A MORNING downpour welcomed Casterton into August following a July that was colder and drier than average for the region.

According to Bureau of Meteorology observations, temperatures in July were as low as a frosty -1.4 degrees and as high as 16 degrees, while a total 46.4 millimetres of rain was recorded.

It was not the coldest however – that honour going to a cool -1.6 degree day on 1 August, 2006.

The average minimum temperature was 4.4 degrees (compared to the historical average of 4.9) and the average maximum was 12.9 (compared to 13.1).

The town recorded 46.4 millimetres of rain across the month – well below the historical average of 86.2 millimetres and a massive swing away from last year’s record July total of 138.6 millimetres.

The wettest day was 17 July at 7.2 millimetres, while the last week of the month saw more than one millimetre on most days.

August sees Casterton with a 41 per cent chance of above median rainfall and an overwhelmingly high likelihood of surpassing July’s total.

And following the last month’s chills, the region is – like the vast majority of the country – expected to have a warmer than average August, with 35 per cent chance of maximum temperatures passing 15.4 degrees and being “unusually warm” for the last month of Winter.

Historically, temperatures in August reach an average maximum of 14.2 degrees and a minimum of 5.3, while the hottest day of the month in this century was on August 30, 2007, when the temperature hit 23.4 to welcome in the Spring.

The hottest August on record was also relatively recent, with average daily temperatures of 15.7 degrees in 2011.

Rainfall levels typically decrease after peaking in July, with an average of 81.9 millimetres.