Rain relief on the way to break sweltering Top End heatwave

DARWINITES can look forward to some relief from the sweltering heat tomorrow with forecast thunderstorms to bring showers, rain and cooler cloud cover.

• Territory swelters as Build-Up heatwave drags on, Central Australia warms up

DARWINITES can look forward to some relief from the sweltering heat tomorrow with forecast thunderstorms to bring showers, rain and cooler cloud cover.

The Bureau of Meteorology says between 10 and 20mm of rain is forecast across much of the Top End over the next four days.

Larger falls of 20-30mm or more are expected over inland areas, including Katherine and the Barkly.

Severe thunderstorms with damaging winds are possible in the western Daly and northern Gregory districts today and western Top End and central districts tomorrow.

Slow moving thunderstorms may also bring isolated heavy falls on Friday and over the weekend across inland parts of the Territory.

The Bureau of Meteorology has forecast 10-20mm of rain across much of the Top End over the next four days.

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By early next week, drier conditions are forecast to creep back in.

This will extend the heatwave that has been ongoing since the end of October, but has been breaking down in intensity more recently.

Easterly wind flows have pushed a smoke haze over Darwin today from grass fires in the rural area, but afternoon northerly/north westerly winds are expected to push most of the smoke further inland away from Darwin.

In the Top End, temperatures are expected to dip over the weekend then rise again from Monday.

In southern districts, where at times it has also been uncomfortably hot as northerly winds drag down the heatwave’s hot air, the upcoming temperature trend is reversed.

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A hot weekend is forecast for Alice Springs with a maximum of 40C on Saturday and Sunday, before temperatures start dropping from Monday and continue falling to a maximum of 34C on Tuesday.

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