The season began with record-breaking December heat, before a cooler January and February hit.

But both months still fell above historic averages.

Central Victoria escaped, for the most part, serious fires that hit other parts of Australia, such as east Gippsland and south east NSW.

But climate experts have warned hotter, more dangerous conditions are a taste of summers to come.

Read more: Central Victorian crews mop up code red day

The region's fire season began early. A code red day on November 21, signified the worst conditions for fires in Victoria.

It was the first of its kind in more than a decade.

Loddon Mallee regional commander Scott Purdy said the region escaped severe fires elsewhere because of its different natural environments.

He said drought had a different effect on the Loddon Mallee's broad acre agriculture and grasslands than on forests, meaning there was simply no fuel to burn.

Mr Purdy said, anecdotally, the Loddon Mallee season started earlier than average.

He said the fire season was relatively busy to start with, but had petered out since the start of 2020.

December 2019's average maximum temperature in Bendigo was nearly four degrees higher than averages taken between 1862 and 1992.

Bendigo recorded its hottest ever December day, at 44.8 degrees on Friday December 20.

Average daytime temperatures were 31.3 degrees. The average minimum was 13.

In December Bendigo's average daytime temperature has historically been 26.4, the average minimum 12.9.

Four days above 40 degrees were recorded in 2019, compared to historic averages of zero.

Bendigo received just 3.8 millimetres of rainfall.

Nearly 50 millimetres of rain hit Bendigo in January. It was about a third more than the month's average falls.

The city experienced an average daytime temperature of 30.9, an average night-time of 13.6.

Read more: Temperatures set to rise as climate change hits central Victoria

Past weather readings show averages of 28.9 during the day, 14.3 overnight.

One day fell above 40 degrees in January, seven between 35 and 40.

Twenty-seven days in, February's daytime temperature sat close to historic monthly averages.

Average maximums were 29.3 degrees in 2020, average minimums 15.3.

Historically mean daytime temperatures were 28.7, night-time 14.7.

Rainfall had reached 19.6 by the time of going to print.

Past averages were 32.3 millimetres.

Bureau of Meteorology climatologist Jonathan Pollock said daytime and night-time temperatures had been warmer than was usual across Victoria.

He said summer had delivered close to average rainfall, but began with a dry December.

Read more: 'Emerging headache' - fears of fires on the city's fringes

Mr Pollock said public perception was that the season had been cool. But summer's start was unusually warm, while temperatures were cooler in February, he said.

He attributed the higher than average temperatures to a number of climate drivers, but said climate change also played a part.

Looking forward, Mr Pollock said Bendigo had an increased chance of above average rainfall for March.

But he said the outlook for rainfall became neutral moving into autumn.

Mr Pollock said there was no strong push from temperature drivers for cooler or warmer autumn temperatures in central Victoria.

Climate Councillor Professor Lesley Hughes said central Victoria's temperatures appeared to be closer to average than the rest of the country, but averages could be misleading.

Read more: Climate change needs to be focus of bushfire royal commission, experts say

Because they were taken over a long period they did not show the few really extreme days, she said.

Professor Hughes said summer had been extreme across most parts of Australia.

She said conditions like this summer would become more likely as long as we kept putting greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere.

Professor Hughes warned of a trend towards worsening conditions, with more extreme events like fire, floods, drought and storm. She said the world was heading towards a dangerous future, to which it could not adapt.

But Professor Hughes said climate change was in humanity's hands, saying society needed to make a decision about where it was headed.

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