|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
MONTHLY CLIMATE SUMMARY - NORTHERN TERRITORY
September was a warm month in the Territory, with most parts seeing temperatures 1-3oC warmer than average, in both maximum and minimum temperatures. Some severe storms with strong wind gusts and hail developed in a cloud band around the middle of the month. Long-term rainfall deficiencies persist in central and southern parts of the Territory.
Some useful rainfall was recorded during September, mostly associated with showers and storms that formed in a cloud band around the middle of the month, that had most impact in the northern half of the Alice Springs district. There was a reported wind gust of 130km/hr at Territory Grape Farm (near Tea Tree), and some reports of hail. The highest daily rainfall reported in the Territory during September was 40.0mm at Territory Grape Farm on the 16th. The highest monthly total was also at this location, with 40.4mm.
Note that long-term rainfall deficiencies persist in southern and central parts of the Territory, despite some useful winter rains. . For example, the 16-month June-September cumulative rainfall total for Alice Springs was the lowest since 1964/65, while lowest-on-record figures have been reported at Rabbit Flat (98.2mm 16-month total, 35 years of record), Ali Curung (141.4mm, 25yrs), Palmer Valley (98.2mm, 16 yrs), and Ormiston Gorge (165.5mm, 24 yrs). Several other sites recorded their second or third lowest-on-record cumulative rainfall totals.
September saw a return to above-average maximum temperatures, after near-normal conditions across much of the Territory in August. Temperatures were generally 1-2oC above average over the Top End, grading to more than 3oC above average over southwestern parts of the Territory.
September continued a hot spell in the Territory, with several centres, including Darwin (32.8oC) and Alice Springs (30.5oC) Airports recording their hottest October-September 12-month period on record.
Minimum temperatures were also significantly warmer than average across most of the Territory this month, ranging from only slightly above average in the northeast, to around 4oC above average on parts of the south and west.
A table of State extremes,
some new records,
and summaries for sites across the State
appear below.
Weather extremes during September 2005 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Highest temperature Hottest day |
41.0 °C | Elliott on 28th | |
Highest mean daily maximum temperature Warmest days on average |
37.8 °C | Bradshaw AWS | |
Lowest mean daily maximum temperature Coolest days on average |
28.4 °C | Kulgera | |
Lowest daily maximum temperature Coldest day |
18.0 °C | Kulgera on 11th | |
Lowest temperature Coldest night |
2.8 °C | Yulara Aero AWS on 16th | |
Lowest mean daily minimum temperature Coldest nights on average |
12.7 °C | Yulara Aero AWS | |
Highest mean daily minimum temperature Mildest nights on average |
24.3 °C | Bradshaw AWS | |
Highest daily minimum Warmest night |
27.5 °C | Tennant Creek Airport on the 30th | |
Highest total rainfall Wettest overall |
40.4 mm | Territory Grape Farm | |
Highest daily rainfall Wettest day |
40.0 mm | Territory Grape Farm on 16th | |
Record Highest Daily Rainfall for September 2005 |
||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highest daily rainfall (mm) |
Previous highest | Years of record |
||||
Ammaroo * |
36.4 |
on the 15th |
26.9 |
on the 14th in 1965 |
46 |
|
Gemtree Park * |
21.4 |
on the 16th |
16.4 |
on the 1st in 1992 |
15 |
|
Territory Grape Farm* |
40.0 |
on the 16th |
25.2 |
on the 1st in 1992 |
14 |
|
Record Lowest 16-Month Cumulative Rainfall Totals for June 2004 to September 2005 |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Total rainfall (mm) |
Previous lowest | Years of record |
||
Rabbit Flat * |
98.2 |
187.4 |
in 1991 |
28 |
Darwin River Dam * |
992.9 |
1063.2 |
in 1991 |
27 |
Ali Curung * |
141.4 |
171.8 |
in 1969 |
24 |
Ormiston Gorge * |
165.5 |
173.2 |
in 1990 |
21 |
Palmer Valley * |
98.2 |
126.6 |
in 1959 |
16 |
Channel Island * |
1152.3 |
1221.4 |
in 1937 |
14 |
Record Highest Mean Maximum Temperature for September 2005 |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Mean daily maximum temperature (°C) |
Previous highest | Years of record |
||
Daly Waters AWS |
37.0 |
36.5 |
in 1942 |
35 |
McArthur River Mine |
36.9 |
36.5 |
in 1992 |
19 |
Lajamanu AWS |
36.8 |
36.3 |
in 1971 |
10 |
Ngukurr |
36.3 |
36.2 |
in 2003 |
10 |
Record Highest Mean Daily Minimum Temperature for September 2005 |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Mean daily minimum temperature (°C) |
Previous highest | Years of record |
||
Curtin Springs |
13.6 |
13.3 |
in 1997 |
39 |
Kulgera |
13.5 |
12.9 |
in 1995 |
23 |
Ali Curung |
17.8 |
17.0 |
in 1992 |
16 |
Lajamanu AWS |
20.8 |
18.7 |
in 2003 |
10 |
Record Highest Daily Minimum Temperature for September 2005 |
||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Highest daily minimum temperature (°C) |
Previous highest | Years of record |
||||
Curtin Springs |
21.5 |
on the 28th |
20.9 |
on the 22nd in 2003 |
39 |
|
Kulgera |
21.7 |
on the 28th |
21.6 |
on the 27th in 1987 |
23 |
|
Yulara Aero AWS |
20.9 |
on the 25th |
20.7 |
on the 18th in 1998 |
16 |
|
Record Highest 12-Month Mean Daily Maximum Temperature for October 2004 to September 2005 |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean daily maximum temperature (°C) |
Previous highest | Years of record |
||
Alice Springs Airport |
30.5 |
30.4 |
in 1979 |
62 |
Darwin Airport |
32.8 |
32.8 |
in 2002 |
59 |
Daly Waters AWS |
35.4 |
35.1 |
in 1941 |
32 |
Timber Creek |
35.7 |
35.7 |
in 1991 |
21 |
Yuendumu |
32.2 |
31.6 |
in 2002 |
19 |
Kulgera |
29.6 |
29.4 |
in 2002 |
17 |
Elliott |
36.6 |
36.0 |
in 1991 |
15 |
Jabiru Airport AWS |
35.1 |
35.1 |
in 2002 |
15 |
Warruwi AWS |
32.0 |
31.6 |
in 1987 |
15 |
Yulara Aero AWS |
31.0 |
30.7 |
in 1995 |
13 |
Summary statistics for September 2005 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum temperatures (°C) | Minimum temperatures (°C) |
Rainfall (mm) |
||||||
| Actual | Difference from normal | Highest Daily |
Actual | Difference from normal | Lowest Daily |
Total |
Average | |
Ali Curung |
33.5 |
+1.2 |
38.0 |
17.8 |
+3.1 |
9.3 |
12 |
8 |
Alice Springs Airport |
30.3 |
+3.2 |
36.8 |
13.6 |
+3.5 |
4.3 |
5 |
9 |
Alyangula Police |
31.4 |
+0.2 |
33.6 |
21.5 |
+1.3 |
17.7 |
0 |
4 |
Arltunga |
29.5 |
35.0 |
13.6 |
4.6 |
9 |
6 |
||
Batchelor Aero AWS |
36.6 |
38.3 |
21.2 |
16.9 |
1 |
|||
Black Point |
33.7 |
20.4 |
0 |
1 |
||||
Borroloola AWS |
35.3 |
+0.6 |
37.8 |
18.6 |
+0.9 |
14.6 |
8 |
|
Brunette Downs |
35.5 |
+2.2 |
39.7 |
18.9 |
+2.4 |
14.7 |
7 |
6 |
Centre Island AWS |
31.7 |
+1.3 |
33.8 |
23.1 |
+1.0 |
21.1 |
1 |
2 |
Channel Point |
31.1 |
+0.1 |
32.9 |
22.9 |
+1.4 |
18.3 |
7 |
7 |
Curtin Springs |
30.4 |
+3.0 |
37.6 |
13.6 |
+3.8 |
4.4 |
0 |
10 |
Daly Waters AWS |
37.0 |
+2.6 |
39.0 |
19.1 |
+2.0 |
13.8 |
4 |
2 |
Darwin Airport |
32.9 |
+0.4 |
35.1 |
23.3 |
+0.3 |
20.3 |
1 |
15 |
Delamere Weapons Range AWS |
36.4 |
38.0 |
22.7 |
18.0 |
0 |
|||
Douglas River |
37.2 |
+0.7 |
39.0 |
21.0 |
+2.6 |
15.5 |
0 |
4 |
Dum In Mirrie AWS |
31.7 |
33.5 |
24.2 |
19.7 |
7 |
|||
Elliott |
37.4 |
+2.2 |
41.0 |
19.1 |
+1.7 |
15.8 |
7 |
7 |
Gove Airport |
30.5 |
+0.3 |
32.4 |
19.7 |
0 |
16.6 |
1 |
4 |
Jabiru Airport AWS |
36.8 |
+0.9 |
39.0 |
21.7 |
+0.3 |
18.3 |
0 |
8 |
Jervois |
31.1 |
+1.5 |
39.0 |
14.0 |
+3.0 |
5.0 |
17 |
6 |
Katherine Aviation Museum |
36.7 |
+0.9 |
38.4 |
21.9 |
+1.8 |
16.7 |
0 |
8 |
Kidman Springs |
37.5 |
+0.8 |
39.3 |
22.2 |
+2.3 |
16.0 |
4 |
4 |
Kulgera |
28.4 |
+1.7 |
37.5 |
13.5 |
+2.6 |
4.4 |
3 |
17 |
Lajamanu AWS |
36.8 |
+2.3 |
40.0 |
20.8 |
+4.2 |
13.0 |
1 |
5 |
Larrimah |
36.3 |
+1.2 |
38.7 |
20.2 |
+1.7 |
14.0 |
0 |
4 |
Mango Farm |
37.0 |
+0.7 |
38.7 |
21.1 |
+1.7 |
16.2 |
1 |
8 |
Maningrida |
31.7 |
0 |
33.5 |
18.6 |
0 |
2 |
||
McArthur River Mine |
36.9 |
+1.9 |
39.5 |
19.1 |
+2.5 |
14.7 |
0 |
6 |
McCluer Island AWS |
29.2 |
31.2 |
25.0 |
23.2 |
0 |
|||
Ngukurr |
36.3 |
+1.6 |
38.6 |
14.6 |
1 |
2 |
||
Oenpelli |
38.4 |
16.6 |
5 |
5 |
||||
Papunya |
31.8 |
36.0 |
15.2 |
8.0 |
3 |
6 |
||
Point Fawcett |
32.4 |
35.2 |
23.0 |
20.1 |
0 |
|||
Rabbit Flat |
36.5 |
40.2 |
18.1 |
12.4 |
0 |
|||
Tennant Creek Airport |
33.6 |
+2.2 |
38.2 |
20.8 |
+2.6 |
12.3 |
13 |
8 |
Territory Grape Farm |
31.4 |
+1.1 |
36.0 |
13.7 |
+1.7 |
5.0 |
40 |
7 |
Timber Creek |
37.7 |
+1.4 |
39.4 |
21.9 |
+1.2 |
15.0 |
2 |
7 |
Tindal RAAF AWS |
36.6 |
+1.2 |
38.7 |
21.6 |
+1.6 |
16.7 |
0 |
9 |
Victoria River Downs |
36.6 |
+1.2 |
38.6 |
20.5 |
+2.3 |
15.4 |
1 |
5 |
Warruwi AWS |
31.3 |
+0.5 |
33.0 |
24.2 |
+0.7 |
21.0 |
0 |
1 |
Watarrka |
31.3 |
+1.9 |
36.9 |
15.3 |
+2.3 |
5.0 |
1 |
9 |
Wave Hill |
36.8 |
+1.7 |
39.2 |
20.9 |
+3.0 |
15.4 |
5 |
11 |
Wollogorang |
35.6 |
+1.1 |
38.3 |
16.8 |
+0.8 |
13.4 |
1 |
4 |
Yuendumu |
32.3 |
+2.8 |
36.5 |
16.1 |
+3.1 |
6.1 |
5 |
8 |
Yulara Aero AWS |
30.0 |
+1.3 |
37.4 |
12.7 |
+2.2 |
2.8 |
0 |
8 |
This statement has been prepared based on information available at 10 am on Tuesday 4 October, 2005. Although every effort has been made to verify the data, it is possible that results will change as new information becomes available.
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
Home | About Us | Learn about Meteorology | Contacts | Search | Help | Feedback Weather and Warnings | Climate | Hydrology | Numerical Prediction | About Services | Registered Users | SILO |
|
© Copyright Commonwealth of Australia 2008, Bureau of Meteorology (ABN 92 637 533 532) Please note the Copyright Notice and Disclaimer statements relating to the use of the information on this site and our site Privacy and Accessibility statements. Users of these web pages are deemed to have read and accepted the conditions described in the Copyright, Disclaimer, and Privacy statements. Please also note the Acknowledgement notice relating to the use of information on this site. No unsolicited commercial email. |
