AUSTRALIA has experienced its hottest year on record, but Bendigo has largely avoided the heat.
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Statistics from the Bureau of Meteorology show average temperatures were 1.2 degrees above the long term average.
Climatologist Jonathon Pollock said Bendigo had been slightly warmer in 2013, but had not broken any records.
“For Victoria, it ended up being the third warmest year on record,” he said.
“So it was not quite as impressive as the national figures.
“Bendigo had about average rainfall, with 511.4mm recorded at Bendigo Airport.
“The long term average is for 516.5mm.”
Mr Pollock said there had been no rainfall or temperature records set in Bendigo during 2013.
“There wasn’t any strong driver making a push for cooler or warmer weather,” he said.
“It’s following the trend we’ve seen since the 1950s of the years getting incrementally warmer.
“Only one year in the past decade has been cooler than the average, which was in 2011.
“2013 looks like another year added to that continual trend of temperatures getting slightly warmer each year.”
Bureau figures show the hottest temperature recorded in Bendigo was 41.5 degrees on December 20, and the lowest -2.2 degrees on August 1.
“There was quite a warm start to 2013,” Mr Pollock said.
“January was particularly hot and that summer in general was quite warm.
“We had quite a pronounced heat wave and another heat wave affected parts of Victoria in March.
“There was a lack of cold weather following that.
“There was no El Nino or La Nina in the Pacific, do we can’t blame the Pacific on weather extremes this year.”
Mr Pollock said there was an even chance of above or below temperatures and rainfall for Bendigo in coming months.
Cool weather is forecast for coming days in Bendigo before warming mid next week.