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Top End's late dry season soaking

Ben Domensino, Monday September 19, 2016 - 10:50 AEST

The Northern Territory is having a wet end to the dry season, with some areas receiving their heaviest rain in six years during the last 24 hours.

September is technically the final month of northern Australia's dry season, although it has just rained like December in some areas.

A broad trough of low pressure over northern Australia is being fed by humid east to northeasterly winds, resulting in widespread showers and thunderstorms. Above average sea surface temperatures surrounding northern Australia are causing these showers to be more intense than usual.

The central Top End received widespread falls of more than 100mm in the last 24 hours. The heaviest were 168mm at Manor Outstation and 142mm at Upper Katherine River, while Jabiru Airport picked up 108mm, its heaviest September rain in 45 years. Impressively, Bulman's 123mm is more rain than any day during the last six wet seasons.

Darwin collected 34mm in the last 24 hours, its heaviest September rain in nine years and more than double the monthly average.

Unsurprisingly, cloud and rain also helped suppress temperatures on Sunday. Darwin had the coolest day in six weeks after topping out at 30 degrees.

The territory-wide September storm outbreak will continue today and tomorrow and the heavier falls bring a risk of localised flooding. A high pressure system moving over southern Australia will then subdue the thundery weather during the second half of the week.

Australia's wet season runs from October to April, although the first couple of months are referred to as the build-up phase. Showers and storms typically increase during build-up months before the arrival of more persistent monsoonal rainfall from around late-December.

- Weatherzone

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