2020/2021 Wet Season

Although we are well into the dry season here in Darwin with no rain in sight, I wanted to share my experience during the amazing wet season we had during 2020/2021. I have lived in Darwin four years now and this was the best wet season I have experienced yet. The previous two wet seasons had felt more like a long build up with oppressive humid conditions without any significant rainfall. Last year the rain came earlier than usual and with it some amazing sunsets and even more spectacular thunderstorms. On the morning of Sunday, the 20th of September a storm had passed over early in the morning, and I had my first chance to head out to my local beach, Fannie Bay and attempt to capture some lightning. Despite my excitement for the first thunderstorm of the season, I was hesitant to go out because getting struck by lightning is always a concern. I was perhaps a little too late when I got to the beach as the lightning was becoming less frequent. It is better to go out too late than too early and increase your chances of being zapped! Below is a photo of lightning that I managed to capture. The sun started to rise behind me causing the pinkish hue in the sky.

Photo taken at Fannie Bay Beach 20/09/2020 with my Canon EOS R at f/8 .8 sec ISO 100 at 16mm using a 16-35 mm lens

Fast forward to December the wet season really shifted up a gear with regular storms coming from the east nearly every day. I captured many beautiful but intimidating storms, sometimes with added lightning, that you can see below. Nearly every time I had to make a quick escape before the storm got too close. Living in Fannie Bay, only minutes away from East Point came in handy. You should never stay out if there is a storm over-head. Always seek shelter well before hand but feel free to return after the storm has gone past to catch the light show.

On the evening of the second of December last year my wife and myself went to buy some groceries and I packed my camera just in case. After shopping we headed over to Nightcliff Jetty as there was some amazing crawler lightning on display. We found a nice spot in front of the Jetty to watch natures fireworks. I set my camera up ready to hopefully capture what was some of the most impressive lightning I had ever seen. Below is my favourite image of the night.

Photo taken at Nightcliff Jetty 2/12/2020 with my Canon R5 camera at f/10 30 sec exposure ISO 400 at 16 mm with -0.3 exposure compensation

The very next evening was just as fruitful as the last as a massive shelf cloud drifted over Darwin. I was lucky enough to get a photo of a lightning strike as the storm loomed in the distance.

Photo taken at East Point Beach 3/12/2020 with my Canon R5 at f/8 15 second exposure ISO 400 at 17 mm with -0.3 exposure compensation

Towards the end of March there was one storm that coincided perfectly with the sunset to create some breath-taking scenery. Unfortunately, I wasn’t in the best location to see the storm front, which came down to lack of planning, but it was a sunset I’ll never forget. Let’s hope for an equally amazing wet season this year.

Photo taken at East Point Beach 27/03/2021 with my Canon R5 at f/11 1/10 second exposure ISO 200 at 16 mm

Photo taken at East Point Beach 27/03/2021 with my Canon R5 at f/8 1/2 second exposure ISO 200 at 16 mm with +0.3 exposure compensation

Here are some of my other favourite photos of the season:

Photo taken at East Point Beach 7/01/2021 with my Canon R5 at f/11 4 second exposure ISO 100 at 16 mm

Photo taken at East Point 10/01/2021 with my Canon R5 at f/11 1.6 second exposure ISO 100 at 25 mm

Photo taken at East Point 16/01/2021 with my Canon R5 at f/8 30 second exposure ISO 640 at 16 mm

Photo taken at East Point Beach 17/01/2021 with my Canon R5 at f/11 1/4 second exposure ISO 100 at 16 mm

Photo taken at Fogg Dam 7/03/2021 with my Canon R5 at f/9 1/3 second exposure ISO 100 at 16 mm

Below is a time lapse video I created using my IPhone during a particularly beautiful sunset in November last year at East Point Beach.