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Friday, 1 October 2004

MONTHLY CLIMATE SUMMARY - NT REGIONAL OFFICE

Northern Territory in September - cool, dry and sunny

Summary

Maximum temperatures were below average and minimum temperatures well below average over much of the Territory during September whilst rainfall was scanty and scattered. Humidity levels were also well below average over the northwest Top End.

September Rainfall

The most notable falls in the Territory occurred at opposite ends of the month and over its respective far northern and southern regions. Early in the month a southeast surge triggered showers over the northwestern Top End during the early hours of the 2nd. Middle Point AWS did best from the event with a fall of 27mm. Some Darwin suburbs received between 10 to 20mm though Darwin Airport reported only 2.8mm, its one and only fall for the month. An isolated storm produced 35.0mm during the late hours of the 9th at Jabiru AWS (the Territory's highest 24 hour fall for the month). The southern action occurred during the last days of the month when a deep and active trough produced a patchy cloud band along with showers and gusty storms in the Alice Springs district. The strongest thunderstorm cells were located near the southern border and spawned a tornado over Kulgera on the evening of the 29th producing 13.2mm of rain (the district's heaviest fall for the month). Elsewhere there was little or no rain reported (a common seasonal situation) and no rainfall records were broken.

September Maximum Temperatures

Mean maximum temperatures were 1oC - 2oC below average over the Victoria district and scattered portions of the Top End's central portions. Otherwise such temperatures were within 1oC of normal.

Elliott (Barkly district) reported the Territory's highest maximum temperature, 39.1oC on the 30th, and Kulgera (Alice Springs district) the lowest maximum temperature, 17.0oC on the 12th. The highest mean maximum temperature was 35.5oC at Douglas River (Darwin-Daly district) and the lowest was 25.4oC at both Arltunga* and Kulgera* (Alice Springs district).

September Minimum Temperatures

Mean minimum temperatures were a remarkable 4oC - 5oC below average over the Katherine area grading respectively northward and southward to near normal. No station reported a mean minimum temperature above average. Western and eastern border areas of the northern half were largely 2oC - 3oC below average grading through to close to average near the South Australian border.

Kulgera (Alice Springs district) reported the Territory's lowest minimum temperature, -1.0oC on the 13th, (a record) and Dum In Mirrie AWS (Darwin-Daly district) the highest minimum temperature, 25.2oC on the 30th. The lowest mean minimum temperature was 7.7oC at Alice Springs Airport (Alice Springs district) and the highest was 21.5oC at Dum In Mirrie AWS (Darwin-Daly district).

Records

Lowest Daily Maximum Temperature, (oC) September 2004
Station Record Date Previous Years of
record
Record Date
Jabiru Airport AWS 30.9 1 31.0 7/09/1978 25
Alyangula Police 25.5 1 26.5 8/09/1989 21
Yulara Aero 19.1 12 19.5 1/09/1985 14

 

Lowest Daily Minimum Temperature, (oC) September 2004
Station Record Date Previous Years of
record
Record Date
Darwin Airport 14.4 5 15.1 5/09/2003 64
Victoria River Downs 5.5 14 5.6 4/09/2003 37
Kulgera -1.0 13 0.6 4/09/1984 24
Katherine Aviation Museum 8.2 5 8.9 2/09/1946 20
Tindal RAAF 8.7 4 10.2 5/09/2003 14
Channel Point 14.4 5 14.8 5/09/2003 10

 

Highest Daily Minimum Temperature, (oC) September 2004
Station Record Date Previous Years of
record
Record Date
Territory Grape Farm 26.0 28 24.0 23/09/2003 12

 

Lowest monthly mean maximum temperature, (oC) September 2004
Station Record Previous Years of
record
Record Year
Oenpelli 34.4 34.7 1977 41
Alyangula Police 29.8 30.3 1990 21
Katherine Aviation Museum 33.9 34.5 1990 20
Ali Curung 29.7 29.9 1990 16
Tindal RAAF 33.8 34.3 1985 14
Territory Grape Farm 27.6 28.0 1993 12
Borroloola 33.0 34.3 1996 10

 

Lowest monthly mean minimum temperature, (oC) September 2004
Station Record Previous Years of
record
Record Year
Darwin Airport 20.9 21.3 1976 64
Victoria River Downs 14.3 14.4 1967 37
Yuendumu 10.1 10.4 1978 37
Daly Waters AWS 13.6 14.3 1957 36
Timber Creek 17.5 18.4 1994 24
Elliott* 14.2 14.4 1985 23
Katherine Aviation Museum* 16.6 17.4 1994 24
Ali Curung 12.0 12.3 1990 16
Tindal RAAF 15.6 18.0 1999 14
Borroloola 15.7 16.1 1996 10
Lajamanu 13.2 15.3 2000 10

Note:

This statement has been prepared based on information available at 10 AM on Friday 1st October 2004. Although every effort has been made to check them, it is possible that results will change as new information becomes available.

* denotes that one or more observations missing

Ends

Further information:
Sam Cleland, Manager, Climate and Consultancy Section, NT Regional Office,
tel: (08) 8920 3813, e-mail: climate.nt@BoM.GOV.AU



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