Victorians on track for sunny Easter holiday period, with warm weather expected statewide

Victorians are facing a cool start to March but summer hasn’t disappeared just yet. Here’s what’s forecast for Easter.

The BOM is forecasting below median rainfall for most of Australia this autumn. Picture: BOM

Victorians are in for a warm and dry autumn, with sunny days likely throughout the Easter holidays.

While a cooler March is on the cards for most of Victoria, especially eastern parts of the state, April temperatures could reach into the mid-20s just in time for Easter.

Senior climatologist at the Bureau of Meteorology David James Wilson confirmed warm days were likely throughout April and May across the state, with little rainfall forecast for most of autumn.

“In March, we can expect cooler than average conditions, but in April, it’s more like a 60 to 65 per cent chance of higher than average temperatures,” Mr Wilson told the Herald Sun.

“So by April into May, things are starting to warm up relative to the average.”

The BOM is forecasting a high chance of temperatures exceeding the median maximum temperature in Autumn for northwestVictoria. Picture: BOM

The BOM is forecasting higher temperatures this Autumn across most of Australia. Picture: BOM

Melburnians in the north and west of the city are on track for an especially warm and dry Autumn, according to the BOM’s long-range forecast released on Thursday.

The average temperature for March usually sits around 24C, while the average in April is 21C.

The far west of the state, from Warracknebeal to Hamilton, is expected to record the driest conditions – matched by much of Adelaide and into Central Australia.

Those in eastern Victoria, however, are being warned to rug up throughout March, with cooler than normal temperatures likely, especially across the Alpine region.

Melbourne is also forecast for a chilly March, especially in northeastern suburbs, with the Dandenong Ranges also likely to be hit with higher than average rainfalls.

Mr Wilson, however, assured La Nina was on her way out after a wet end to 2022, with most parts of Victoria set to see drier than normal conditions throughout the season.

The BOM is forecasting below median rainfall for most of Australia between March and May. Picture: BOM

“For the northeast and for the southwest and northwest, we’re looking at a 60 per cent chance of below average rainfall for autumn for April,” he said.

“It’s probably likely that we’ll have above average maximum temperatures everywhere right through April.”

After record rainfalls in some parts of Victoria in the last few months of last year, Mr Wilson warned that the warm and dry weather conditions mixed with overgrowth could potentially bring a risk of grass fires.

For Victorians looking to jet off around the country for the Easter holidays, maximum temperatures are likely to very likely across most of Australia, with a 60 to 80 per cent chance of warmer than average temperatures, with the exception of central NSW.