Although the official start of the dry season is on May 1 the weather is about to change.
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The Bureau of Meteorology today said conditions we associate with the dry season are clear skies, a drop in humidity, very little rainfall and cooler temperatures.
The first three of these conditions will start from tomorrow afternoon, but we'll have to wait a little longer for the cooler temperatures
“From tomorrow a surge of dry air will push into the Top End bringing clear skies and a significant drop in the dew point to 15-20C during the afternoons and early evenings,” a bureau spokeswoman said.
“Although the clearer skies will lead to above average daytime temperatures, the reduction in humidity (due to drop in dew point) means the 'feels-like' or apparent temperature will be a bit more comfortable.
“Overnight temperatures will remain around average (in the mid-20Cs) for the next week in Darwin, and the chance of any rainfall has reduced, with only a slight chance of a shower or storm each day.
“We have started to see the dry southeasterly winds we associate with the dry season push into the Top End, but to get the cooler temperatures we will need to see a strong high pressure system push into the Bight – this usually happens from May onwards.
“A Gulf line (a line of westward moving showers that forms in the Gulf of Carpentaria) was the trigger for a storm in the NW Top End in the early hours of this morning, with some locations recording 25-50mm – another Gulf line is now moving westwards over the Top End and will likely bring some early morning showers to NW coastal areas tomorrow.
“Below is BOM NT's 'Sweatometer' showing the average dew point by month. For context, today at lunchtime dew point was around 20C in Darwin. At the start of this month, dew point was mostly in the mid-20Cs, reaching an 'off the chart' sweaty rating of on 27.2C the morning of 4 April! Read our blog about dew point. Enjoy the reduced sweatiness, but make sure you stay hydrated too.”