It’s hard to believe with this weekend’s wet weather, that on the first official day of summer (Sunday 1 Dec) Melbourne has already had five 30-plus degree days in November.
While the forecast is for a mixed bag of heat and rain, Melbourne’s summer looks like it might be ready to get going soon, and when the sun shines, Melburnians flock to our bay beaches.
Helping to keep beachgoers safe again this year is EPA Victoria’s daily Port Phillip Bay Beach Report. EPA’s Chief Environmental Scientist Professor Mark Taylor says the service, now in its 31st year, forecasts water quality in Port Phillip Bay publishing advice twice daily on the EPA website.
“We do a forecast predicting water quality between 10 am and 3 pm each day. Then, at 3pm, we forecast water quality for the rest of the day, and for first thing the following morning,” he said.
“You can find the reports on our website, social media and on Life Saving Victoria club signs, but you can also sign up for a free SMS alert service.
“Bay water quality is generally good, but after storms and rains, you can expect a period of up to 48 hours where there could be issues that might cause skin irritations or even gastro.
“After more than 30 years of monitoring, the bay still maintains a high standard which makes it a popular recreational attraction for many hundreds of thousands of Melburnians.”
So, what could beach water quality look like this summer?
Professor Taylor says a weak La Nina weather pattern has been predicted for this summer by the Bureau of Meteorology. This means there could be higher than median rainfall and stormwater runoff during and after rain is a risk for beach water quality.
Last summer saw minor flooding in the Yarra, causing prolonged brown discolouration at Bay beaches in January.
Professor Taylor says if we see this again, the Beach Report team are prepared and will be out in force at beaches doing additional monitoring and observations to ensure we have as much information as possible to inform the community.
“Melbourne’s weather is changeable so that’s another good reason for keeping an eye on EPA Beach Report water quality forecasts this summer,” he said.
EPA also publishes the Yarra Watch reporting on water quality at four locations on the Yarra River.
