Climate: 5th Wettest Darwin Day On Record Overall
Climate and Consultative Services
Northern
Territory Regional Office
Bureau of Meteorology
Monday
14 January 2007
Darwin's 5th wettest day
On the morning of Sunday 13 January Darwin Airport recorded its second highest January daily rainfall total on record, and its 5th wettest day overall.
It was the highest daily rainfall total since 244mm recorded when Tropical Cyclone Thelma was nearby in December 1998. Most of this rain fell in just a few hours from about 2am Saturday night in an unusually intense downpour.
A rainfall total of 242mm was recorded in the rain gauge for the 24 hours to 9am. Darwin Airport was the highest reading of the real-time reporting stations in the area, with figures around the suburbs generally around 150 to 200mm.
Previously, the highest daily rainfall recorded at Darwin Airport is 290.4mm on 3 January 1997, which was associated with Tropical Cyclone Rachel. In fact each of the four higher daily rainfall events were associated with a tropical cyclone, or low pressure system that later developed into a cyclone. By contrast, this event was associated with a coincidence of more subtle upper atmospheric features that allowed it to occur.
Note:This statement has been prepared based on information available at 10 am on Monday 14 January 2008.
ENDS
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