Wettest April on record for Perth

So far this month (up to 9am on the 29th), Perth has registered 152.4 mm rainfall on 12 rain days, exceeding the previous wettest April of 148.8 mm on 19 days set in 1926 (see the table below). Rainfall records in Perth commenced in 1876 . The wettest day this month was the 6th when 58.6 mm was recorded, the fourth wettest April day on record for Perth.

As an example of the relatively dry period that Perth has been experiencing in recent decades, the breaking of the April rainfall record is the first occurence of a monthly rainfall record in any autumn or winter month since Perth's July rainfall record was exceeded in 1958.

Perth has also had a very wet start to the year with the second wettest January to April period on record. Total rainfall for Perth has been 214.2 mm on 16 rain days since the start of the year, whilst the record January to April rainfall total is 296.9 mm on 25 rain days in 1955.

Perth's top 10 wettest Aprils

Year

Rainfall (mm)

Rain Days

Ranking

2008 (month to date)

152.4

12

1

1926

148.8

19

2

1882

126.2

15

3

1955

125.2

13

4

1951

120.7

15

5

1937

103.0

10

6

1889

101.4

8

7

1947

100.7

11

8

1931

100.5

10

9

1961

98.1

16

10

Many sites in the Perth metropolitan area and adjacent areas are likely to see April 2008 becoming the wettest April on record. Please have a look at the WA climate summary for April for more details (it will be available online on the 1st May).

Further information:
John Relf (JR) and Glenn Cook
Western Australia Climate Services Centre
tel: (08) 9263 2222.