A MONSOONAL trough and lows produced moderate to heavy rainfall in northern Australia, and there were showers and thunderstorms in central and south-east Australia in the past week.

Past seven days: At the start of the week, a monsoon trough extended across the northern tropics of Australia. Further south, a broad trough extended from the Gascoyne in Western Australia, through southern parts of the Northern Territory and south-western Queensland, to western Victoria. A secondary trough extended to South Australia. Widespread thunderstorms with showers were recorded in the Kimberley and Pilbara in Western Australia, much of the Northern Territory, western and northern Queensland, the Eyre Peninsula coast in South Australia, the inland south of New South Wales and the western half of Victoria. An onshore flow also brought moderate rainfall to south-east Queensalnd and north-east New South Wales.

The monsoon trough dipped south and embbeded lows developed in the central Northern Territory, near the west Kimberley coast, and near the north tropical coast of Queensland, with showers persisting across the northern parts of the country.

A trough extending from central to the south-east Australia moved slowly east, and brought thunderstorms, showers and tropical humid conditions to north-eastern South Australia, western New South Wales, south-western Queensland and much of Victoria, with these conditions persisting for much of the week.

In the last part of the week, the monsoonal low in the Northern Territory intensified and moved slowly westward to the southern Kimberley, and a secondary low formed near the Pilbara coast. Showers and thunderstorms intensified along the west Kimberley coast. Broome recorded two consecutive days of falls in excess of 200 mm, and 326 mm on 1 February was the second highest daily total in February in the town’s records. Country Downs, located to the north of Broome, recorded a daily total of 652.2 mm on 1 Februry, which is the second-highest daily rainfall in Western Australia for any month.

Showers were also recorded in southern and far north parts of the Northern Territory, the Cape York Peninsula, western and south-east Queensland, north-western, and eastern parts of South Australia, and western and south-east New South Wales on the last day of the week.

Rainfall totals in excess of 200 mm were recorded in the west and south Kimberley in Western Australia, parts of the western Top End, and north-eastern border in the Northern Territory, and areas in the north, central west, and the north tropical coast in Queensland. The highest weekly rainfall was 842.7 mm at Country Downs in the west Kimberley in Western Australia.

Rainfall totals in excess of 100 mm were recorded in most of the Kimberley; western, eastern and southern parts of the Northern Territory; north-western South Australia, and large parts of northern Queensland. The Eyre Peninsula District in South Australia, the North East District in Victoria, and isolated spots in southern New South Wales also recorded similar weekly rainfall totals.

Rainfall totals between 50 mm and 100 mm were recorded in the Kimberley, most of the Northern Territory, the northern half and south-west of Queensland, large parts of North West Pastoral District and far north-east of South Australia, areas of the south coast, central and north-east of Victoria, and areas of the west and south of New South Wales.

Rainfall totals of 10 mm to 50 mm were recorded across most of the northern and eastern two thirds of Australia, from the Pilbara and Kimberley in Western Australia, through the Northern Territory, and Queensland except that state’s central eastern parts; also in the northern half , the Eyre Peninsula and the mid-east of South Australia. Similar totals were recorded across Victoria, New South Wales and much of Tasmania, and small areas in parts of central and the south coast of Western Australia.

Highest weekly totals

New South Wales and Australian Capital Territory
123 mm Big Hill (Glen Dusk)
120 mm Euabalong (Mount Hope Aws)
100 mm Chifley Dam (Campbells River)
Victoria
142 mm Indigo
124 mm WodongaKyneton
Queensland
361 mm Weipa Eastern Ave
324 mm Weipa Aero
293 mm Rollingstone
Western Australia
843 mm Country Downs
649 mm Broome Airport
320 mm Kilto Station
South Australia
175 mm Marree (Dulkaninna)
145 mm Todmorden
117 mm Ernabella (Pukatja)
Tasmania
52 mm Nunamara Offtake (St Patricks)
45 mm Burnie (Park Grove)
44 mm Low Head
Northern Territory
201 mm Elizabeth Downs, Port Keats Airport
186 mm Brunchilly, Trephina Gorge