January brings record rainfall for parts of ACT

According to the Bureau of Meteorology's climate summary, the ACT saw a wetter than average January, with stations across the territory receiving about double their average January rainfall.

Most of the rain came down during the first half of the month, the bureau said.

January 14 was the wettest day of the month after storms battered the capital overnight and dropped 60.4 millimetres on Isabella Plains.

The site saw the highest rainfall on record for January with a total of 145.4 millimetres, slightly above the previous record of 144.6 millimetres in 2015.

Parliament House was drenched with 165.8 millimetres of rain last month, the highest January rainfall since 1984, when 220.2 millimetres pelted down over the course of the month. Although the Bureau notes there are gaps in the record for this site.

Senior climatologist Hugh McDowell said the reason for the wetter weather was a positive southern annular mode which had been "persistently positive" through December and January.

"What that means is we see more easterlies coming across the Tasman, we see more moisture being drawn off the Tasman and pushed in over NSW and the ACT and more water and moisture available and therefore more rainfall," he said.

Thunderstorms lashed the capital in recent months, defying expectations of a hot and dry summer after the Bureau declared an El Nino event was under way last spring.

Last month, Mount Ginini saw 244.4 millimetres of rain, the highest January rainfall since the Bureau started keeping record for the site in 2004.

Darke Street in Torrens also saw its most significant rainfall for January since 1995, with 145.8mm.

But Mr McDowell said the territory would be turning "more towards normal" in February.

"As we go into March and the months ahead, that signal is much more neutral. There's not a strong signal for rainfall at all," he said.

"Temperature wise, though, we're still very likely to be above average on the temperatures for the coming month."