The Wimmera region has experienced its driest start to a year since 2014 according to Longerenong College weather station statistics.
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Weather statistics compiled by the college’s weather recorder Brett Allender show that the college received a combined rainfall total of 17.8mm for the months of January and February.
The previous record, set in 2004, saw only 11.8mm of rain recorded at Longerenong College.
Longerenong College weather statistics indicate that the February rainfall total of 4.6mm, recorded over three days, was the lowest since 2012.
The previous 2012 record stood at 3.8mm.
Mr Allender said that the total summer rainfall was 41.0mm.
He said this was barely half of the long-term summer average of 75.0mm.
It was also the lowest summer total recorded since the 28.8mm recorded at the college in 2014.
Mr Allender said statistics show that 21.0mm of rain was recorded on December 1.
This means, according to Longerenong statistics, that the remainder of the summer only produced a further 20mm of rain.
The average maximum temperature for summer was 31.3 degrees.
Mr Allender said this meant that the average maximum temperature for the summer of 2017/18 was well above the long-term average of 29.1 degrees.
Statistics compiled by the college indicate that this is the sixth consecutive year that the summer average maximum temperature has topped 30 degrees.