POWERING SMARTER WEATHER DECISIONS
Search

Top End to see dry season rain this week

 

There are signs that northern Australia’s dry season is nearing its end, with the western Top End to see dry season rain this week. The dry season across Northern Australia occurs between May and September, where sunny days and daytime temperatures in the low 30s are a regular occurrence on the forecast. 

By contrast, the wet season occurs between October and April and is dominated by higher humidity, heavy rain and thunderstorms. Darwin has only recorded four days of rain so far this dry season, with 19mm recorded in one day on Wednesday August 25.   

However, a developing low-pressure system over the Top End is set to bring unsettled weather over the next 3 days. Accumulated rainfall totals over the Top End are predicted to be around 1-5mm, with this rainfall falling early this week before sunnier skies return. Isolated pockets of 10-20mm are possible in parts of the western Top End during the next 3 days, including Darwin, particularly beneath thunderstorms. 

 

 This dry season rainfall could beat Darwin’s September average of 16.5mm, however the 24-hour rainfall totals will not come close to the September record of 70.6mm on the 21st in 1942.  Thunderstorms are on the Top End’s forecast on Monday and Tuesday and become more likely on Wednesday, which is a sign that the wet season is loosening its grip on northern Australia.  

While this week’s rain won’t be enough to declare the official onset of the wet season, there are signs that the wet season could arrive earlier than usual this year, driven by warmer sea surface temperatures across northern Australia.  Weatherzone provide wet season and tropical cyclone seasonal updates in spring to our clients, for more information about this service, please contact us at business@weatherzone.com.au 

Latest news

Satisfy your weather obsession with these news headlines from around the nation, and the world.

Wind farms facing potential cut outs

  Fierce winds are expected to lash parts of Vic, Tas, the ACT and NSW early next week, bringing the risk of wind farm cut outs in the region.  A low-pressure system should develop early next week near Vic and NSW as a cold front interacts with tropical moisture.  This cold front will sweep across SA […]

Exceptionally warm, dry March for parts of SA

Soaring temperatures and abundantly clear skies have just caused one of the warmest and driest Marches on record in parts of South Australia. Abnormally high pressure near southern Australia this month has kept rain-bearing systems away from SA, leading to plenty of warm and dry weather across the state. Image: Clear skies over SA on […]

Easter deluge possible as tropical moisture moves south

The tropical moisture that caused significant flooding in the NT and Qld is set to move southeast over Easter, bringing heavy rainfall, thunderstorms and possible flooding and damaging winds with it.  The map below shows the massive rainfall totals that fell across the southern NT and parts of Qld over the last week.  Image: The […]

Smoke from WA bushfires seen from space

  Several fires are burning across southwest WA this week, with smoke plumes seen from 36,000km above the surface.   A previously out-of-control bushfire in Perth’s southwest is now under control, after burning 3000 hectares of land and damaging property.  As of 10am WST On Tuesday, March 26, four other fires are burning in the […]