Northern Australia’s wet season is not over yet

Darwin’s skies were lit up on Saturday night and Sunday morning with thunderstorms generating heavy rain, suggesting the Top End region of Australia’s Northern Territory (NT) has not quite moved into its dry season yet. 

Australia’s Weatherzone reported that, in just 30 minutes before 9am local time on Sunday, Darwin recorded 32.6mm of rainfall. This is just over 30 percent of the average April rainfall in just one torrential downpour.

Across the state, Kangaroo Flats recorded 35mm, Denpelli Airport 29mm and Bradshaw 23mm of rainfall.

In the thunderstorms, more than 11,000 lightning strikes were recorded in a 100km (62-mile) radius of Litchfield National Park. 

This cluster of thunderstorms was due to a low-pressure system sitting directly over the region, typical during the wet season across the NT.

The months between October and April typically witness welcome rains across the tropical north and it looks as if the week ahead will extend the season a little further.

Darwin and the surrounding regions may again experience widespread thunderstorms, with more heavy rainfall, possibly exceeding Sunday’s total.

Some areas throughout the NT could see as much as 180mm of rainfall in the coming days.