Melbourne gets an early taste of spring

Melburnians will get a spring weather preview this weekend after the city recorded an usually wet July. Here’s what’s in store for the weekend.

Melburnians will be teased with a taste of glorious spring weather this weekend. Picture: Josie Hayden

Melburnians will be teased with a taste of glorious spring weather this weekend after an unusually wet July.

Senior meteorologist from the Bureau of Meteorology Michael Efron said the weekend and early next week was Melbourne’s “first taste” of warmer weather.

“But before that we have a cold front moving through on (Thursday night) and into (Friday),” he said.

“There will be a few showers but that will be mostly when people are sleeping.”

Mr Efron said the weekend and early next week was Melbourne’s ‘first taste’ of spring. Picture: Aaron Francis

The rest of Friday will become more settled, reaching a top of 16C.

Heading into the weekend, Saturday and Sunday are forecasted to reach 17C with mostly sunny conditions.

Monday and Tuesday are expected to climb to 19C.

Tuesday could see a millimetre or so in rain late in the day and Wednesday is set to reach 18C with a shower or two predicted.

Temperatures on Saturday and Sunday are forecast to reach 17C with mostly sunny conditions. Picture: William West

“We have had an extended period of reasonably dry weather in Victoria and Melbourne – but it doesn’t mean we’re out of the woods of wintry conditions just yet,” Mr Efron said.

“Through the later part of August and spring we will still see periods of below average temperatures and wet and windy conditions.

“Spring is our most changeable season – we can have days in the 20s and then temperatures can go back into the low 10s.”

July was wetter than normal in Melbourne, recording 73mm compared to an average of 48mm. Picture: David Crosling

Mr Efron said July was wetter than normal in Melbourne, recording 73mm across the month compared to an average of 48mm.

“But in June we had reasonably dry conditions. We had 21mm and the average is 50mm,” he said.

He said it has been a “very dry” start to August.

“The average in Melbourne for August is about 50mm. So far we’ve only had 0.2mm and next week we’re not expecting any significant rainfall.

“We can probably expect wetter conditions towards the end of the month.”

Mr Efron said while the dry and milder conditions were “good for the mood”, it was important to keep regional Victorians in mind, with many “desperate” for rainfall for farmlands.