Climate trends - Kimberley
The Kimberley region extends from south of Broome to the Northern Territory state border. Monsoonal weather systems cause wet summers and dry winters, typical to tropical areas. Rainfall varies significantly across the region with average annual rainfall of more than 2000 mm in the far north down to 400 mm in the interior.
Past observations
Year-to-year rainfall in the Kimberley is highly variable with distinct periods of wet and dry years. While there was observed increases in rainfall over the last decade, it is also common to have extended periods of limited rainfall as observed in the 1930s and 1950s.
In general, there were increases in annual rainfall between 1996 and 2007, and an increase in wet weather patterns over the whole region, over the last 50 years.
Future climate projections
Rainfall could increase or decrease in the future. The wettest case global circulation model results project a 5 per cent increase in mean annual rainfall at 2050, while the driest case shows a 4 per cent reduction.
It is likely that the intensity of extreme rainfall events will increase in the future.
