having a another good radar breakout now already had rain around lunchtime

http://www.bom.gov.au/products/IDR633.loop.shtml#skip

http://www.oscilmet.com.au/?fuseaction=l...=0&dateFinish=0

Darwin catches a dry break
Ben Domensino, Tuesday January 17, 2012 - 16:24 EDT

Darwin has experienced its longest January dry spell in 53 years after a particularly parched start to the new year.

As of 9am CST on Tuesday morning, Darwin had only recorded 64mm of rain since the beginning of the month, with just six days recording rainfall. This is a meager 15% of the rain Darwin normally sees in January, which is usually the wettest month of the year.

The dry start to 2012 has included nine days in a row without a single drop of rain at Darwin Airport. This dry spell, which ran from Thursday 5th to Friday 13th, ranks as the airport's longest for January since 1959.

Australia's tropics experience the heaviest rain between December and March, driven by moisture feeding into a region of low pressure called the monsoon trough. However, the beginning of 2012 has seen this monsoon trough remain inactive over Darwin, leading to a marked reduction in rainfall so far.

Looking ahead, a return of heavy wet season rainfall is unlikely for Darwin in the near future. Afternoon shower and storm activity is possible most days, but there are no signs in the next week of persistent monsoonal rains.

- Weatherzone

© Weatherzone 2012

Hi Cyclocece, great to see you again, their is heaps of towering electrical thunderstorms around atm even if the radar isnt showing much or is broken. Ill try to get a picture of a storm when i go to the shops.

Hey there Breezer,would like to see some photos,been a bit quite up that way.

these are all off darwin cbd in the last hour, it was sprinkling lightly

huge crawler moving in loud booms going to be a cooler start to the day today

http://www.bom.gov.au/products/IDR633.loop.shtml#skip

first big line has formed to the south east

Our webcams still doing the job....

Wow Orebound, I'd forgotten just how bright the stars are in the NT, that webcam pic is a beauty! Loved your pics too Breezer. The radar's showing lots of action there atm, I hope you're all sleeping soundly through the stormy night.

Low to the north east looks ready to develop further in the short term so we should collect gonna be a wet and wild week in Darwin and NW NT with cyclonic development and the king tide.

SEVERE WEATHER WARNING
Heavy Rain, Damaging Winds, Abnormally High Tides and
Large Waves for people in the Darwin-Daly and Arnhem Districts.

Issued at 11:32 am CST Tuesday 24 January 2012

Synoptic Situation:
A strengthening monsoon trough is located near the north coast and at 9:30 am
CST a Tropical Low [998 hPa] was located near latitude 11.3S, longitude 131.5E,
approximately 30 km west of Cape Don, moving west at 5 km/h. The low is expected
to start moving southwards today and move inland over the Top End on Wednesday.

Heavy rain which may lead to flash flooding is likely during today over parts of
the northern Darwin-Daly and Arnhem Districts, particularly near the north
coast, including the Tiwi Islands and the Cobourg Peninsula. Heavy rain may
extend further south into the Darwin-Daly district on Wednesday. A Flood Threat
Advice for the Darwin-Daly and Arnhem Districts is also current.

Monsoonal squalls with winds to 60 km/h and damaging wind gusts to 90 km/h are
expected over the northern Darwin-Daly and Arnhem Districts during today and
Wednesday.

Abnormally high tides and large waves are expected in coastal areas between Cape
Don and Groote Eylandt from today.

In the 24 hours to 9am 104 mm of rain has fallen at Majestic Orchids.

The Northern Territory Emergency Service advises that people should secure loose outside objects and seek shelter when the conditions deteriorate. Driving conditions may be hazardous - avoid flooded roads and watercourses. Abnormally
high tides could cause minor flooding at the coast.

The next warning is due to be issued by 5:00 pm Tuesday[i][/i]

It appears that system to the NE of Darwin is really stating to ramp up. Any local thoughts on what is likely to happen.

I understand that it should continue to move west and then take a SE track to the GOC! What are others thoughts please.

Yeh Tom very squally and teeming with torrential rain here now. The Low looks to have passed and may even be south west of the city but is a bit hard to pick up on radar.. either way looks like its gonna be a very wet night with reports of vegetation damage already. Darwin has had gusts of 80km hr and 155mm plus so far.

City up to 222mm - not bad seeing as it didn't really start until mid afternoon

Gusting to 92kmhr at darwin.

Well it rained lightly pretty much all day in darwin and seems like it will continue overnight atleast, hopefully we start to see some more low pressure organisation in this trough hanging around.