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MONTHLY CLIMATE SUMMARY - NORTHERN TERRITORY
The north Australian monsoon returned in March, after being conspicuously absent during most of February. The monsoon trough lingered through much of the month, mostly near the base of the Top End, with tropical low pressure systems embedded within it at various times. Many places in the north received well above average falls, with cooler than average day time temperatures. Exceptionally large falls were experienced near the south coast of the Gulf of Carpentaria. Shower and storm activity further south also, meant that most parts of the Territory received near to or above average rainfall. The exception was the southeast corner of the Territory, which again received below average rainfall.
Much of central Australia has been subjected to persistently warm temperatures in recent months. This has been typified by the long-running warm spell at Alice Springs, with minimum temperatures failing to fall below various thresholds.
A table of Territory extremes, some new records, details of the hot spell, and summaries for sites across the Territory appear below.
Weather extremes during March 2006 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Highest temperature Hottest day |
40.2 °C |
Wulungurru AWS on the 3rd | |
Highest mean daily maximum temperature Warmest days on average |
35.5 °C |
Wulungurru AWS | |
Lowest mean daily maximum temperature Coolest days on average |
30.2 °C |
Gove Airport | |
Lowest daily maximum temperature Coldest day |
24.5 °C |
Wollogorang on 17th | |
Lowest temperature Coldest night |
12.8 °C |
Arltunga on 29th | |
Lowest mean daily minimum temperature Coldest nights on average |
20.5 °C |
Alice Springs Airport | |
Highest mean daily minimum temperature Warmest nights on average |
26.1 °C |
Centre Island AWS |
|
Highest daily minimum Warmest night |
30.6 °C |
Wulungurru on 9th | |
Highest total rainfall Wettest overall |
909.4 mm |
Bing Bong Port | |
Highest daily rainfall Wettest day |
276.0 mm |
Redbank Mine on 19th | |
Record Highest Total Rainfall for March 2006 |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Total rainfall (mm) |
Previous highest | Years of record |
||
Calvert Hills * |
443.2 |
373.3 |
in 1995 |
35 |
Kidman Springs * |
414.1 |
391.4 |
in 1976 |
34 |
Wollogorang * |
809.5 |
524.6 |
in 1995 |
30 |
Redbank Mine * |
752.7 |
508.0 |
in 1995 |
27 |
Leanyer * |
662.0 |
593.2 |
in 1995 |
16 |
Killarney * |
276.8 |
198.2 |
in 1968 |
14 |
Bing Bong Port * |
909.4 |
356.8 |
in 2001 |
10 |
Record Highest Daily Rainfall for March 2006 |
||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highest daily rainfall (mm) |
Previous highest | Years of record |
||||
Wollogorang * |
200.6 |
on the 18th |
169.2 |
on the 6th in 1995 |
30 |
|
Redbank Mine * |
276.0 |
on the 19th |
150.0 |
on the 6th in 1995 |
28 |
|
Timber Creek * |
95.6 |
on the 28th |
82.6 |
on the 10th in 2000 |
25 |
|
Karama * |
177.8 |
on the 22nd |
174.8 |
on the 2nd in 1998 |
18 |
|
Leanyer * |
199.2 |
on the 22nd |
166.6 |
on the 2nd in 1998 |
16 |
|
Gilnockie * |
114.0 |
on the 21st |
99.0 |
on the 6th in 2003 |
12 |
|
Record Lowest Mean Maximum Temperature for March 2006 |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Mean daily maximum temperature (°C) |
Previous lowest | Years of record |
||
Wollogorang |
32.2 |
32.3 |
in 1989 |
22 |
Douglas River AWS |
32.4 |
32.8 |
in 2000 |
12 |
Channel Point |
30.5 |
30.6 |
in 1995 |
11 |
Borroloola AWS |
31.4 |
32.3 |
in 2000 |
10 |
Kidman Springs |
33.7 |
33.9 |
in 2000 |
10 |
Record Lowest Daily Maximum Temperature for March 2006 |
||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Lowest daily maximum temperature (°C) |
Previous lowest | Years of record |
||||
Kidman Springs |
26.1 |
on the 19th |
28.6 |
on the 6th in 2003 |
10 |
|
Record Highest Mean Daily Minimum Temperature for March 2006 |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Mean daily minimum temperature (°C) |
Previous highest | Years of record |
||
Maningrida |
25.1 |
24.9 |
in 2004 |
37 |
Jervois * |
23.4 |
22.6 |
in 2004 |
35 |
Wollogorang |
23.9 |
23.8 |
in 1992 |
21 |
Record Highest Daily Minimum Temperature for March 2006 |
||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Highest daily minimum temperature (°C) |
Previous highest | Years of record |
||||
Yulara Aero AWS |
28.3 |
on the 10th |
27.4 |
on the 20th in 1999 |
18 |
|
Black Point |
28.9 |
on the 8th |
28.8 |
on the 18th in 1993 |
13 |
|
The table below highlights the recent hot spell experienced in central Australia. It shows the number of consecutive nights where the temperature was equal to or above a range of temperatures thresholds, as recorded at the observing site at Alice Springs.
Record Spell of Hot (and “warm”) Nights at Alice Springs |
||||||
Temperature Threshold (oC) |
Current Hot Night Spell |
Previous Record |
||||
First Date |
Last Date |
Consecutive Nights |
Consecutive Nights |
First Date |
Last Date |
|
14 |
13 Oct 2005 |
28 Mar 2006 |
167 |
131 |
08 Dec 1970 |
17 Apr 1971 |
15 |
15 Nov 2005 |
28 Mar 2006 |
134 |
114 |
08 Dec 1967 |
30 Mar 1968 |
17 |
21 Dec 2005 |
18 Mar 2006 |
88 |
66 |
28 Nov 2003 |
01 Feb 2004 |
18 |
26 Dec 2005 |
05 Mar 2006 |
70 |
55 |
23 Jan 1983 |
18 Mar 1983 |
19 |
26 Dec 2005 |
11 Feb 2006 |
48 |
36# |
20 Jan 1992 |
24 Feb 1992 |
20 |
26 Dec 2005 |
10 Feb 2006 |
47 |
36 |
20 Jan 1992 |
24 Feb 1992 |
21 |
28 Dec 2005 |
10 Feb 2006 |
45 |
36 |
20 Jan 1992 |
24 Feb 1992 |
22 |
29 Dec 2005 |
10 Feb 2006 |
44 |
31 |
13 Jan 1993 |
12 Feb 1993 |
23 |
01 Jan 2006 |
03 Feb 2006 |
34 |
18 |
19 Jan 1973 |
05 Feb 1973 |
24 |
10 Jan 2006 |
25 Jan 2006 |
16 |
13 |
19 Jan 1973 |
31 Jan 1973 |
25 |
11 Jan 2006 |
22 Jan 2006 |
12 |
10 |
20 Jan 1967 |
29 Jan 1967 |
30 |
05 Jan 2006 |
07 Jan 2006 |
3 |
2# |
18 Jan 2000 |
19 Jan 2000 |
# Previous record occurred more than once, most recent occurrence given.
Summary statistics for March 2006 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum temperatures (°C) |
Minimum temperatures (°C) |
Rainfall (mm) |
||||||
| Mean | Difference from normal | Highest | Mean | Difference from normal | Lowest | Total | Normal Total | |
Ali Curung |
34.4 |
-1.0 |
38.7 |
23.0 |
+2.2 |
18.8 |
42 |
32 |
Alice Springs Airport |
34.0 |
+1.4 |
37.3 |
20.5 |
+3.2 |
13.8 |
13 |
32 |
Alyangula Police |
31.1 |
-1.2 |
33.1 |
25.2 |
+0.7 |
23.9 |
416 |
246 |
Arltunga |
32.9 |
36.1 |
21.3 |
12.8 |
11 |
38 |
||
Batchelor Aero AWS |
31.7 |
34.9 |
24.0 |
22.6 |
298 |
205 |
||
Black Point |
31.0 |
-0.4 |
32.1 |
26.1 |
+0.7 |
23.5 |
347 |
238 |
Borroloola AWS |
31.4 |
-2.2 |
35.3 |
24.2 |
+0.8 |
22.7 |
500 |
128 |
Brunette Downs |
37.4 |
20.1 |
83 |
54 |
||||
Cape Don AWS |
30.8 |
32.2 |
25.7 |
23.7 |
258 |
226 |
||
Centre Island AWS |
31.7 |
-1.2 |
35.5 |
26.1 |
-0.3 |
23.1 |
628 |
260 |
Channel Point |
30.5 |
-1.4 |
34.2 |
24.7 |
+0.3 |
22.8 |
577 |
360 |
Curtin Springs |
35.3 |
+1.6 |
39.4 |
21.6 |
+3.3 |
14.0 |
7 |
29 |
Daly Waters AWS |
33.6 |
-1.1 |
38.8 |
23.3 |
+0.7 |
21.1 |
182 |
108 |
Darwin Airport |
30.9 |
-1.0 |
34.1 |
25.0 |
+0.5 |
23.5 |
441 |
317 |
Delamere Weapons Range AWS |
33.2 |
39.0 |
23.6 |
21.0 |
335 |
|||
Douglas River AWS |
32.4 |
-1.5 |
35.4 |
24.0 |
+1.0 |
22.4 |
295 |
224 |
Dum In Mirrie AWS |
30.9 |
34.2 |
25.1 |
22.5 |
421 |
|||
Elliott |
33.6 |
-2.2 |
38.5 |
23.3 |
+1.1 |
20.5 |
96 |
90 |
Gove Airport |
30.2 |
-1.1 |
32.8 |
24.5 |
+0.6 |
22.7 |
457 |
262 |
Jabiru Airport AWS |
32.5 |
-1.0 |
36.1 |
24.7 |
+0.4 |
23.0 |
432 |
292 |
Jervois |
35.1 |
+0.5 |
39.0 |
23.4 |
+4.4 |
19.0 |
36 |
30 |
Katherine Aviation Museum |
33.3 |
-1.1 |
38.3 |
23.4 |
+0.3 |
21.5 |
456 |
190 |
Kidman Springs |
33.7 |
-2.0 |
39.5 |
24.2 |
+1.0 |
20.5 |
414 |
121 |
Kulgera |
34.0 |
+1.9 |
37.8 |
20.7 |
+2.9 |
13.0 |
10 |
33 |
Lajamanu AWS |
33.7 |
-0.8 |
39.0 |
23.0 |
+0.9 |
20.0 |
122 |
78 |
Larrimah |
32.7 |
-1.5 |
38.0 |
23.4 |
+0.9 |
21.5 |
236 |
151 |
Mango Farm |
32.7 |
-1.3 |
36.0 |
24.2 |
+0.6 |
22.9 |
408 |
208 |
Maningrida |
33.0 |
25.1 |
+1.0 |
23.5 |
143 |
294 |
||
McArthur River Mine |
35.0 |
22.0 |
268 |
139 |
||||
McCluer Island AWS |
30.4 |
32.1 |
26.0 |
23.5 |
405 |
192 |
||
Ngukurr |
33.3 |
-0.8 |
38.6 |
24.4 |
+0.6 |
21.5 |
331 |
170 |
Oenpelli |
31.8 |
-1.2 |
35.2 |
25.1 |
+0.7 |
23.7 |
362 |
280 |
Papunya |
34.9 |
38.4 |
22.3 |
17.4 |
49 |
49 |
||
Pirlangimpi AWS |
31.4 |
-0.4 |
33.0 |
25.1 |
+1.2 |
23.5 |
306 |
367 |
Point Fawcett AWS |
33.2 |
24.2 |
182 |
220 |
||||
Rabbit Flat |
34.7 |
-1.4 |
39.8 |
22.8 |
+1.4 |
18.9 |
91 |
|
Tennant Creek Airport |
33.6 |
-0.8 |
37.1 |
23.8 |
+0.6 |
21.6 |
14 |
57 |
Territory Grape Farm AWS |
34.0 |
-0.2 |
39.0 |
21.5 |
+2.1 |
17.0 |
25 |
15 |
Timber Creek |
34.0 |
-1.4 |
38.7 |
24.0 |
+0.4 |
21.5 |
344 |
160 |
Tindal RAAF AWS |
32.9 |
-1.3 |
37.7 |
23.8 |
+0.8 |
22.1 |
353 |
162 |
Victoria River Downs |
33.4 |
-1.7 |
38.5 |
24.0 |
+0.9 |
20.9 |
282 |
108 |
Warruwi AWS |
30.8 |
-0.6 |
32.0 |
25.8 |
+0.6 |
24.0 |
159 |
242 |
Watarrka |
34.8 |
+0.2 |
39.0 |
22.4 |
+1.8 |
18.1 |
11 |
23 |
Wave Hill |
33.7 |
-1.8 |
38.8 |
23.4 |
+1.4 |
20.1 |
187 |
118 |
Wollogorang |
32.2 |
-2.4 |
36.6 |
23.9 |
+1.1 |
22.1 |
810 |
147 |
Yuendumu |
34.3 |
+1.0 |
39.1 |
20.9 |
+1.2 |
16.1 |
50 |
46 |
Yulara Aero AWS |
34.5 |
0.0 |
38.9 |
21.7 |
+2.9 |
16.2 |
85 |
32 |
This statement has been prepared based on information available at 10 am on Thursday 6 April. Although every effort has been made to verify the data, it is possible that results will change as new information becomes available.
* denotes that one or more observations missing, or that the data is unconfirmed
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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