PARTS of Horsham had both their wettest and driest years on record in the 2010s, as the region dealt with high rainfall variability again last year.
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Members of Horsham's agricultural sector say this is making it harder for farmers to plan for a good season.
The Bureau of Meteorology has released its 2019 Annual Climate Statement, showing 2019 was both the warmest and driest year on record for Australia.
It showed across the Wimmera mean temperatures for the year were either above or very much above the long-term average.
Horsham Aerodrome received 273 milimetres of rain in 2019, just above 2018's total of 256 milimetres and well below the long-term average of 363.4 milimetres.
However Vectis farmer Vaughn Maroske said the rainfall was better than the total suggested.
"I think it's to do with timing," he said. "The year before wasn't much worse in rainfall but yields were significantly less, a third of what they were in 2019.
"We haven't changed (farming practices) much in one year, it's the timing of the rain and the cool spring we had, that helped the crops get home on minimal moisture versus a hot spring that fries everything."
The aerodrome's wettest year of the 2010s - and on record - was 2011, when 536 milimetres fell including 101.4 on January 12 alone. Its driest was 2015 when only 229.6 milimetres fell, a record low.
The wettest year on record for Horsham city was 1973, when 723.7 milimetres fell. In 1982, it received just 186.5 milimetres.
Mr Maroske said he had changed his farm management strategies in response to the varied rainfall.
"For the last three years, instead of continuous cropping I'm doing more fallow and more hay to try and save some of the moisture for next year," he said. "Hay doesn't suck the ground dry because you're not finishing the crop."
Mr Maroske said he didn't listen to forecasts when it came to preparing for upcoming seasons.
Horsham Landmark agronomist Matthew Beddison said Wimmera growers often made their own predictions based on sea surface temperatures among other factors.
"At the start of last year,so many forecasters said it was going to be a dry year with a dry finish, which was correct for 50 or 60 per cent of Victoria and maybe 80 per cent of Australia, but (in the Wimmera) we had a reasonably good rainfall year," he said.
"I don't think you'll find many forecasts at this time of year similar to what ultimately happens."
Maximum and minimum temperature records broken
Other bureau data shows night-time temperatures between Nhill and Warracknabeal dropped to their lowest on record during Spring, with Nhill reaching -1.6 degrees on September 17.
Horsham and Hopetoun recorded the hottest December temperatures ever in Victoria on December 20 with 47.9 degrees. Horsham and Longerenong recorded their lowest December rainfalls in 22 and 95 years respectively.
The two locations also saw their lowest ever average daily minimum temperatures in spring.
Longerenong Weather Recorder said the area had 14 days above 40 degrees in 2019 and 43 days over 35, both records.
Statewide, 2019 was Victoria's fifth-warmest year on record overall, with the mean temperature 1.05°C above average.
Horsham Aerodrome has seen 2.4 milimetres of rain in 2020 as of Thursday.
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