Weather News

Dry season rains begin for the Top End

Anthony Duke, Friday May 29, 2015 - 15:48 AEST

Unseasonal rain and storms are beginning to affect the Northern Territory's Top End a month into the dry season.

Residents of Darwin and the Top End will have a shock over the coming days as a tropical disturbance brings rain and the chance of thunderstorms.

Nearly a month into the 'dry season', Darwin has unsurprisingly only recorded just 0.2mm. All that's about to change however with the city forecast to easily pass the average monthly rainfall of 21mm. Some coastal parts of the NT, where rain will be heaviest, may see up to 100-150mm by the end of the weekend. The rain event may even last into June which would be the first time in eight years the month has seen rainfall.

The reason for this rain is a trough which has developed to the north of the NT. Normally at this time of year, low pressure troughs move north, away from the continent. In this case an atmospheric disturbance has caused a trough to develop further south than usual generating this thundery rain.

Temperatures and humidity are also unseasonably high as the trough brings warmer and more humid air from the north. In the last two weeks, only four nights have dropped below 20 degrees. For the last 12 days, maximum temperatures in Darwin have been above average, with the city reaching 35 degrees on Tuesday, the hottest this late in the month since 1958. Coincidentally, that May day was also the 26th.

- Weatherzone

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