Canberra will receive an average November's total rainfall in one week, if predictions for more wet weather bear out.
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The ACT has nearly reached its average rainfall tally for the month after seven days, and the weather bureau says there's more to come this week.
At the higher end of predicted rainfall totals, Canberra could have about 60 millimetres this week, more than the November monthly average of 58.7 millimetres. The heaviest falls are forecast for Wednesday and Friday.
Meteorologists are also calling on Canberrans to keep an eye on weather updates this week for possible severe thunderstorms.
A trough moving through the region on Sunday morning brought a downpour. In coming days more troughs will move across the ACT, particularly Monday to Wednesday.
It's less certain, but on Friday another trough could cross with an area of low pressure developing, moving across south-east Australia and bringing more rain to Canberra.
Weather bureau meteorologist Hugh McDowell encouraged Canberrans to watch weather warnings for possible severe thunderstorms.
ACT Emergency Services Agency on Sunday said there was a very high (80-95 per cent) chance of showers, most likely in the afternoon and evening, across the next few days with a possibility of thunderstorms and gusty winds developing. ACT State Emergency Service crews were ready and on standby to help in a storm or flood, the agency said.
Wet conditions have filled waterways and soaked playing fields through the national capital, while Scrivener Dam on Sunday opened sluice gates to let water out from Lake Burley Griffin into the Molonglo River.
Meanwhile, ACT and Queanbeyan dam storage levels are 100 per cent full.
It follows above-average rainfall in September (112 millimetres) - nearly double the monthly average - and an especially wet winter.
A potentially developing La Nina is behind the wet conditions in the national capital this month, Mr McDowell said.
"That is providing increased moisture around the east coast of Australia," he said.
We're looking more likely than not for seeing a wetter than average summer.
- Hugh McDowell, meteorologist
"Warmer water and increased moisture and increased convection to the north and east of Australia. Those sort of drivers are providing extra moisture in the atmosphere, and because of extra moisture in the atmosphere, we're getting more of these rainfall events and more thunderstorms and more showers with more moisture available to them."
The region was also coming out of a negative Indian Ocean dipole, Mr McDowell said.
The Bureau of Meteorology last month declared a La Nina alert, due to continued cooling in the tropical Pacific Ocean and climate models showing sustained La Nina conditions over summer.
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When La Nina alert criteria have been met in the past, La Nina has later developed about 70 per cent of the time - about triple the normal likelihood.
"La Nina means wet summers, generally, for the east coast of Australia. We're looking more likely than not for seeing a wetter than average summer," Mr McDowell said.
Rainfall was well above average in the ACT last winter, the seventh-wettest on record, recording 217 millimetres at Canberra Airport.
The Bureau of Meteorology has reported November to January is 1.5 to 2.5 times more likely to see rainfall in the top 20 per cent of historical records for much of eastern Australia.
The NSW Rural Fire Service has reported grass growth is likely to accelerate in the southern regions as temperatures warm, warning that these areas will also record very high grass fuel loads.
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