We here have clocked up 60.25mm for this month (down around 25mm from the average for this month) taking our total so far for this year to 382mm (about 15").

On this date in 2017 we had 329.5mm (13") for the month and 559.5mm (22") for that year up to that point and that year's total came in at 1055.5mm (41.5"), and then the drought hit here.

It got off to a very foggy 12C start here while 24C is expected.

Cheers.

Well I've been making the most of the good weather here lately getting the yard finished up. I just finished mowing on Friday and was about to start digging out the drain again in the back lane way when the heavens opened up.

From then until 2pm yesterday 32mm fell (taking our year's total to 414mm) and we have recorded our coldest morning so far this year dropping down to a chilly 6C (felt like 3C), but at least I didn't have to wait as long for the sun to come up this morning with daylight savings finishing (it's just to cool to make use of it out there yet).

I did get out to dig about 7m of that drain out yesterday afternoon as the sun came out (starting at the bottom of the hill) and there was a lot more to dig out than I thought, but at least with the water running down it it was easy to keep a good fall going (there's only a trickle running down it now so I'll have to take more notice of that today). At least the digging is soft going, it's just the soggy weight of the spade loads that are the killer, and I don't have to use the wheelbarrow any more as I can just dump the soggy mass back into the the section of washed out wheel track adjacent to the drain now.

Currently it's sunny 14C (feels like 10C) and I'm at the part of that drain that's in the shadow of my shed so I'll give that job another 30mins before I start and have a coffee break.

Cheers.

a chilly 6C (felt like 3C),

Chilly???
Freezing misery more like it.

Just had a nice little storm go through here with a nice bit of wind to go along with the rain, got 30mm in 15min or so. Managed to drop the temperature down to 25°c. It was still sitting around 27°c prior to that.
Looking at 25° to 34°c for the next couple of days, dropping to 24° to 31° or so by the end of next week.
Meant to be a bit of rain about over the next week, but i'll believe it when it happens.

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Grant
Darwin NT

a chilly 6C (felt like 3C),

Chilly???
Freezing misery more like it.

Just had a nice little storm go through here with a nice bit of wind to go along with the rain, got 30mm in 15min or so. Managed to drop the temperature down to 25°c. It was still sitting around 27°c prior to that.
Looking at 25° to 34°c for the next couple of days, dropping to 24° to 31° or so by the end of next week.
Meant to be a bit of rain about over the next week, but i'll believe it when it happens.

The temps here I like Grant, freezing here is when the temp goes into the minus zone, but these days my spine doesn't like being out in less than 15C and it just locks up at the site of a cold breeze/wind/gale blowing let alone being out in that.

It was 16C (felt like 13C) when I got out there around 10am AEST and I had 5 metres of working in the sun to work with, that soon started getting the sweat flowing out of me, while 2hrs of spading got me to the shed's shadow again (and then it was time for a beer break). Currently it's a lovely 19C (feels like 16C) outside and I'm currently deciding on whether to have 1 more beer before doing at least another hour on the end of that spade, also the 2nd or 3rd spade load of soggy mess now should result in the release of some dammed up water that will get my handy work a good flush (and what kid could refuse seeing something like that?). ;-)

Cheers.

I tell ya's wot, I'm not so sure about the sun being allowed to go down so early now. 🤨

There should be a law against it. ;-)

Cheers.

We had our 1st frost of the year here this morning (the last of which has just disappeared from the shadows) with the temp dropping down to 4C (felt like 2C).

I was going to put a brew down this morning, but I woke up far too stiff to handle doing that which is a likely effect of all the digging that I've been doing over the weekend, though I might as well go out again soon and see how much of the final 7m I can get done before the old back gives out. Most of that 7m will be digging into a hill that never use to exist and I'll likely be down to a depth of at least 35cm just to get 2 other drains that connect to it working again so that my backyard will be less soggy when it rains.

Currently it's a sunny 15C (feels like 13C) here and 21C is our expected max for today.

Cheers.

Today kicked off here at a clear and warmish 11C (felt like 9C) with a cloudy 20C expected with a chance of showers this afternoon and/or evening so I better go and finish that drain off (I only have to reconnect the 2 side drains with the main 1 now so I should be done there this morning) before it gets a test.

Tomorrow will be 6 days since my last mow (yes the grass growing has finally slowed down) so I'll be getting the bindi & clover spraying done as more rain is expected here on Friday with enough expected to give those drains a real test.

Currently it's a mostly sunny 15C (feels like 13C) here, but that cloud is going to get thicker so I better get out there and finish that digging off.

Cheers.

We started off here this morning at a gloomy and breezy 12C (felt like 10C) with 19C being expected, but things havn't improved much since as currently it's a gloomy and windy 15C (feels like 12C) so spraying has been postponed until week and a quick run with the lawn mower will be done instead before tomorrow's rain (or maybe even later today).

Cheers.

Woke up to the coldest morning in a long time, and with no GPUs crunching it's rather cold inside as well (21°c outside, 26°c inside). Had steady soaking rain for much of the night. While we only got 20mm, there was a good breeze from the south and southerlies tend to be cool & dry- so it was like a massive evaporative cooler cooling the whole area down.
Only expecting 30°c today with showers about from the afternoon, but heading back up to 33°c and then 34°c for the rest of the week.

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Grant
Darwin NT

We've had our 2nd frost of the year here in the northern N.S.W. tablelands this morning, 4C (felt like 1C), but a sunny 19-20C is expected.

Anyhow, after relaxing for 2 days (after last week's digging and mowing effort) my back and legs are getting their act back together again and seeing as I just brought the garbage bin in from being emptied I think that I'll just spend today sorting through the stuff that I brought up from cleaning/clearing the house out and see if I can get enough in the bin so it can go out again next week. That will get rid of the clutter that has built up downstairs in the shed.

Currently it's 14C (feels like 12C) and it's also a very nice 23C downstairs.

Cheers.

Today in the highlands down under got underway at a very dewey 6C (felt like 4C) and we expect a max of 23C.

Thankfully my spine has come good again just in time for spraying the yard this morning for bindi, clover and other broadleaf weeds which will require me filling my 15L backpack spray kit 3 times to complete that job, but I'll give it another 30mins to warm up a bit more before I start. After that if the spine is still willing I'll move a few things behind the shed and clear that last drain of mine there. Once those jobs are done, and other than a few more less frequent mows, the next yard job to do will be the wintertime pruning in July.

Cheers.

25°c to 35°c here for the next 2 days, then 25°c to 34°c. The BoM is forecasting the chance of a shower or storm each day, but they're just covering the arses in case it does happen. They've got the likelyhood of any sort of rain at 20% and falling as the week progresses.

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Grant
Darwin NT

It kicked off here at a very dewy 5C (felt like 3C) today with a sunny 22C being expected.

I didn't get around to that drain yesterday so I'll get that done in 60-90mins and seeing as it's hard to spend money with the pubs closed I ordered a load of firewood that should be here this afternoon so I'll be ready for them freezing mornings when they arrive.

Cheers.

We had our 3rd frost of this year here this morning with a temp of 1C (felt like -1C) while 18C is expected, but I did throw a few pieces of wood into "Robbie the Robot" downstairs earlier this morning as it was 8C down there, but it's now 28C down there and those few pieces of wood will burn for a bit longer yet while the mercury outside has reached 12C (feels like 11C).

Anyhow, I'm going to have another coffee and then get a few small jobs done.

Cheers.

It was a frosty 0C (felt like -2C) here this morning while 19C is expected. I did light the fireplace downstairs again this morning as it was 10C down there, it's now a cosy 27C with the solar heating starting to kick in so I've turned "Robbie" down to idle and then I'll see how long he takes to finish his breakfast.

I'm not really sure what I'll be doing today, other than waiting to bring 1 more bin back in, but you never know what might turn up.

Cheers.

We had our 5th frost for the year here in the highlands this morning, it was 2C (felt like -1C), but that lite frost is now gone and the temp is up to a sunny 12C while 21C is expected.

[edit] We normally don't get our 1st frost of the year here until ANZAC Day and that's still 2 days away yet.

I didn't light the fire downstairs here this morning as the solar heating setup has it already up to 20C.

After inspecting the yard earlier it looks like I'll leave off mowing until the weekend at this stage.

Cheers.

Looking at 26°c to 36°c for the next week or so. There is still a chance of rain, but it's so unlikely i reckon i've got a better chance of winning the Lotto.

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Grant
Darwin NT

With 1 week left to go to the official end of the Wet season, it's looking very likely it will be another one for the record books- for it it's lack of rain.
Top End on track to break 80-year-old record after two wet seasons of low rainfall

Amid predictions that many parts of the continent will be getting some much-needed rain this winter, Australia's Top End is experiencing its second bad wet season in a row, with some of the worst rainfalls since records began 80 years ago.
The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) said it expected the western half of the Top End to get less than 1,200 millimetres of rain this wet season for the second year in a row.
Greg Browning, Tropical Climatologist at the bureau, said it was the first time this had been recorded since records began in 1941. "It's bad," he said. "You would expect 1,600mm in a normal wet season.

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Grant
Darwin NT

After some good weather here rain and storms yesterday with the southerly change left 11mm behind (YTD:450.75mm) and today kicked off at 4C (felt like 0C), but due to the wind no frost could form while 10C is our expected max. I also lit the fire downstairs for the 3rd time this year this morning and I reckon that in 30mins I'll be able to open the door at the top of the stairs.

Frosty starts are expected here for the next 6 days at least while this weekend will see temp ranges of -2C to 12C with a chance of more rain tomorrow.

Cheers.

The wind saved us here from frosts over the weekend, but this morning is making up for that as it got off to a very frosty -2 (felt like -5C) start though a sunny 17C is expected.

Cheers.