I'm hoping to get some advice about weather patterns in November for FNQ (specifically Cairns area), as well as Uluru/Ayers Rock.
For the TSE next year, I'm planning on taking the family for the eclipse, but also to make a holiday out of it, spending a few days in Cairns and then flying to Alice Springs and heading to Uluru and surrounds for a few days.
When does the wet season start/finish?
What type of weather patterns could I expect in both of those areas around that time of year?
Good to hear of your follow-up plans to the Eclipse.
The wet season in Cairns is from December into April.
The joker in the pack is the La Nina/El Nino cycle and the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD).
The last 8 months were extraordinary because La Nina and IOD were at a not
so common conjunction which resulted in the flooding the country experienced.
La Nina is retracting but it hopefully will become clearer toward the end of 2011 what
2012 might bring.
In any case, the wet season means that the weather is very unstable.
It might be clear on the day, it might be teaming rain. It is sufficiently chaotic that
it would be impossible for anyone to make a long term forecast. However, if La Nina
were not to come back, it would be helpful.
In any case, November in Cairns tends to be hot and humid.
The ocean, the reefs and the forests of the Atherton tablelands tend to create microclimate events
such that it can be raining at one spot but only 10km or 20km away it can be hot and sunny.
If one weren't going for the Eclipse, we always like it up there in September and October.
Unfortunately marine stingers make it unwise to go for a swim at the beaches during the wet season.
A snorkeling trip to one of the outer reefs is always recommended.
Uluru is just south of the Tropic of Capricorn but does not undergo the wet season
like it does up at the Top End. However, the temperatures get into the thirties
and even the nights can be very hot. Flies can be a constant nuisance and they seek
out every bit of moisture on the body, including the corners of the mouth and the
back of your shirt. Pack the repellent. But the scenery is hard to beat!
It looks to me like we are back to the normal weather patterns from 20years back and then some which means November in FNQ will be a no-go for visual on anything and you may not even be able to get around due to road closures. Last November was terrible and the Wet lasts from November to May according to the website below with an average of 400mm of rain per month.
Yeah November is the wet season or build up but after a good rain the sky can be very clear.
The other issue is the wet bring lightening storms. It might be clear where you are but the lightening strikes light up the sky for quite a distance around with sky cloud glow!
That said you will find clear nights. It gets very cold in the desert at night so be prepared for dew if you intend on taking a scope.
