Australia Weather News

Perth residents have been heralding the arrival of winter after heavy rainfall over the weekend and significant fog blanketed Perth city this week.

The cooler weather comes after a slow start to autumn when no rainfall was recorded in April, something that has only occurred four times since 1876; the last rain-free April was in 1982.

While the rainfall earlier this week has improved the autumn figures, there is still some catching up to do.

The May average rainfall is 116.9mm.

"So far this month we have recorded 69.4mm, so we are drier," weather bureau spokesman Neil Bennett said.

"It looks as though we are probably not going to get too much more before the end of the month.

"At the moment it is on track to be the driest May in five years.

"We currently have an average temperature of 23.1, that's above the long-term average of 22.2.

"As we stand right now May is slightly warmer than average."

Wet summer, drier winter going against trends

The dry spell comes after an unusually wet start to the year, when a tropical low led to Perth recording its wettest summer on record.

In its seasonal outlook for May to July, the Bureau of Meteorology said there was a 75 per cent chance that rainfall would be below average this winter.

Perth and the South West traditionally collect the bulk of their rainfall in the autumn and winter months.

"We are moving now into the wetter period of the year," Mr Bennett said.

"We do need that rain to fall in the next few months because we just can't get it during the summer months unless we get something out of the ordinary like we did in February with the tropical system.

"The odds of above-average rainfall are not as strong as the odds for below-average rainfall.

"It's looking as if this continuation of the drier conditions is likely to continue, but we don't say how much below average."