I have just checked the stunning Broome rain data for this year – so far within 30mm of the all time highest annual rain total by the 18th of February.
Broome PO 3002 has data from 1890 to 1952 and 1896 saw the record ann max rain of 1,094mm.
Broome Airport 3003 has data from 1939 and the ann max was 1,496 in 2000 making the all time record.
In 2018 Broome Airport has seen 915.6mm in Jan and so far in Feb 551 which makes 1,466.6 – so 29.4mm to equal the all time annual rain record. I can not recall seeing a rain record smashed like this. Can anybody recall an annual rain record smashed during February?
It’s been quite awesome, the last 8 weeks, Roebuck Plains has been flooded for over a month now, and trucks are managing the crossing, probably using GPS a few days after each rainy period. There are only a couple of bends in the 20km crossing.
The local warmists are calling it global warming as we have now had 7 of the last 8 years above average. These wet periods have happened before though, 1896-1900, 1914-1920, 1931-1935.
The low pressure systems have ventured further south than usual, so the Pilbara has been missing the usual cyclone or three,
Here is a sometimes fascinating page, Broome Weather Group which puts up lots of fantastic weather photos along with some interesting commentary from the knowledgeable and some much less so.
www.facebook.com/groups/260943044402462/?multi_permalinks=344375002725932¬if_id=1518970725033439¬if_t=group_highlights&ref=notif
Interesting showing heavy rainfall in the period 1896 to 1900 which was just before the Federation drought which covered most of Australia. The period 1893 to 1899 was also relatively wet on in South East Queensland. The all time record for February occurred in 1893 when there was a cyclone called the “Mooloolah” event which hit the Sunshine Coast and Brisbane with floods everywhere. The record was 1819 mm much over three days. The record annual rainfall was in 1898 which I have worked for a location on the Sunshine Coast of 3997mm (with 1384 Jan, 427 Feb & 1189 Mar). 1896 had average rainfall (1831 mm) as did 1899 (1719mm) This contrasts with the start of the federation drought 1900 of 1012mm and the depths of the drought in 1902 of 519mm
My figures show rainfall to be cyclical and nothing to do with so-called AGW or “climate change” There were floods in SE Qld in 2011. Rainfall has been below average since 2014 (El Nino years). In Jan 2018 we only got 71mm compared to an average of 240mm. We may get to average (260mm) in Feb -so far we have had 165mm. The La Nina has been slow to take effect. and no sign of a cyclone.
I see the ALPBC has caught up with this blog.
Broome smashes annual rainfall record in less than two months as Cyclone Kelvin caps big wet 20Feb18
www.abc.net.au/news/2018-02-20/broome-smashes-annual-rainfall-record-after-less-than-two-months/9462962
Probably took a while for the BoM to get their story strait for hand in glove GreenLeft mates.