Victoria records hottest October on record

SIZZLING Victoria has ­recorded its hottest Oct­ober since records began with Mildura copping six days above 35C this month.

Sunday Herald Sun .The hottest October ever .Picture:Rob Leeson.

SIZZLING Victoria has ­recorded its hottest Oct­ober since records began.

Mildura had six days above 35C this month — more than 11C above average for this time of year.

Maximum temperatures at Mildura, Swan Hill, Ouyen and Walpeup have all averaged about 30C so far this month.

Rainfall has also been in short supply with less than a fifth of the monthly average falling in Melbourne.

The month started with a five-day heatwave with temperatures in the state’s northwest nudging 40C.

The unseasonable warm weather sparked several bushfires and caused a planned burn at Lancefield to burn out of control, destroying homes.

The state’s farmers paid a heavy price with many choosing to cut wilting crops for hay instead of taking them to harvest and risk getting nothing.

A beachgoer enjoys the sun at St Kilda. Picture: Rob Leeson.

Bureau of Meteorology climatol­ogist Jonathan Pollock said the difference between the long-term average and this month’s maximum state temperature was 6C, smashing the next biggest of 4.98C that was recorded in ­October 1914.

He said Victoria’s average minimum temperatures were also likely to be the warmest on record for October.

“The preliminary value is approximately 2C above the long-term average for October,” Mr Pollock said.

“The previous highest October minimum temperature anomaly was 1.66C, recorded in October 1963.”

Mr Pollock said as well as the warm weather, rain had been scarce with a month-to-date average of about 16mm across the state.

To date, the rainfall recorded for Melbourne Olympic Park is 12.2mm.

While the long-term October ­average at the old Melbourne Regional Office site is 66mm.

Meanwhile, record cattle prices are threatening to push steak off the menu for many Victorians planning a traditional Aussie barbecue this summer.

The Eastern Young Cattle Indicator (EYCI), the general benchmark of Australian cattle prices, shows prices have risen 87 per cent from 290c/kg in October 2013 to 542.75c/kg in October 2015.

Melbourne butcher Peter Bouchier said some beef cuts have increased by as much as 70 per cent in the past 12 months thanks to strong ­exports driven by the weakened Australian dollar and drought conditions.

“It’s the cheaper cuts that have probably taken the ­biggest rise and people are starting to shy away from some beef lines in favour of chicken and pork,” Mr Bouchier said.

“I’d never begrudge our farmers from making a dollar but there’s no doubt that many people are hurting.”

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