Brett Dutschke, 30 Mar 2015, 7:55 AM UTC
Much of WA ending March on wet note
March is ending wet for Western Australia's west and south, most of which had a damp start to the month but even for places which have been recently dry.
Most of the region west of about Karratha to Kalgoorlie to Esperance has already exceeded its monthly average rainfall and will pick up a decent downpour in the next 24 hours, a widespread 20-to-50 millimetres. This rain will take many places to more than double their March average and the wettest March in 15 years (the exception is the far southwest corner, southwest from Bunbury to Albany where less than five millimetres is likely).
In Karratha, Kalgoorlie and Esperance and places in between this coming rain will be very welcome given these areas and further east have been exceptionally dry lately.
Salmon Gums and Norseman have only had about five millimetres so far this month, less than a quarter of their monthly average.
And this comes after a dry January and February. It has been the driest start to a year since 1991 for Salmon Gums and 2005 for Norseman with 17mm and 12mm respectively.
A low pressure trough has been filling up with moisture with help from the remnants of Tropical Cyclone Nathan running across the Ocean just north of the Kimberley and Pilbara. The trough is deepening and edging south, spreading heavy rain over the West Pilbara, Gascoyne, Central West, Goldfields, Lower West and Southern and Southeast Coastal.
In the West Pilbara Onslow gained about 100mm on Monday, 40mm more than its monthly average, leading to flooding.
Another area likely to see flooding is the Gascoyne Junction to Meekatharra area where more than 100mm is a good chance.
Later on Tuesday and on Wednesday the trough will weaken as it travels east, only taking a few showers and storms with it to the dry Eucla and Interior.
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