By ROGER ROWSWELL
Rainfall in November hasn’t turned out as previously expected. It was hoped that we would have got more.
However, we have received better rainfall in November than in any other month of the year. Total for the month was 124.5mm; the LTA is 83.9mm, and LT Med 64.3mm.
The highest and lowest rainfall recorded in Darling St over the last 36 years was 259.7mm (1996) and 11.5mm (1994). Rainfall over 100mm in November is not unusual as it has occurred ten times to date, of which six of those was more than 150mm.
There is still a possibility that we could get the deluge we are hoping for in December as the highest rainfall recorded for December in 35 years of monitoring was 227.1mm in 1994.
When one looks back at the historical rainfall records for the area, Albany, the 1823 deluge occurred in Oct. As has been mentioned before, there are no figures for the account, but the description and damage recorded indicate a significant event.
The 1922 deluge occurred in November, 99 years and one month later.
Another favourable factor is that the Ocean Nina Index (ONI) is still increasing negatively. We can only wait and see.
