Broome records almost four times its average May rainfall in a few hours

Broome residents awoke to a rare May soaking in the early hours of the morning when nearly four times its average rainfall for the month was dumped within a few hours.

The town enjoyed sunshine while the rest of the State sat through a super storm on Sunday, but the skies well and truly opened up at about 2am today, with 93mm bucketing down for the next five hours.

An average of 26.5mm of rain is normally recorded in Broome each May, which is considered the first month of the Kimberley dry season.

But aside from a few sprinkles, the town has not seen rainfall in the month since 2016.

Its highest rainfall for a May day was back in 1997, when it was saturated by 125.6mm.

This morning’s downpour brings this month’s total to 95.2mm, with rain recorded across four separate days.

A total of 440.4mm has fallen on Broome this year, including 152.8mm on January 7 alone.

Derby has today welcomed heavy showers of its own, with 41.8mm recorded since this morning.

About 19mm of rain is normally expected in the West Kimberley town each May and its highest was 70.6mm on May 16, 2010.