest snow in six years.

"There has been a regular passage of cold fronts this month, which has ensured consistent
snowfalls across the alps," Mr Saunders said.

"The snow has been particularly heavy this week with four cold fronts sweeping over
southeastern Australia during the past three days alone. Most resorts have reported nearly
one metre of fresh snow."

At Victoria's largest ski resort, Falls Creek, 54cm of snow fell in 24 hours, taking
accumulated snowfall to 226cm this month - the best since 1992.

Mr Saunders said snowfall would now decrease as the last of the cold fronts moved into
the Tasman Sea.

AAP ce/pmu/jsh

KEYWORD: RAIN VIC

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