Weather News

Winter rains set in on WA

Hannah Wilson, Saturday June 8, 2019 - 13:46 AEST

Yesterday's passing cold front saw many parts of southern and central WA experience their wettest day yet for this year.

A combined low-pressure trough and cold front which hit WA's west coast Thursday evening, resulted in chilly and windy conditions as well as large amounts of rainfall; some regions recording their wettest day this year so far.

Donnybrook in the state's southwest recorded 31mm to 9am on Friday, the most rainfall they have received since August last year. Denham in the Gascoyne region recorded 40mm of rainfall, Geraldton almost 28mm and Pemberton 17mm; for all these places the most rain recorded this year.

This rainfall is not too surprising as June and July are typically the wettest months for central and southern WA, as cold fronts become more frequent events. These rains would also have been well received as 2019's total rainfall so far is well below average for most regions; Geraldton's total rainfall up to this point in the year is 37mm, the average is 224mm. According to the BoM in the last 8 months serious or severe water deficiencies have emerged across much of the South West Land Division, as well as states of drought increasing in the north.

The forecast over the coming week looks positive for more rain, as a series of cold fronts continue to pass over the country's west, however record breaking rain would be required to just reach average rainfall levels.

- Weatherzone

© Weatherzone 2019

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A very wet weekend for southeast Qld, northeast NSW

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