A topic that most people would have been considering recently, is the amount of rain that has been occurring.
It is obvious from the news reports, that many areas are much more inundated with rain than we are, but it is interesting to see how our rain has changed since last year.
The BOM Redlands weather station reported the following rainfall figures for the last 13 months.
- … 78.5 mm Dec 2009
- … 32.5 mm Jan 2010
- . 158.9 mm Feb 2010
- . 283.8 mm Mar 2010
- . 123.7 mm Apr 2010
- … 95.0 mm May 2010
- … 19.4 mm Jun 2010
- … 44.5 mm Jul 2010
- . 116.3 mm Aug 2010
- … 74.4 mm Sep 2010
- . 262.3 mm Oct 2010
- … 55.0 mm Nov 2010
- . 319.6 mm Dec 2010
Yesterday, 6th January 2011, we got 77.6 mm in the one day. Twice as much rain in one day, as we received for the entire January of last year, 2010.
The total rainfall for 2010, according to the above figures, was 1,585.4 mm.
- 1.2% of that annual rain fell in June 2010
- 20.2% of that annual rain fell in December 2010
However, for some perspective…
The two wettest areas in Queensland were:
Bellenden Ker (about 50 km south of Cairns) 12,438 mm annual rain.
Babinda Post Office (about 60km south of Cairns) with 6,893 mm annual.
The previous record, in 2006, was also Bellenden Ker’s Top Weather Station with 9,850mm of rain.
Redlands Average Rainfall
| Month | 2010 Rainfall | % of Average | Ave: 1981-2010 |
| Jan | 32.5 mm | 21.5% | 151.3 mm |
| Feb | 158.9 mm | 98.0% | 162.2 mm |
| Mar | 283.8mm | 174.3% | 162.8 mm |
| Apr | 123.7mm | 119.3% | 103.7 mm |
| May | 95.0mm | 83.8% | 113.4 mm |
| Jun | 19.4mm | 22.1% | 87.6 mm |
| Jul | 44.5mm | 72.0% | 61.8 mm |
| Aug | 116.3mm | 221.9% | 52.4 mm |
| Sep | 74.4mm | 190.3% | 39.1 mm |
| Oct | 262.3mm | 312.3% | 84.0 mm |
| Nov | 55.0mm | 52.6% | 104.5 mm |
| Dec | 319.6mm | 227.5% | 140.5 mm |
| Annual | 1585.4mm | 126.0% | 1258.6 mm |