Tuesday, 31 January 2023 - Annual Climate Summary for Northern Territory - Product code IDCKGC52R0
Northern Territory in 2022: warm across the Top End
It was warm across the Top End in 2022, with both daytime and night-time temperatures well above the long-term average. Temperatures were close to average in southern areas of the Northern Territory. A very wet October to December period resulted in above average annual rainfall for the Northern Territory overall.
Wetter than average overall
- The Northern Territory area-average rainfall for 2022 was 613.2 mm, 12% above the 1961–1990 average and the wettest year since 2017.
- Rainfall was above average for the southern two-thirds, and north-western coast of the Northern Territory, but parts of Arnhem Land and the Carpentaria District had below average rainfall.
- On 12 January, Tropical Cyclone Tiffany crossed the eastern Top End coast near Port Roper, bringing moderate to locally heavy falls over the following week and impacting major roads and railways.
- Maranboy Hill had its highest daily rainfall on record on 13 January.
- An absence of monsoon burst activity saw the Northern Territory have its driest March since 2009, and the ninth-driest on record since 1900.
- The lack of monsoon burst activity in the second half of the 2021–22 wet season (February to April) resulted in serious rainfall deficiencies (totals in the lowest 10% of years since 1900) for much of the Barkly and Gregory Districts.
- Cloud bands crossed the Northern Territory in each month from June to September, bringing unseasonal widespread moderate rainfall.
- It was the wettest October since 2010, the fifth-wettest November on record, and the seventh-wettest December on record.
- The October to December period was the wettest such period for the Northern Territory since 2000, and the third-wettest on record.
- The Northern Rainfall Onset threshold (50 mm of rainfall since 1 September) was reached 1 to 2 months earlier than usual in many areas.
- There were frequent thunderstorms and showers across the Northern Territory in October and November, while Tropical Cyclone Ellie crossed the western Top End coast shortly before midnight on 22 December, bringing heavy rain to northern and central areas.
- At Darwin Airport the monsoon onset was observed on 22 December, about a week earlier than the long-term average but typical during a La Niña year.
Warm across the Top End, cooler in the south
- For the Top End mean maximum and minimum temperatures in 2022 were very much above average (warmest 10% of all years since 1910) in many areas.
- Victoria River Downs equalled its highest mean temperature on record.
- Temperatures in southern areas of the Northern Territory were generally close to or slightly below average.
- For the Northern Territory overall, the annual mean temperature was 0.69 °C above the 1961–1990 average, the maximum temperature 0.68 °C above average and the minimum temperature 0.69 °C above average.
- It was the second-warmest March on record since 1910, and the third-warmest April on record, in terms of mean temperature, during the unusually dry end to the wet season.
- July had cool days and cold nights, particularly in the south; overall it was the coolest July since 1983, with mean minimum temperatures the fifth-coolest on record.
- It was very warm across the Top End in September, with a number of sites having their warmest September mean maximum temperatures on record.
- Late October saw heatwave conditions across the Top End, reaching Severe to Extreme intensity in some areas; many sites had their warmest October night on record during this period.
Darwin Airport
- Total rainfall for Darwin Airport was 1972.2 mm, which is 114% of the long-term average of 1726.9 mm.
- The October to December rainfall total of 923.6 mm was a record for Darwin Airport, exceeding the previous record of 910.9 mm in 1974.
- The mean daily maximum temperature for Darwin Airport was 32.9 °C, which is 0.8 °C above the long-term average of 32.1 °C.
- The warmest day was 37.4 °C on 14 September, and the coolest day was on 29 June when the temperature reached 25.3 °C.
- The mean daily maximum temperature was the equal fifth-warmest on record since 1941, but cooler than each of the previous three years.
- The mean daily minimum temperature for Darwin Airport was 23.8 °C, which is 0.6 °C above the long-term average of 23.2 °C.
- The coldest morning was 14.1 °C on 24 July, and the warmest morning was on 24 October when the minimum temperature was 29.2 °C.
- July daily minimum temperatures were below 20 °C for the entire month, only the third such occurrence after June 2011 and July 1965.
Alice Springs Airport
- Total rainfall for Alice Springs Airport was 439.2 mm, which is 156% of the long-term average of 281.6 mm.
- The mean daily maximum temperature for Alice Springs Airport was 28.9 °C, which is equal to the long-term average.
- The warmest day was 42.9 °C on 10 January, and the coolest days were on 11 June and 1 September when the temperature reached 13.5 °C.
- The mean daily minimum temperature for Alice Springs Airport was 12.6 °C, which is 0.6 °C below the long-term average of 13.2 °C.
- The coldest morning was -4.0 °C on 15 July, and the warmest morning was on 15 January when the minimum temperature was 28.5 °C.
- July had 15 consecutive nights (3rd to the 17th) with a minimum temperature below 0 °C, the longest such sequence there with records beginning in 1941.
Further information
- Media
- media@bom.gov.au (03) 9669 4057
Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top
Extremes in 2022 | |
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Hottest day | 46.5 °C at Rabbit Flat on 11 Jan |
Warmest days on average | 36.1 °C at Bradshaw - Angallari Valley (Defence) |
Coolest days on average | 28.9 °C at Alice Springs Airport |
Coldest day | 10.7 °C at Curtin Springs on 1 Jun |
Coldest night | -4.2 °C at Watarrka on 6 Jul |
Coolest nights on average | 12.6 °C at Alice Springs Airport |
Warmest nights on average | 26.3 °C at McCluer Island |
Warmest night | 32.3 °C at Walungurru Airport on 4 Jan |
Warmest on average overall | 29.4 °C at Jabiru Airport |
Coolest on average overall | 20.7 °C at Alice Springs Airport |
Wettest overall | 2535.4 mm at Pirlangimpi Airport |
Wettest day | 221.4 mm at Gove Airport on 17 Apr |
Strongest wind gust | 137 km/h at Darwin Airport on 8 Oct |
Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top
Maps | |||
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Observed | Anomaly | Decile rank | |
Total rainfall |
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Mean daily maximum temperatures |
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Mean daily minimum temperatures |
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Monthly maps | |||
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Rainfall rank | Maximum temperature rank | Minimum temperature rank | |
January |
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February |
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March |
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April |
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May |
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June |
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July |
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August |
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September |
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October |
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November |
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December |
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Record highest daily rainfall | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
New record (mm) |
Old record |
Years of record |
||||
Kurundi | 168.0 | on 25 Dec | 155.2 | on 23 Feb 1936 | 71 | |
Jervois | 153.2 | on 22 Jan | 139.2 | on 7 Feb 1976 | 57 | |
Allambi | 194.0 | on 2 Feb | 146.6 | on 7 Feb 1976 | 55 | |
Montejinni | 221.0 | on 25 Dec | 212.0 | on 2 Jan 2017 | 52 | |
Maranboy Hill | 155.2 | on 13 Jan | 126.8 | on 22 Dec 2003 | 20 |
Highest annual total rainfall for at least 20 years | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Observed (mm) |
Most recent higher |
Annual average |
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Warruwi Airport | 1423.8 | 1628.5 | in 2000* | 1135.7 |
* note: there are gaps in the historical record at this site, so it is possible a higher value has gone unreported
Highest annual mean daily minimum temperature for at least 20 years | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Observed (°C) |
Most recent higher |
Annual average |
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Victoria River Downs | 21.2 | 21.3 | in 1992 | 19.6 |
Record highest annual mean temperature | |||||
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New record (°C) |
Old record |
Years of record |
Annual average |
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Victoria River Downs | 28.6 | = 28.6 | in 2016 | 50 | 27.1 |
Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top
Summary statistics for 2022 | ||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Maximum temperatures (°C) |
Minimum temperatures (°C) |
Rainfall (millimetres) |
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Mean for 2022 |
Diff from average |
Highest for 2022 |
Mean for 2022 |
Diff from average |
Lowest for 2022 |
Total for 2022 |
Average annual total |
Rank of 2022 |
Fraction of annual average |
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Darwin-Daly (district 14GA) | ||||||||||||
Batchelor Airport | 33.7 | -0.1 | 39.7 | 2 Nov | 21.7 | +0.5 | 10.4 | 23 Jul | 1550.6 | 1516.4 | average | 102% |
Central Arnhem Plateau | 32.9 | +0.6 | 39.4 | 2 Nov | 21.0 | +0.4 | 7.8 | 23 Jul | 874.8 | 1142.7 | low | 77% |
Charles Point | 31.5 | 35.1 | 10 Oct | 24.3 | 15.8 | 12 Jul | 1520.2 | |||||
Croker Island Airport | 32.6 | 36.4 | 16 Nov | 24.4 | 15.5 | 24 Jul | 1430.4 | |||||
Darwin Airport | 32.9 | +0.8 | 37.4 | 14 Sep | 23.8 | +0.6 | 14.1 | 24 Jul | 1972.2 | 1726.9 | high | 114% |
Delamere Weapons Range | 34.7 | +0.7 | 42.2 | 23 Oct | 21.6 | +0.6 | 9.6 | 15 Jul | 753.0 | 845.8 | average | 89% |
Douglas River Research Farm | 34.7 | +0.2 | 41.7 | 2 Nov | 20.5 | +0.6 | 5.2 | 24 Jul | 1223.8 | 1246.0 | average | 98% |
Jabiru Airport | 35.3 | +0.8 | 41.1 | 2 Nov | 23.5 | +0.8 | 12.2 | 24 Jul | 1112.8 | 1543.2 | v low | 72% |
Knuckey Lagoon | 33.5 | 38.2 | 21 Sep | 22.2 | 10.3 | 24 Jul | ||||||
McCluer Island | 30.7 | +0.5 | 34.2 | 2 Dec | 26.3 | +0.7 | 20.1 | 23 Jul | 1027.2 | 1160.1 | average | 89% |
Middle Point | 34.5 | 0.0 | 40.3 | 2 Nov | 21.2 | +0.5 | 6.7 | 15 Jul | 1682.4 | 1400.9 | high | 120% |
Mount Bundey North (Defence) | 34.7 | 40.9 | 2 Nov | 22.7 | 12.6 | 24 Jul | 1262.4 | |||||
Murganella Airstrip | 33.5 | 40.2 | 1 Nov | 21.7 | 8.9 | 23 Jul | 1364.6 | |||||
Noonamah Airstrip | 34.3 | 39.3 | 21 Sep | 9.2 | 13 Jul | 1326.0 | ||||||
Oenpelli Airport | 35.0 | 40.0 | 30 Oct | 23.2 | 11.2 | 23 Jul | 1352.0 | |||||
Pirlangimpi Airport | 33.2 | +0.7 | 36.7 | 28 Oct | 22.7 | +0.4 | 12.4 | 15 Jul | 2535.4 | 1998.3 | high | 127% |
Point Fawcett | 32.0 | +0.1 | 34.9 | 4 Nov | 22.8 | +0.1 | 11.0 | 15 Jul | 1797.4 | 1595.7 | average | 113% |
Point Stuart | 33.4 | 37.8 | 10 Oct | 23.1 | 9.2 | 14 Jul | 1465.8 | 1362.5 | average | 108% | ||
Tindal RAAF | 35.0 | +0.9 | 41.8 | 2 Nov | 21.2 | +0.7 | 6.6 | 24 Jul | 850.4 | 1063.1 | low | 80% |
Arnhem (district 14BC) | ||||||||||||
Cape Wessel | 32.5 | +0.4 | 37.1 | 3 Nov | 25.4 | 0.0 | 21.6 | 18 Aug | 1835.4 | 1287.2 | high | 143% |
Gove Airport | 31.6 | +0.8 | 36.5 | 1 Nov | 23.8 | +1.2 | 13.8 | 18 Aug | 1838.8 | 1444.7 | high | 127% |
Groote Eylandt Airport | 32.6 | +0.4 | 40.0 | 1 Nov | 21.6 | +0.6 | 7.7 | 16 Aug | 1103.8 | 1278.1 | average | 86% |
Milingimbi Airport | 33.0 | +0.6 | 37.5 | 1 Dec | 23.6 | +0.5 | 13.6 | 6 Jul | 1067.6 | 1169.5 | average | 91% |
Warruwi Airport | 32.1 | +0.8 | 36.7 | 1 Nov | 25.0 | +0.6 | 18.1 | 23 Jul | 1423.8 | 1135.7 | high | 125% |
Roper-Mcarthur (district 14DE) | ||||||||||||
Borroloola Airport | 35.4 | +1.3 | 43.0 | 2 Mar | 20.5 | +0.8 | 5.2 | 15 Jul | 512.6 | 887.6 | low | 58% |
Centre Island | 32.1 | +0.8 | 40.2 | 1 Mar | 24.8 | +0.9 | 15.3 | 16 Jul | 463.2 | 1022.8 | v low | 45% |
Daly Waters Airstrip | 35.4 | +1.3 | 43.3 | 11 Dec | 19.5 | +0.4 | 4.0 | 24 Jul | 561.4 | 675.9 | low | 83% |
McArthur River Mine Airport | 35.9 | +1.1 | 43.4 | 4 Mar | 20.5 | +0.7 | 4.1 | 16 Jul | 644.6 | 770.4 | average | 84% |
Victoria (district 14F) | ||||||||||||
Bradshaw | 36.0 | +0.4 | 42.9 | 2 Nov | 22.2 | +0.3 | 6.9 | 15 Jul | 1199.4 | 982.5 | average | 122% |
Bradshaw - Angallari Valley (Defence) | 36.1 | 43.5 | 9 Dec | 8.8 | 12 Jul | 909.0 | ||||||
Bradshaw - Koolendong Valley (Defence) | 35.4 | 41.9 | 9 Dec | 19.7 | 3.1 | 15 Jul | 993.6 | |||||
Lajamanu Airport | 34.7 | +0.7 | 46.0 | 11 Jan | 19.7 | +1.4 | 3.8 | 12 Jul | 758.8 | 510.8 | high | 149% |
Victoria River Downs | 36.0 | +1.4 | 44.4 | 24 Oct | 21.2 | +1.6 | 4.2 | 13 Jul | 743.4 | 651.9 | average | 114% |
Barkly (district 15A) | ||||||||||||
Tennant Creek Airport | 32.5 | +0.4 | 44.1 | 3 Jan | 20.3 | +0.4 | 7.5 | 4 Jul | 605.6 | 469.4 | high | 129% |
Alice Springs (district 15B) | ||||||||||||
Alice Springs Airport | 28.9 | 0.0 | 42.9 | 10 Jan | 12.6 | -0.6 | -4.0 | 15 Jul | 439.2 | 281.6 | high | 156% |
Jervois | 30.7 | -0.3 | 45.6 | 2 Jan | 15.1 | +0.3 | -1.8 | 16 Jul | 442.6 | 288.1 | high | 154% |
Rabbit Flat | 34.6 | +0.6 | 46.5 | 11 Jan | 17.2 | +0.6 | -1.6 | 8 Jul | 497.2 | 466.6 | average | 107% |
Territory Grape Farm | 30.9 | -0.1 | 43.6 | 11 Jan | 14.7 | +0.1 | -2.5 | 7 Jul | 338.2 | 315.0 | average | 107% |
Walungurru Airport | 31.8 | -1.0 | 45.7 | 11 Jan | 19.3 | -0.2 | 4.5 | 4 Jul | 407.0 | 277.5 | high | 147% |
Yulara Airport | 29.4 | -0.8 | 43.8 | 11 Jan | 14.4 | +0.2 | -2.0 | 6 Jul | 344.0 | 270.6 | high | 127% |
Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top
Notes
The Annual climate summary, lists the main features of the weather in Northern Territory using the most timely and accurate information available on the date of publication; it will generally not be updated.
This statement has been prepared based on information available at 6 pm on Tuesday 31 January 2023. Some checks have been made on the data, but it is possible that results will change as new information becomes available.
In some situations, some or all of the rainfall is in the form of hail or snow. In these cases the totals given are for the water equivalent: the depth of liquid water that results from melting any frozen precipitation. There can be significant 'undercatch' of snow in strong winds, meaning the true precipitation can be higher than that reported.
Averages for individual sites are long-term means based on observations from
all available years of record, which vary widely from site to site.
They are not shown for sites with less than 10 years of record, as they cannot then be calculated reliably.
The median
is sometimes more representative than the
mean
of long-term average rain.
The Rank indicates how rainfall this time compares with the climate record for the site,
based on the
decile ranking
(very low rainfall is in decile 1, low in decile 2 or 3,
average in decile 4 to 7, high in decile 8 or 9
and very high is in decile 10).
The Fraction of average shows how much rain has fallen this time as a
percentage of the long-term mean.
Where temperature area averages are mentioned, they are derived from the ACORN-SAT dataset.
Information about Australian Indigenous seasonal calendars is available at the Indigenous Weather Knowledge website.
Further information
- Media
- media@bom.gov.au (03) 9669 4057
Unless otherwise noted, all maps, graphs and diagrams in this page are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence