Katherine may break still break a January heat record today but rain is on the way.
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A weather trough will move into the Top End from central NT tomorrow, the bureau has just announced.
A tropical low is expected to form within this trough and become a major focus for weather and rainfall. Monsoon-like conditions are forecast around the tropical low and along the trough.
The tropical low is expected to move west over the Top End during the weekend and reach the Timor Sea on Monday.
The system is rated a Low chance of developing into a tropical cyclone on Monday.
In any event, the system will continue to move away and pose no threat to the NT.
A possible Severe Thunderstorm risk exists for the Top End for Friday. This is a continuation of recent conditions, with 109 km/h recorded at Jabiru on Thursday evening. The squally thunderstorm risk then shifts to the southern Top End tomorrow.
Saturday sees a focus in weather in the NE Top End with isolated heavy falls possible, with the focus shifting to the NW Top End on Sunday. Heavy falls associated with the tropical low and trough should ease on Monday, given the low's movement into the Timor Sea.
Three-day event totals (Saturday to Monday) across northern Top End: Widespread 100mm with isolated heavy falls to 200mm along the northern Top End coast. Rainfall amounts of up 50mm possible through the southern Top End. (Water and the Land: Forecast Rainfall).
Temperatures over the northern Top End will become relatively pleasant with the rain and good cloud cover about. Darwin's forecast maximum temperature will decrease from 34°C today and Saturday to 30°C on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.
Territorians in the Top End should take care moving about this weekend, with heavy rainfall possibly leading to flash flooding.
The updated forecast came as five-year-old Brooklyn Bishop reckons a cool ice-cream is the best way to survive today’s predicted scorcher in Katherine.
Katherine may break a January heat record today.
It is 35.3 degrees at 2pm.
Hopefully the true wet season is less than a week away but residents have a few more days of extreme heat to survive.
So for academic interest only, it will be interesting to see if the Bureau of Meteorology is correct and the maximum temperature today will beat 40.2 degrees recorded in 2012.
The forecast is for 40.
Our peak temperature is generally recorded between 3-4pm.
Mildura, a hot spot in northern Victoria, is tipped to reach 40 degrees today as well but the difference is its humidity will be about 15 per cent while ours is tracking at about 65 per cent at the moment.
Tennant Creek has already reached 42 degrees today and Alice Springs has had a blistering few weeks.
Katherine’s temperature is forecast to reach 39 degrees tomorrow as well before a change arrives with thunderstorms.
Ex-cyclone Penny is still tracking west back across northern Australia and may drag down the monsoonal rains we have been waiting on.
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