General News
12 September, 2026
Winter delivers a soaking
A WET winter has delivered well above average rainfall across the Pyrenees, with new seasonal figures showing just how dramatically conditions have changed from two years ago. Figures from the Bureau of Meteorology’s Ben Nevis station, about 20 kilometres from Beaufort, show 315.8 millimetres fell across June, July and August – about 30 per cent above its winter average of 242.1mm. The Bureau classified the seasonal rainfall as high. One of the standout results came at Avoca, where 108.4mm fell during June alone.
It was Avoca's highest June rainfall since 1931, when 136.2mm was recorded.
The wet season was also punctuated by significant flooding during August.
Flooding affected parts of the Avoca River catchment and areas of Pyrenees Shire, including the Avoca and Natte Yallock recreation reserves, Avoca Lions Park and the Avoca river flats.
Roads in the north of the shire were also affected, with Pyrenees Shire Council carrying out damage assessments and recovery works after floodwaters receded.
The wet winter marked a substantial turnaround from conditions just two years ago.
Ben Nevis recorded only 161.6mm during winter 2024, or 67 per cent of its seasonal average.
Last winter brought an improvement to 278mm before this year’s total climbed another 37.8mm.
The change was also evident in neighbouring districts.
Maryborough received 266.3mm this winter, 61 per cent above its average of 165.3mm, compared with just 118.9mm during winter 2024.
Ballarat Aerodrome recorded 316.8mm, 56 per cent above average, after receiving only 139.6mm two winters ago.
Another measure of the wet season came further downstream on the Avoca River system.
Further downstream, the Avoca River at Archdale Junction also had a record-breaking winter.
The Bureau recorded 215mm of rain there, beating the previous winter record of 182.4mm set in 2022.
The station has 22 years of winter rainfall records.
The Pyrenees formed part of a broader wet pattern across northern and central Victoria.
Statewide, 231.2mm of rain fell during winter, 13 per cent above the long-term average and the highest winter total since 2016.
That stood in sharp contrast to winter 2024, when Victoria’s rainfall was 30 per cent below average and its lowest winter total since 2006.
Despite the rain and flooding, winter was unusually warm.
At Ben Nevis, the mean maximum temperature was 9.4 degrees, 1.3 degrees above average, while the mean minimum of 4.5 degrees was 1.4 degrees above average.
Victoria as a whole recorded its warmest winter by mean temperature since statewide records began in 1910.
The statewide mean was 10 degrees, 1.4 degrees above the 1961–1990 average.
Read More: Avoca, Beaufort, Amphitheatre, Evansford, Landsborough, Langi Kal Kal, Lexton, Moonambel, Mount Lonarch, Natte Yalock, Raglan, Redbank, Snake Valley, Stockyard Hill, Trawalla, Waubra