Weather

Weekly rainfall wrap, week ending 30 March 2015

Sheep Central April 1, 2015

2015-4-1-rainfall-mapThe past week saw falls of 50mm and more recorded across a large part of the north of the Northern Territory, the southern Pilbara, and northern inland Gascoyne, and also in isolated locations in the Kimberley, central and southeastern Queensland, northwestern and southern Tasmania.

At the beginning of the week, the remnants of tropical cyclone Nathan moved slowly westwards, away from the Top End along a trough of low pressure located along the west coast of Western Australia. Heavy rainfall was recorded across the Top End, with moderate falls near Western Australia’s Kimberley coast, and across much of the Pilbara and Gascoyne.

A deep surface trough extended from inland Queensland through eastern New South Wales and interacted with a cold front associated with a low pressure system located in Bass Strait. Moderate rainfall was recorded across parts of eastern New South Wales, southern Victoria and Tasmania in the wake of the frontal system. Thunderstorms and showers continued over parts of Queensland’s central interior and southeast, associated with the surface trough.

By mid-week, the remnants of Nathan were located offshore from the Kimberley, continuing to bring moderate falls to the Kimberley before the system combined with a slow-moving surface trough near the west coast of Western Australia. A broad cloudband developed at the end of the week and produced moderate to heavy rainfall across a widespread area stretching through the western Pilbara, Gascoyne, and eastern flank of the South West Land Division. A surface trough extending from the Gulf Country through inland Queensland and New South Wales produced moderate rainfall totals in parts of eastern and southern inland Queensland, and northeastern New South Wales.

Rainfall totals in excess of 100 mm were recorded in the central Top End and small areas of the Pilbara. Higher totals in excess of 200 mm were observed in a small part of the Top End, including the highest weekly total of 350 mm at Fanny Creek.

Rainfall totals between 50 mm and 150 mm were recorded across a large part of the north of the Northern Territory, in the southern Pilbara, and northern inland Gascoyne, and also in isolated locations in the Kimberley, central and southeastern Queensland, northwestern and southern Tasmania.

Rainfall totals between 10 mm and 50 mm were recorded in a large area of Western Australia extending from the Pilbara to the central southern coast, although missing the southwest; across much of the Kimberley; the remaining north of the Northern Territory; in parts of the Gulf Country and the Cape York Peninsula; through areas of inland and eastern Queensland into eastern New South Wales; in southern Victoria, a small area in the lower southeast of South Australia, and across remaining parts of Tasmania.

Nearly all of South Australia, northern and central Victoria, western to central New South Wales, southwestern and parts of eastern Queensland, the southern half of the Northern Territory, eastern  parts of Western Australia and the northeast Gascoyne recorded little or no rainfall for the week.

Highest weekly rainfall totals in each State:

State Highest 2nd Highest 3rd Highest
WA Onslow Airport
(134 mm)
(Fortescue)
Kooline
(112 mm)
(Fortescue)
Glen Florrie Station
(110 mm)
(Fortescue)
NT Fanny Creek
(350 mm)
(Darwin-Daly)
Dorisvale
(298 mm)
(Darwin-Daly)
Upper Waterhouse River
(295 mm)
(Roper-McArthur)
SA Mount Gambier Council
(19 mm)
(Lower Southeast)
Goolwa Council Depot
(18 mm)
(East Central)
Mount Gambier Aero
(14 mm)
(Lower Southeast)
Qld Weipa Eastern Ave
(146 mm)
(North Peninsula)
Daintree Village
(94 mm)
(Barron)
Barcaldine Post Office
(77 mm)
(Central Lowlands)
NSW/ACT Wyong
(78 mm)
(Hunter)
Yarras (Mount Seaview)
(61 mm)
(Manning)
Smiths Lake
(57 mm)
(Manning)
Vic Balook
(61 mm)
(West Gippsland)
Yarragon South
(57 mm)
(West Gippsland)
Foster Hoddle
(55 mm)
(West Gippsland)
Tas Tasman Island
(90 mm)
(Southeast)
Mount Read
(80 mm)
(West Coast)
Low Head
(54 mm)
(Northern)

Source: BOM

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