A thick tongue of tropical humidity will creep south over the interior this week, spreading widespread rain and storms from the Kimberley all the way to the Alps.

The low over the Kimberley that is Ex-Tropical Cyclone Esther has proved remarkably persistent, maintaining rain, storms and gales over the Kimberley and northwest Top End for many days now.  Kununurra Ap recorded 270mm over the 48 hours to 9 am Saturday, the wettest 2-day period since 2014.

Over the next 3 days, the low will track southeast over the NT, and then into southwest QLD and northwest NSW by Wednesday.  At this point, another moisture feed from the east will enhance the system, helping spread double digit rainfall between Alice Springs to Broken Hill to Albury in the southwest and Longreach to Charleville to Dubbo and the Alps in the northeast by Thursday night.  

Falls of more than 50 mm are a high chance over this area, with isolated falls of greater than 100mm likely.   Showers will also reach the southeast coast late in the week and then track north with the trough, with falls of 20-30mm a good bet for many coastal areas.  

After a dry summer, large scale weather patterns have snapped back into more typical line-ups allowing moisture feeds to resume.  This is a particularly intense system, however, and if Alice Springs and Birdsville receive greater than 100mm on Wednesday or Thursday (that it's possible they will), it would be the heaviest rain since 2000 and 1998 respectively.

Further south, after a good February that recorded higher than average rain for many parts of the  western slopes and plains of NSW into the Maranoa and Darling Downs of QLD, a second burst of rain this week would be a welcome top-up to dams and ground moisture, provided it doesn't interfere with harvests.   

For areas around Canberra and Wagga Wagga that have just experienced their second hottest summer on record and a dry one at that, the forecast rain should be even more welcome.

With tropical rain comes humidity however, and the period from Wednesday to Friday in particular will be very warm across the southeast, with overnight temperatures staying in the low-twenties in many coastal areas and at least the high-teens for many inland locations.  Umbrellas and fans may be necessary.