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Monsoon

The northern Australian monsoon season generally lasts from December to March. It is associated with the inflow of moist west to northwesterly winds into the monsoon trough, producing convective cloud and heavy rainfall over northern Australia. These moisture-laden winds originate from the Indian Ocean and southern Asian waters. The north Australian wet season encompasses the monsoon months but can extend several months on either side. Parts of the north Queensland coast also receive significant rainfall throughout the cooler months. In the Top-End of the NT, the Bureau considers the wet season as being from 1 October to 30 April, while in some other parts of tropical Australia, particularly in WA, the wet months are often only from about January to March.