Weather News

Flooding easing for Central Australia

Craig McIntosh, Sunday May 8, 2016 - 13:12 AEST

A broad trough over the Northern Territory has given Alice Springs and Uluru a drenching but flooding is now easing.

After not recording a single drop over the month of April, Alice Springs has already collected more than their average for May. The skies opened over the Alice late Friday evening, and by 9am Saturday the gauge read over 7mm. The following 24 hours to 9am this morning saw another 12mm add to the total. It hasn't stopped there either, with falls of somewhere between 20-40mm a chance today.

Uluru has already smashed their May rainfall average by about five times only eight days into the month. Over 70mm fell between Thursday afternoon and Sunday morning, its biggest rain in more than two years. As a meagre 0.2mm fell in April, these are some much needed raindrops. Temperatures also fell with the rain, cooling from the low thirties to the low twenties.

Unfortunately, when rain falls are this heavy in such a short time, rivers quickly flood as do surfaces that are too dry to absorb the water that quick. Despite rain now clearing, a flood watch is likely to remain in place for a few more days.

The trough is now tracking east, taking the rain with it. Skies will begin to clear from Monday and by Wednesday sunny skies will be back for the NT's south.

- Weatherzone

© Weatherzone 2016

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