Soaking To Stay

Newcastle Herald

Monday June 9, 2008

By ALISON BRANLEY

IT'S been a wet start to winter with Newcastle and parts of the Hunter getting almost a month's worth of rain in the first week, and more is to come.

Newcastle was soaked as more than 90 millimetres of rain fell during the first eight days of June, about three-quarters of the average rainfall for the month.

Further north it was very soggy at Nelson Bay where 240 millimetres of rain fell last week. At Gosford 176millimetres was recorded.

Out west farmers felt some of the wet but rainfall was higher on the coast.

While the long weekend has been wet, the same holiday period last year was much worse.

On Saturday and Sunday three millimetres of rain fell in Newcastle. On June 8-9 last year it was 229 millimetres.

Hunter Weatherwatch's Don White said a low-pressure system off the east coast and onshore wind were to blame for heavy rain and gusts last week, and they would likely bring more rain this week.

He forecast a wetter-than-normal winter this year.

"There's a 60 per cent chance of above average rainfall, so this season will be slightly wetter than normal," he said.

"But there may well be long dry periods during the season as well."

WET START

Rain recorded in June up to 5.30pm yesterday

Newcastle: 94mm

Newcastle University: 104mm

Cessnock: 98mm

Gosford: 176mm

Jerrys Plains: 52mm

Maitland: 108mm

Nelson Bay: 241mm

Singleton: 70mm

Williamtown: 120mm

Scone: 75mm

© 2008 Newcastle Herald

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