MARCH across the south-west was a mixed bag weather-wise, with normal daytime temperatures, colder nights and above-average rainfall.
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While daytime temperatures sat on or just below average, the nights were much cooler than average.
Port Fairy had its coolest minimums in 23 years. Its average low for the month was 11.4 degrees, 1.6 degrees below the norm.
Warrnambool’s nights were the coolest in 16 years, dipping to 1.3 degrees below the long-term average at 9.5 degrees.
Records tumbled on the region’s coldest day for the month, Thursday the 24th, when Hamilton had its coldest day in 29 years with a maximum of only 13.4 degrees.
On the same day Warrnambool reached just 13.6 degrees — its coldest March day in 16 years.
Warrnambool, Mortlake, Port Fairy and Portland all recorded above-average rainfall in March.
Hamilton was the only south-west centre to record below-average precipitation.
Port Fairy was the dampest with 53.4 millimetres, Warrnambool was next with 50.2mm, Portland had 41.8mm and Hamilton 30mm.
The 24 hours from 9am on Thursday the 26th were the wettest across the region. Warrnambool copped 20.2 millimetres of rain in that period.
Warmest day across the region was the 17th, when the temperature climbed to 30.6 degrees in Port Fairy, 31.3 degrees in Mortlake and 31.5 in Warrnambool.
While the region has enjoyed pleasant conditions this week, rain is expected to develop tonight and showers are expected across the Easter long weekend.
Temperatures are forecast to be in the high teens to low 20s across the region, with a high chance of showers expected to bring between one and five millimetres of rain.