Tuesday, 8 February 2022 - Annual Climate Summary for Northern Territory - Product code IDCKGC52R0
Northern Territory in 2021: warm year for the Top End
Above average rainfall was recorded in the Top End, and in southern parts of the NT encompassing the Alice Springs District. Both mean maximum and mean minimum temperatures were warmer than usual across the Top End.
Above average rainfall in the Top End and Alice Springs districts
- Rainfall for the Northern Territory in 2021 was 3% above the long-term average.
- Above average rainfall was recorded in the Top End, and in southern parts of the NT encompassing the Alice Springs District.
- An active monsoon in the second half of January led to significant rainfall across much of the Top End, with the north-east and coastal north-west observing above average January rainfall.
- February started with an active monsoon across the Top End, and follow-up tropical troughs generated widespread persistent rainfall across much of the northern half of the NT, and with the bursts of heavy falls, some sites reporting their highest daily rainfall on record.
- Much of the southern half of the Northern Territory had well above average rainfall during March; this was followed by a drier than average April for nearly all of the Northern Territory, and a dry end to the northern Australia wet season (October 2020 to April 2021). May was also very dry Territory-wide.
- June was the wettest since 2016 for NT as a whole. July and August were both dry which is typical in the dry season.
- Rainfall for September was close to average overall, at the end of the dry season in the Northern Territory. October saw a large part of the NT receive above average rainfall.
- A low pressure system over southern parts of the NT on 9 and 10 November generated moderate to heavy falls. Alice Springs reported a 100.2 mm on 10 November. November rainfall was 84% above average, and the eighth-wettest November on record for the NT as a whole.
- December rainfall was above average across the Top End.
Warm across the Top End
- For the Northern Territory as a whole, the annual mean temperature was 0.58 °C above average.
- Territory-wide, the annual mean maximum temperature for 2021 was 0.84 °C above the long-term average, while the annual mean minimum was 0.32 °C above average, both were the lowest since 2015.
- Large parts of the Top End of the NT and in parts of the Barkly District had daytime temperatures in their highest 10% of long-term records, and much of the north and east reported above average mean maxima. Remaining areas reported mean maxima close to average.
- More than half of the north-west Top End and areas of the Carpentaria District had night-time temperatures in the highest 10% of records. In contrast, areas of the Simpson, Lasseter and Tanami districts had cooler than usual mean minima, with some areas within these districts reporting minima in decile 1 (lowest 10% of historical records). Territory Grape Farm had its lowest mean daily minimum temperature on record.
- Mean maximum temperatures were close to average across the NT for January to April. May daytime temperatures were warmer than usual by just over 1 °C. June had mean maxima close to average.
- July was very warm in terms in mean maximum temperature, at 3.31 °C above the long-term average and the warmest July on record for the NT. Mean maximum temperatures for August to October were 1.67 °C, 1.23 °C and 1.97 °C above the long-term average respectively, with October the seventh-warmest on record.
- November was cooler than usual for the NT as a whole and1.34 °C below the long-term average. 2021 ended with the fourth-warmest mean maximum temperature on record for the NT in December.
- Mean minimum temperatures were generally close to average for the NT in January to March, but below average in April by more than 1 °C. June had mean minima close to average.
- July was warm in terms in mean minimum temperature, at 1.39 °C above the long-term average. The mean temperature for the NT in July was the fourth-warmest on record.
- Mean minimum temperatures for August to October were all above the long-term average, with October the sixth-warmest on record and 2.0 °C above the long-term average.
- November was very cool Territory-wide, and the coolest since 2010 in terms of mean minima.
- In December, the mean minimum temperature was slightly warmer than usual, and the mean temperature for December was the seventh-warmest on record (+1.15 °C). Some warms nights during December saw Territory Grape Farm and Channel Point report their warmest night (highest daily minimum temperature) on record.
- A few sites had their highest
temperature on record in either September, November or December.
Darwin Airport
- Total rainfall for Darwin Airport was 1787.8 mm, which is 104% of the long-term average of 1723.9 mm.
- The mean daily maximum temperature for Darwin Airport was 33.0 °C, which is 0.9 °C above the long-term average of 32.1 °C.
- Darwin Airport reported 44 days at or above 35 °C in 2021 (equal second-highest with 2020, with 45 days the record in 2019), compared to the long-term average of 12 such days per year using 78 years of data.
- The warmest day was 38.0 °C on 21 September, the highest September daily maximum temperature on record. Darwin Airport had record high mean maximum temperatures for both August and September. The coolest day was on 28 January when the temperature reached 27.1 °C.
- The mean daily minimum temperature for Darwin Airport was 23.9 °C, which is 0.7 °C above the long-term average of 23.2 °C. Darwin Airport had its equal highest October mean minimum temperature on record.
- The coldest morning was 17.4 °C on 7 August, and the warmest morning was on 20 December when the minimum temperature was 29.4 °C.
- Darwin Airport had 28 daily minimum temperatures below 20 °C during dry-season 2021, well below the long-term average of 51 such nights for the 5-month period.
Alice Springs
- Total rainfall for Alice Springs was 401.3 mm compared to the long-term average of 282.3 mm.
- The mean daily maximum temperature for Alice Springs was 29.1 °C, which is 0.2 °C above the long-term average of 28.9 °C.
- Alice Springs Airport had 98 days of 35 °C or more in 2021, compared
to the annual record of 137, and long-term average of 92 such days.
- The warmest day was 43.2 °C on 18 December, and the coolest day was on 23 June when the temperature reached 13.7 °C.
- The mean daily minimum temperature for Alice Springs was 12.9 °C, which is 0.3 °C below the long-term average of 13.2 °C.
- The coldest morning was -2.2 °C on 10 June, and the warmest morning was on 19 December when the minimum temperature was 30.5 °C.
- Alice Springs Airport had 7 sub-zero nights, all occurring in June or
July, and below the long-term average of 13.
Further information
- Media
- media@bom.gov.au (03) 9669 4057
Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top
| Extremes in 2021 | |
|---|---|
| Hottest day | 46.6 °C at Rabbit Flat on 18 Dec |
| Warmest days on average | 35.9 °C at Bradshaw |
| Coolest days on average | 29.1 °C at Alice Springs Airport |
| Coldest day | 13.7 °C at Yulara
Airport on 22 Jun 13.7 °C at Alice Springs Airport on 23 Jun |
| Coldest night | -2.7 °C at Watarrka on 6 Jul |
| Coolest nights on average | 12.9 °C at Alice Springs Airport |
| Warmest nights on average | 26.1 °C at McCluer Island |
| Warmest night | 32.1 °C at Territory Grape Farm on 19 Dec |
| Warmest on average overall | 29.4 °C at Jabiru Airport |
| Coolest on average overall | 21.0 °C at Alice Springs Airport |
| Wettest overall | 2233.3 mm at Labelle Downs |
| Wettest day | 327.4 mm at King Ash Bay on 19 Feb |
| Strongest wind gust | 113 km/h at Territory
Grape Farm on 8 Nov 113 km/h at Centre Island on 20 Dec 113 km/h at Cape Wessel on 28 Dec |
Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top
| Maps | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Observed | Anomaly | Decile rank | |
| Total rainfall |
 |
 |
 |
| Mean daily maximum temperatures |
 |
 |
 |
| Mean daily minimum temperatures |
 |
 |
 |
Click on a map to show it full size in a pop-up window
| Monthly maps | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Rainfall rank | Maximum temperature rank | Minimum temperature rank | |
| January |  |
 |
 |
| February |  |
 |
 |
| March |  |
 |
 |
| April |  |
 |
 |
| May |  |
 |
 |
| June |  |
 |
 |
| July |  |
 |
 |
| August |  |
 |
 |
| September |  |
 |
 |
| October |  |
 |
 |
| November |  |
 |
 |
| December |  |
 |
 |
Click on a map to show it full size in a pop-up window
| Record highest daily rainfall | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New record (mm) |
Old record |
Years of record |
||||
| Daly Waters Airstrip | 163.8 | on 22 Feb | 156.8 | on 30 Jan 2009 | 54 | |
| Point Stuart | 174.6 | on 25 Dec | 150.0 | on 25 Apr 2001 | 25 | |
| Humbert River | 250.0 | on 22 Feb | 148.1 | on 12 Mar 1964 | 21 | |
| Milingimbi Airport | 235.0 | on 26 Dec | 211.8 | on 31 Dec 2004 | 20 | |
| Record highest temperature | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New record (°C) |
Old record |
Years of record |
Annual average |
|||
| Black Point | 36.8 | on 2 Dec | 36.4 | on 15 Nov 2011 | 31 | 31.5 |
| Channel Point | 38.5 | on 15 Nov | 37.7 | on 7 Oct 2016 | 28 | 31.4 |
| Dum In Mirrie Airstrip | 38.1 | on 21 Sep | 38.0 | on 18 Oct 2009 | 24 | 32.0 |
| Record highest daily minimum temperature | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New record (°C) |
Old record |
Years of record |
Annual average |
|||
| Territory Grape Farm | 32.1 | on 19 Dec | 31.1 | on 26 Dec 2019 | 31 | 14.6 |
| Channel Point | 30.0 | on 16 Dec | 29.8 | on 23 Nov 1998 | 28 | 22.4 |
| Record lowest annual mean daily minimum temperature | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New record (°C) |
Old record |
Years of record |
Annual average |
||
| Territory Grape Farm | 13.5 | 13.6 | in 2011 | 23 | 14.6 |
Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top
| Summary statistics for 2021 | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum temperatures (°C) |
Minimum temperatures (°C) |
Rainfall (millimetres) |
||||||||||
| Mean for 2021 |
Diff from average |
Highest for 2021 |
Mean for 2021 |
Diff from average |
Lowest for 2021 |
Total for 2021 |
Average annual total |
Rank of 2021 |
Fraction of annual average |
|||
| Darwin-Daly (district 14GA) | ||||||||||||
| Batchelor Airport | 34.1 | +0.3 | 39.1 | 5 Oct | 21.9 | +0.7 | 13.2 | 25 Apr | 1205.4 | 1514.9 | low | 80% |
| Central Arnhem Plateau | 32.5 | +0.3 | 39.0 | 18 Oct | 21.2 | +0.6 | 12.0 | 22 Jul | 1286.0 | 1161.9 | average | 111% |
| Charles Point | 31.6 | 36.9 | 3 May | 24.3 | 18.9 | 22 Jul | 1678.6 | |||||
| Croker Island Airport | 32.2 | 37.2 | 1 Nov | 24.5 | 18.2 | 5 Jul | 1461.2 | |||||
| Darwin Airport | 33.0 | +0.9 | 38.0 | 21 Sep | 23.9 | +0.7 | 17.4 | 7 Aug | 1787.8 | 1723.9 | average | 104% |
| Delamere Weapons Range | 34.3 | +0.3 | 42.9 | 21 Oct | 21.1 | +0.2 | 10.1 | 13 Jun | 811.0 | 850.2 | average | 95% |
| Douglas River Research Farm | 35.1 | +0.6 | 40.6 | 18 Nov | 20.4 | +0.5 | 7.8 | 21 Jun | 1294.6 | 1246.7 | average | 104% |
| Jabiru Airport | 35.2 | +0.8 | 41.0 | 19 Oct | 23.6 | +0.9 | 16.0 | 23 Jul | 1796.6 | 1554.0 | high | 116% |
| McCluer Island | 30.4 | +0.3 | 35.3 | 2 Dec | 26.1 | +0.5 | 22.4 | 12 Apr | 1478.4 | 1166.1 | high | 127% |
| Middle Point | 34.5 | 0.0 | 40.5 | 18 Oct | 21.2 | +0.6 | 9.6 | 7 Aug | 1620.4 | 1386.1 | high | 117% |
| Mount Bundey North (Defence) | 34.7 | 40.3 | 19 Oct | 22.8 | 15.4 | 7 Aug | 1760.2 | |||||
| Mount Bundey South (Defence) | 35.0 | 40.8 | 19 Oct | 22.1 | 11.5 | 22 Jul | 1183.4 | |||||
| Murganella Airstrip | 33.4 | 38.5 | 18 Nov | 21.9 | 10.9 | 7 Aug | 1443.8 | |||||
| Noonamah Airstrip | 34.6 | 39.8 | 2 Dec | 22.1 | 12.0 | 7 Aug | 1588.2 | |||||
| Oenpelli Airport | 35.1 | 41.3 | 19 Oct | 23.5 | 13.5 | 22 Jul | 1670.6 | |||||
| Pirlangimpi Airport | 33.3 | +0.8 | 37.6 | 7 Oct | 22.8 | +0.5 | 15.5 | 21 Jun | 2006.0 | 1986.8 | average | 101% |
| Point Fawcett | 32.2 | +0.4 | 36.4 | 4 Dec | 22.8 | +0.1 | 14.3 | 7 Aug | 1845.6 | 1586.1 | average | 116% |
| Point Stuart | 33.4 | 38.3 | 21 Oct | 22.7 | 13.4 | 22 Jul | 1742.6 | 1355.6 | high | 129% | ||
| Port Keats Airport | 33.6 | +0.5 | 39.8 | 17 Nov | 22.4 | +0.5 | 12.0 | 12 Jun | 1376.8 | 1289.0 | average | 107% |
| Tindal RAAF | 34.7 | +0.6 | 41.8 | 3 Dec | 21.0 | +0.5 | 9.2 | 7 Aug | 1163.4 | 1069.1 | average | 109% |
| Arnhem (district 14BC) | ||||||||||||
| Cape Wessel | 32.3 | 37.0 | 17 Nov | 25.4 | 22.0 | 8 Apr | 1827.0 | 1266.9 | high | 144% | ||
| Gove Airport | 31.6 | +0.8 | 36.4 | 13 Dec | 23.8 | +1.3 | 17.7 | 24 Jul | 1566.0 | 1435.1 | average | 109% |
| Maningrida Airport | 32.9 | +0.6 | 37.4 | 13 Dec | 22.9 | +0.4 | 14.1 | 22 Jul | 1558.0 | 1254.9 | high | 124% |
| Milingimbi Airport | 32.8 | +0.5 | 38.2 | 13 Dec | 23.6 | +0.5 | 16.2 | 5 Jul | 1795.8 | 1175.5 | high | 153% |
| Ngayawili | 31.9 | +0.4 | 36.8 | 17 Nov | 23.7 | +0.8 | 17.5 | 4 Jul | 1629.4 | 1411.1 | average | 115% |
| Warruwi Airport | 32.1 | +0.8 | 37.5 | 2 Dec | 25.1 | +0.7 | 19.9 | 7 Aug | 760.6 | 1132.5 | low | 67% |
| Roper-Mcarthur (district 14DE) | ||||||||||||
| Borroloola Airport | 34.7 | +0.7 | 42.0 | 20 Oct | 19.8 | +0.2 | 6.0 | 11 Jun | 986.2 | 902.0 | average | 109% |
| Bulman | 34.9 | +0.1 | 41.3 | 4 Oct | 21.1 | +0.5 | 9.8 | 22 Jul | 1371.4 | 1040.1 | high | 132% |
| Daly Waters Airstrip | 34.6 | +0.5 | 44.0 | 21 Oct | 18.9 | -0.2 | 4.8 | 12 Jun | 678.8 | 678.1 | average | 100% |
| McArthur River Mine Airport | 35.1 | +0.4 | 42.1 | 19 Oct | 20.2 | +0.4 | 7.1 | 11 Jul | 790.6 | 773.3 | average | 102% |
| Ngukurr Airport | 35.4 | 43.4 | 14 Dec | 21.1 | 8.5 | 20 Jun | 1104.4 | |||||
| Victoria (district 14F) | ||||||||||||
| Bradshaw | 35.9 | +0.3 | 42.8 | 5 Oct | 22.4 | +0.6 | 10.5 | 12 Jun | 1361.0 | 970.5 | high | 140% |
| Bradshaw - Angallari Valley (Defence) | 35.7 | 43.4 | 5 Oct | 22.5 | 10.4 | 6 Jul | 1145.2 | |||||
| Bradshaw - Koolendong Valley (Defence) | 35.4 | 43.5 | 5 Oct | 19.9 | 7.3 | 8 Aug | 1045.8 | |||||
| Victoria River Downs | 35.5 | +0.9 | 44.9 | 16 Dec | 19.9 | +0.3 | 5.7 | 5 Jul | 605.0 | 651.2 | average | 93% |
| Wave Hill | 35.1 | +0.8 | 44.8 | 16 Dec | 3.5 | 11 Jun | 484.2 | 678.1 | low | 71% | ||
| Barkly (district 15A) | ||||||||||||
| Elliott | 34.6 | 0.0 | 44.9 | 16 Dec | 20.1 | +0.9 | 6.0 | 11 Jun | 360.1 | 585.9 | low | 61% |
| Tennant Creek Airport | 33.3 | +1.3 | 43.7 | 15 Dec | 20.4 | +0.5 | 7.3 | 11 Jun | ||||
| Alice Springs (district 15B) | ||||||||||||
| Alice Springs Airport | 29.1 | +0.2 | 43.2 | 18 Dec | 12.9 | -0.3 | -2.2 | 10 Jun | 401.3 | 282.3 | high | 142% |
| Jervois | 31.5 | +0.5 | 45.9 | 19 Dec | 15.1 | +0.4 | -0.2 | 11 Jun | 158.6 | 285.3 | low | 56% |
| Rabbit Flat | 34.3 | +0.4 | 46.6 | 18 Dec | -1.0 | 5 Jul | 318.2 | 465.3 | low | 68% | ||
| Territory Grape Farm | 30.8 | -0.2 | 44.6 | 19 Dec | 13.5 | -1.1 | -1.8 | 11 Jun | 331.4 | 314.3 | average | 105% |
| Walungurru Airport | 31.9 | -1.1 | 46.4 | 18 Dec | 19.3 | -0.2 | 4.6 | 24 Jun | 261.2 | 270.3 | average | 97% |
| Yulara Airport | 29.8 | -0.4 | 45.4 | 18 Dec | 14.4 | +0.2 | -0.3 | 6 Jul | 260.2 | 268.1 | average | 97% |
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. More extensive discussion of significant weather events, along with later information and data that has had greater opportunity for quality control, will be presented in the Monthly Weather Review.
This statement has been prepared based on information available at 9 am on Monday 7 February 2022. 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.
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
