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I saw this on a recent rainfall map for Australia and was flabbergasted.
Showing more than 400 mm (15 inches) of rain in one week,
over a land area that doesn't see rain totals like this in an entire year.
What caused this?
Isn't it too early in the season for a cyclone to strike?
(Australia hasn't even seen the summer equinox yet! )
Here's a map showing the hottest recorded highs for the previous week.
Notice how some of the worst affected areas were seeing high temps exceeding 45 C (112-114 F?) just days before?!?
I believe the hottest parts of the same area that received 200+ mm (8+ inches) of rain do not have monthly averages higher than 38 C/100 F.
It's actually not that extreme.
The Statistical Standard Deviation on rainfall in these areas would be extremely high, ie very high year to year variation.
Many places in arid areas, particularly coastal areas like NW Western Australia, may receive the tail end of cyclone events once every decade or so.
Even Perth, a classic Mediterranean climate with negligible summer rainfall, can occasionally receive rainfall during summer from such events.
Temps in the North-west will be back well over 40C within a couple of days, and dry very quickly.
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What's a "monsoon low?"
