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MONTHLY CLIMATE SUMMARY - NT REGIONAL OFFICE
The month commenced with promise as the season’s second invigoration of the North Australian Monsoon delivered its largesse over northern districts during the first week. However, TC Harvey marked the monsoon’s final overture as the system moved inland from the Gulf of Carpentaria coast around the 7th and dissipated soon afterwards. Thereafter, northern districts were subject to the “hit or miss” effect of diurnal thunderstorms, with seemingly more “misses” than “hits”. Southern areas fared worse still, simply witnessing little more than a 28-day extension to an ongoing spell of serious rainfall deficiency. Elevated daytime heat over much of the Territory matched the depletion in rainfall though overnight temperatures were relatively more congenial in southern parts. All this was further confirmed by a climatological surplus of up to 3 hours per day in bright sunshine. Darwin Airport’s mean of 8.6 hours per day for the month equalled the February record set in 1959 and was 2.9 hours above the long term mean – furthermore the station has reported above average sunshine for every month of this wet season thus far.
Maps displaying recent temperature and rainfall patterns can be seen on the Bureau’s web site.
The rainfall map presents a stark picture with the greater part of the Territory having received less than average rainfall for the month and significant areas very much below average rainfall. A number of stations reported their lowest February rainfall on record. Only one small area inland from the Gulf coast received above average rainfall - through the good work of ex TC Harvey.
Northern areas received good, but not spectacular falls during the first week as a renewed monsoon delivered its bounty. It was during this period that the Territory’s highest daily fall for the month was reported – that being Point Fawcett’s (Darwin-Daly district) 162.0mm on the 4th. The formation of TC Harvey in the Gulf on the 6th and its procession south, southeastwards as a rain bearing depression, after making landfall near the NT/QLD border on the 7th, rendered little rainfall impact on the Territory except for those places immediately in its path. Its departure from the Territory soon after also marked the demise of the monsoon and the commencement of a sustained period of suppressed conditions interrupted only by the occasional diurnal thunderstorm. The best monthly effort for the Territory was Jabiru’s 492.4mm. A number of northern stations reported their lowest monthly February total on record. Darwin Airport received 265.0mm for February compared with its average of 360.6mm marking its fifth wet season month in a row with below average rainfall.
In southern areas February provided no relief from the ongoing rainfall deficiency that has been in place for some months, especially over the western border areas of the Alice Springs district. Most of the rain that fell over the district during February occurred in its early days due to the presence of a trough. Most falls were below 10mm, though one or two stations received better, such as Territory Grape Farm’s 47.0mm on the 2nd. Thereafter, there was next to nothing in the way of rainfall. Alice Springs Airport received 5.4mm from the event, its only fall for the month. This gave it a nine month tally of only 36.4mm - its lowest ever for the period June to February inclusive (the previous lowest was 41.0mm for equivalent period in 1961/62).| Lowest Monthly Rainfall(mm) for February 2005 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Station | Record | Previous | Years of record |
|
| Record | Year | |||
| Galiminku* | 93.4 | 94.4 | 1973 | 61 |
| Elsey* | 25.0 | 26.0 | 1986 | 44 |
| Wave Hill | 13.4 | 23.6 | 1989 | 31 |
| Channel Island* | 92.2 | 145.0 | 1937 | 29 |
| Humpty Doo Collard Road* | 114.0 | 158.6 | 1986 | 24 |
| Keep River Ranges* | 57.4 | 64.8 | 1984 | 22 |
| Elizabeth Valley* | 90.2 | 111.8 | 1990 | 16 |
| Gem Tree Park* | 0.0 | 1.8 | 1996 | 15 |
| Channel Point* | 192.2 | 204.4 | 1998 | 14 |
| Watarrka | 0.0 | 1.8 | 1991 | 14 |
| Territory Wildlife Park* | 126.2 | 206.5 | 1992 | 13 |
| Thorak Cemetery* | 165.4 | 199.0 | 1992 | 13 |
| Birrindu* | 45.9 | 51.0 | 1990 | 11 |
Mean maximum temperatures were above average across the Territory, ranging from 3oC - 4oC above average over central western areas through to about 1oC above average around the Gulf region, the east coast of the Top End and the far south eastern parts of the Alice Springs district. Darwin Airport’s average of 32.8oC was 1.5oC above its mean, rendering the month the fifth in a row reporting above average figures. Indeed its five month average maximum since the commencement of the wet season in October 2004 sits at 33.4oC, the highest on record for that period . The previous highest mean maximum for that five-month span was 33.2oC occurring in the respective seasons of 1969/70 and 2002/03.
Wulungurru AWS (Alice Springs district) reported the Territory's highest maximum temperature, 45oC on the 18th, and Arltunga (also Alice Springs district) the lowest maximum temperature, 25.1oC on the 2nd. The highest mean maximum temperature was 40.9oC also at Wulungurru AWS and the lowest was 31.9oC at Dum In Mirrie (Darwin-Daly district).
Mean minimum temperatures were 1oC - 2oC above average over much of the Tiwi Islands and northwestern parts of the Arnhem district and were near normal over the remainder of the northern half. In southern areas they ranged from near normal in northern and western parts to being 2oC - 3oC below average in the southeastern portions of the Alice Springs district. Southern areas were visited early in the month by a spell of unseasonally cool nights (Arltunga reported reported a chilly minimum of 9.5oC for the 4th) courtesy of the remarkable events affecting southeastern Australia at that time. A number of new minimum temperature records were established during that period.
The aforementioned Arltunga (Alice Springs district) reported the Territory's lowest minimum temperature, 9.5oC on the 4th, and Wulungurru (also Alice Springs district) the highest minimum temperature, 31oC on the 16th. The lowest mean minimum temperature was 18.3oC at Alice Springs Airport and the highest was 27.1oC at Centre Island (Arnhem district).| Highest Daily Maximum Temperature (oC) for February 2005 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Station | Record | Date | Previous | Years of record |
|
| Record | Date | ||||
| Yuendumu | 43.2 | 18 | 43.0 | 6/2/1994 | 34 |
| Douglas River AWS | 37.2 | 14 | 37.1 | 5/2/2003 | 11 |
| Highest Monthly Mean Maximum Temperature (oC) for February 2005 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Station | Record | Previous | Years of record |
|
| Record | Year | |||
| Lajamanu | 40.4 | 39.1 | 1970 | 13 |
| Lowest Daily Minimum Temperature (oC) for February 2005 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Station | Record | Date | Previous | Years of record |
|
| Record | Date | ||||
| Jervois | 12 | 3&4 | 13 | 8/2/1988 | 31 |
| Yulara Aero AWS | 12.5 | 4 | 13.6 | 9/2/2002 | 14 |
| Lowest Monthly Mean Minimum Temperature (oC) for February 2005 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Station | Record | Previous | Years of record |
|
| Record | Year | |||
| Borroloola | 23.7 | 24.3 | 2000 | 11 |
| Highest Monthly Mean Minimum Temperature (oC) for February 2005 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Station | Record | Previous | Years of record |
|
| Record | Year | |||
| Galiwinku | 26.5 | 26.1 | 1986 | 37 |
This statement has been prepared based on information available at 10 am on Tuesday 1 March 2005. Although every effort has been made to verify the data, it is possible that results will change as new information becomes available.
* indicates unconfirmed reports.
The Daily Weather Observations lists daily temperatures and rainfall, plus many other meteorological variables, at more than 50 locations across the Territory (and over 700 across Australia). Data from the last 13 months are available from this web site.
Monthly rainfall and temperature maps are also available.
Further climate data and information can be obtained from:
Climate and Consultative Services
Northern Territory Regional Office
Bureau of Meteorology
Phone (08) 8920 3813
Email climate.nt@bom.gov.au
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