Northern Australia faces a mixed bushfire outlook due to variability in rainfall last wet season.

Parts of northern WA, northern Queensland and the Top End received above average to “very much above average” rainfall, but other areas were below average, the Bushfire and Natural Hazards Co-operative Research Centre’s seasonal outlook says.

Above normal fire potential is predicted for parts of WA, including the Dampierland, Pilbara and Carnarvon regions.

In Queensland, fire potential is above normal in forested areas hit by Cyclone Debbie last year and Cyclone Marcia in 2015, because of changes in the vegetation structure.

The NT has normal fire potential due to average fuel loads and effective mitigation burning.

The bushfire outlook for southern Australia will be released in September.