Melbourne's umbrellas can't catch a break. Credit:Paul Jeffers "It's nothing excessive and then a change which is coming through on Sunday will cool things down," he added. By this time last year, Melburnians had enjoyed several days where with temperatures hovered above 30 degrees with no rain. "We had high fire dangers and it was certainly much hotter and drier," Mr Carlyon recalled. But the spring-like weather expected on September 1 is yet to arrive. In September, the average temperature was 16.7 degrees, below the long-term average of 17.3. October, so far, is also below average.

Saturday was Melbourne's coldest October day in six years, with a maximum of just 13.2 degrees. Saturday also saw the second-coldest Cox Plate day on record at Moonee Valley. The mercury was only slightly above the 12.9-degree minimum recorded on Cox Plate day in 1970. The city shivered again on Sunday with showers, wind gusts and a paltry maximum temperature of 14 at 3.50pm - six degrees lower than the October average maximum of 20. Betting on a perfect Derby Day While we'll see a few days of drier, warmer weather later this week, yet another cold front from Bass Strait is set to charge towards Melbourne on Sunday and ruin everything. "No sign of what I would call warm weather coming this week," Mr Carlyon said. "We are still not seeing days above average yet for October."

Monday's forecast is for a partly cloudy day, with light winds, a 20 per cent chance of rain and a top of 18 degrees. But Tuesday daytime promises more spring-like weather, with a forecast top of 24 degrees, partly cloudy with a possible late shower. And Saturday, Derby Day at Flemington racecourse, is, in the words of Mr Carlyon, "the pick of the week". Saturday promises a 24 degree maximum, partly cloudy with very light winds.

Sunday is expected to deliver a 23 maximum but a cold front coming from Bass Strait means next week will begin much like this week, wet and cold. While the bureau won't forecast as far as Cup day on Tuesday, Mr Carlyon said the week would start bleakly. "It does look like a cool start for next week." Wet weekend The bureau's weather station at Olympic Park, recorded 25 millimetres in the 48 hours to 9am Sunday, while Gardiners Creek at Ashwood was the wettest with 55mm. Across Victoria, Mount Baw Baw received the most rain with 70.4 millimetres.

Across Victoria, the State Emergency Service reported 487 requests for assistance in the 48 hours to noon on Sunday, mostly east of Melbourne in areas including the Dandenongs and the City of Whitehorse. Three hundred calls involved trees fallen onto structures and roads, as wet ground softened roots and strong winds blew trees over. The SES has warned the public to look out for weakened and fallen trees in coming days. The Great Ocean Road was reopened on Sunday morning but warnings are in place for reduced speeds and traffic down to one lane in some sections due to the threat of landslides. - with Neelima Choahan