Temperature

In the West Gippsland region, temperatures generally decrease with increasing elevation and are less extreme in coastal areas due to the moderating effects of the sea. Wilsons Promontory has differences of 4°C to 7°C between mean minimum and mean maximum temperatures. For most other locations, this difference is between 9°C and 14°C. The differences between mean temperatures throughout the year are also variable, depending on location. Topographical features also influence upland temperatures. The warmest and coldest months are February and July respectively. Maximum temperatures of 44.6°C and 44.6°C have been recorded at East Sale and Yallourn respectively. Minimum temperatures below 0°C are common at high altitudes during winter.

Sunset near Athlone

Frost

The frequency of frosts increases with altitude and with greater distances from the sea. Frost likelihood is very low near the coast and increases as one moves inland towards the Highland Plains.

Evaporation

Significant variation in evaporation levels is apparent between summer and winter. Available data on evaporation in West Gippsland is limited to Yallourn SEC and Moondarra Reservoir which show that evaporation is highest in January, reaching 6.2 mm and 5.3 mm in Yallourn and Moondarra respectively.

Solar Radiation

Solar radiation is highest for all locations in West Gippsland during the summer months, when the sun is closest to being directly overhead. By comparison, solar radiation in winter months is around a quarter that of summer months. There is very little variation between locations in the region. Any variation may be attributed to the aspect of individual locations as the amount of solar radiation increases as northerly facing slopes get steeper. Conversely, as southerly slopes get steeper they receive decreasing amounts of radiation.

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