Monday, 2 February 2009 - Monthly Climate Summary for Northern Territory - Product code IDCKGC12R0
Active monsoon in the centre - Northern Territory in January 2009
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Summary
The monsoon trough remained over the central parts of the Territory during most of the month. Two persistent low pressure systems, one off the west coast of Australia and the other over the Golf of Carpentaria, kept the monsoon trough over the Territory. The convection associated with the monsoon trough brought good rainfall in the Victoria River, Roper McArthur and the Barkly districts. Several locations reported record rainfalls.
Rainfall
The Top End and most of the Alice Springs district recorded about average rainfall for the month. Some areas in the far southwest, the Alice Springs district, recorded below average rainfall.
The wettest overall was 634.8 mm at Wollogorang, followed by 632.0 mm at Bradshaw AWS, followed by 627.7 mm at CDU Katherine Rural Campus.
Some sites had their highest total January rainfall on record.
The wettest single day was 171.4 mm at CDU Katherine Rural Campus on the 26th, followed by 159.0 mm at Ngayawili AWS on the 8th, followed by 156.8 mm at Daly Waters AWS on the 30th.
Some sites had their highest January daily rainfall on record.
Maximum temperature
The rain and cloud in the central Northern Territory contributed to the average to below average temperatures in the Alice Springs district. Most of the Territory saw cooler days than average, except for the far southwestern Alice Springs district and some coastal areas in the Top End where the temperatures were above average.
The hottest day was 44.0°C at Curtin Springs on the 23rd, followed by 43.7°C at Rabbit Flat on the 12th, followed by 43.0°C at Rabbit Flat on the 7th and Kulgera on the 23rd.
The warmest days on average were 39.2°C at Curtin Springs, followed by 39.1°C at Yulara Aero AWS, followed by 37.8°C at Rabbit Flat.
The coolest days on average were 30.8°C at Ngayawili AWS, followed by 31.1°C at Gove Airport, followed by 31.2°C at Central Arnhem Plateau AWS.
The coldest day was 22.0°C at Yuendumu on the 18th, followed by 23.8°C at Tennant Creek Airport on the 17th, followed by 24.2°C at Papunya on the 18th.
Some sites had their coldest January day (lowest maximum temperature) on record.
Some sites had their lowest January mean daily maximum temperature on record.
Minimum temperature
Night-time temperatures were near-to-below average over most of the Territory. Exceptions to this were the southern Alice Springs district and northwestern Top End, where they were one to two degrees above average.
The coldest night was 15.3°C at Kulgera on the 3rd, followed by 15.4°C at Yuendumu on the 19th, followed by 16.5°C at Kulgera on the 5th.
The coolest nights on average were 22.3°C at Kulgera and Yuendumu, followed by 22.4°C at Alice Springs Airport, followed by 22.8°C at Territory Grape Farm AWS.
The warmest nights on average were 26.6°C at Black Point, followed 26.4°C at Point Fawcett AWS.
The warmest night was 31.5°C at Yulara Aero AWS on the 25th, followed by 31.0°C at Victoria River Downs on the 9th, followed by 30.4°C at Curtin Springs on the 23rd.
Some sites had their warmest January night (highest daily minimum temperature) on record.
Some sites had their highest January mean daily minimum temperature on record.
Some sites had their lowest January mean daily minimum temperature on record.
Further information
NT Climate Services CentreBureau of Meteorology
Phone (08) 8920 3813
Email climate.nt@bom.gov.au
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Extremes
| Hottest day Highest temperature | 44.0°C at Curtin Springs on the 23rd |
|---|---|
| Warmest days on average Highest mean daily maximum temperature | 39.2°C at Curtin Springs |
| Coolest days on average Lowest mean daily maximum temperature |
30.8°C at Ngayawili AWS |
| Coldest day Lowest daily maximum temperature | 22.0°C at Yuendumu on the 18th |
| Coldest night Lowest temperature | 15.3°C at Kulgera on the 3rd |
| Coolest nights on average Lowest mean daily minimum temperature |
22.3°C at Kulgera 22.3°C at Yuendumu |
| Warmest nights on average Highest mean daily minimum temperature | 26.6°C at Black Point |
| Warmest night Highest daily minimum temperature |
31.5°C at Yulara Aero AWS on the 25th |
| Wettest overall Highest total rainfall | 634.8 mm at Wollogorang |
| Wettest day Highest daily rainfall |
171.4 mm at CDU Katherine Rural Campus on the 26th |
| Highest wind gust |
93 km/h at Alice Springs Airport on the 25th |
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Records
| Record highest January daily rainfall | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Highest daily rainfall in January 2009 (mm) |
Previous highest for January |
Years of record |
||||
| Benmara | 143.0 | on the 2nd | 121.0 | on the 14th in 1979 | 39 | |
| Daly Waters AWS | 156.8 | on the 30th | 83.8 | on the 26th in 1944 | 30 | |
| Hidden Valley | 105.0 | on the 3rd | 87.0 | on the 14th in 2004 | 30 | |
| Gorrie | 135.2 | on the 2nd | 128.0 | on the 22nd in 1987 | 16 | |
| Record highest total January rainfall | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Total rainfall (mm) |
Previous highest | Years of record |
Average | ||
| Daly Waters AWS | 576.0 | 393.8 | in 1940 | 31 | 149.7 |
| Kidman Springs | 443.4 | 322.5 | in 1984 | 37 | 162.9 |
| Gilnockie | 495.4 | 447.0 | in 2006 | 18 | 172.6 |
| Record lowest January daily maximum temperature | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Lowest daily maximum temperature (°C) |
Previous lowest | Years of record |
Average | |||
| Tennant Creek Airport | 23.8 | on the 17th | 24.2 | on the 19th in 2006 | 39 | 36.7 |
| Record lowest January mean daily maximum temperature | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Mean daily maximum temperature (°C) |
Previous lowest | Years of record |
Average | ||
| Brunette Downs | 31.5 | 31.7 | in 1974 | 41 | 37.1 |
| Alyangula Police | 31.7 | 31.8 | in 2003 | 24 | 33.1 |
| Wollogorang | 31.4 | 31.9 | in 2003 | 23 | 35.0 |
| Record highest January daily minimum temperature | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Highest daily minimum temperature (°C) |
Previous highest | Years of record |
Average | |||
| Yulara Aero AWS | 31.5 | on the 25th | 30.6 | on the 4th in 2007 | 21 | 22.4 |
| Record lowest January mean daily minimum temperature | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Mean daily minimum temperature (°C) |
Previous lowest | Years of record |
Average | ||
| Timber Creek | 24.2 | = 24.2 | in 2006 | 27 | 25.0 |
| Kidman Springs | 24.2 | 24.3 | in 2001 | 12 | 24.9 |
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Summaries
This table is very wide and may not fit if printed.
| Summary statistics for January 2009 | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum temperatures (°C) |
Minimum temperatures (°C) |
Rainfall (millimetres) |
||||||||||
| Mean | Diff from average |
Highest | Mean | Diff from average |
Lowest | Total | Rank | Fraction of January average |
||||
| Darwin-Daly (district 14GA) | ||||||||||||
| Batchelor Aero AWS | 32.3 | −0.5 | 34.7 | 12th | 24.2 | +0.3 | 22.2 | 15th | 224.4 | low | 78% | |
| Black Point | 31.8 | +0.4 | 34.2 | 15th | 26.6 | +0.9 | 23.7 | 11th | 105.5 | very low | 35% | |
| Bradshaw AWS | 33.4 | 37.1 | 13th | 24.4 | 21.7 | 12th | 632.0 | |||||
| Cape Don AWS | 31.4 | 32.3 | 15th | 26.2 | 23.7 | 11th | 159.2 | average | 74% | |||
| Central Arnhem Plateau AWS | 31.2 | 34.1 | 13th | 23.4 | 21.2 | 14th | 305.0 | |||||
| Channel Point | 31.6 | −0.1 | 33.0 | 13th | 25.6 | +0.7 | 22.4 | 31st | 321.4 | average | 78% | |
| Darwin Airport | 32.1 | +0.3 | 33.9 | 12th | 25.5 | +0.7 | 22.9 | 23rd | 423.4 | average | 100% | |
| Delamere Weapons Range AWS | 32.5 | 35.7 | 12th | 23.5 | 21.6 | 30th | 60.8 | |||||
| Douglas River | 32.9 | −0.7 | 35.6 | 12th | 23.9 | +0.3 | 21.4 | 11th | 345.8 | high | 126% | |
| Dum In Mirrie AWS | 31.5 | 32.8 | 13th | 26.2 | 23.6 | 23rd | 292.2 | average | 89% | |||
| Jabiru Airport AWS | 33.5 | 0.0 | 35.9 | 12th | 25.0 | +0.5 | 22.5 | 14th | 175.4 | lowest | 48% | |
| Katherine Aviation Museum | 33.6 | −1.1 | 36.1 | 13th | 23.8 | −0.4 | 22.0 | 11th | 435.6 | very high | 160% | |
| Mango Farm | 32.8 | −0.8 | 35.5 | 12th | 23.7 | −0.1 | 21.6 | 12th | 359.9 | average | 108% | |
| McCluer Island AWS | 31.3 | 32.7 | 27th | 26.4 | 23.9 | 10th | 129.6 | average | 55% | |||
| Noonamah AWS | 32.8 | 35.3 | 12th | 24.7 | 22.3 | 15th | 386.8 | |||||
| Pine Creek Council | 32.7 | 35.3 | 12th | 24.0 | 20.9 | 14th | 554.9 | |||||
| Pirlangimpi AWS | 32.0 | +0.2 | 33.7 | 12th | 25.4 | +0.9 | 22.8 | 6th | 198.6 | very low | 49% | |
| Point Fawcett AWS | 31.3 | 32.6 | 21st | 26.4 | 23.6 | 16th | 214.2 | low | 63% | |||
| Port Keats Aero | 31.9 | 34.9 | 15th | 25.4 | 21.6 | 15th | 226.4 | |||||
| Tindal RAAF AWS | 33.2 | −0.8 | 35.7 | 7th | 24.1 | −0.1 | 21.9 | 11th | 460.8 | very high | 171% | |
| Arnhem (district 14BC) | ||||||||||||
| Alyangula Police | 31.7 | −1.4 | 32.9 | 4th | 25.9 | +0.1 | 22.9 | 28th | 347.8 | high | 159% | |
| Gove Airport | 31.1 | −0.9 | 33.7 | 29th | 24.5 | −0.1 | 21.9 | 14th | 448.4 | very high | 156% | |
| Groote Eylandt Airport AWS | 32.7 | 34.4 | 19th | 25.3 | 22.8 | 28th | 290.2 | |||||
| Maningrida Aero AWS | 31.9 | 35.3 | 13th | 25.1 | 22.8 | 14th | 259.4 | |||||
| Ngayawili AWS | 30.8 | 32.5 | 26th | 25.4 | 22.0 | 14th | 547.8 | |||||
| Warruwi AWS | 32.1 | +0.1 | 34.3 | 13th | 25.9 | +0.3 | 23.4 | 14th | 183.6 | low | 69% | |
| Roper-Mcarthur (district 14DE) | ||||||||||||
| Borroloola AWS | 32.2 | −1.7 | 35.7 | 12th | 24.2 | −0.6 | 22.3 | 28th | 51.4 | low | 25% | |
| Centre Island AWS | 32.2 | −1.3 | 35.8 | 13th | 25.5 | −1.2 | 22.6 | 8th | 281.4 | high | 128% | |
| Daly Waters AWS | 33.5 | −2.3 | 36.7 | 13th | 23.6 | −0.4 | 21.5 | 7th | 576.0 | highest | 385% | |
| Larrimah | 33.3 | −2.0 | 36.2 | 8th | 23.5 | −0.5 | 21.9 | 6th | 476.4 | very high | 227% | |
| McArthur River Mine | 33.0 | −3.0 | 37.0 | 12th | 24.7 | −0.1 | 22.7 | 7th | 489.4 | very high | 246% | |
| Ngukurr | 34.1 | −1.5 | 36.9 | 14th | 24.6 | −0.2 | 22.6 | 15th | 246.3 | high | 138% | |
| Wollogorang | 31.4 | −3.6 | 34.8 | 23rd | 23.7 | −0.5 | 20.1 | 20th | 634.8 | very high | 302% | |
| Victoria (district 14F) | ||||||||||||
| Kidman Springs | 34.6 | −1.2 | 38.0 | 11th | 24.2 | −0.7 | 21.5 | 30th | 443.4 | highest | 272% | |
| Lajamanu AWS | 36.6 | −0.3 | 41.9 | 7th | 23.8 | −0.1 | 19.5 | 25th | 201.4 | high | 137% | |
| Timber Creek | 34.5 | −1.4 | 38.0 | 12th | 24.2 | −0.8 | 21.7 | 15th | 322.3 | high | 137% | |
| Victoria River Downs | 34.1 | −2.5 | 38.2 | 11th | 24.7 | −0.2 | 21.1 | 14th | 409.4 | very high | 273% | |
| Wave Hill | 34.3 | −2.8 | 38.4 | 11th | 23.6 | −0.6 | 21.0 | 5th | 377.6 | very high | 262% | |
| Barkly (district 15A) | ||||||||||||
| Brunette Downs | 31.5 | −5.6 | 35.5 | 7th | 23.4 | −1.1 | 21.0 | 30th | 336.1 | very high | 321% | |
| Elliott | 34.7 | −2.9 | 39.4 | 7th | 23.7 | −0.4 | 21.2 | 14th | 286.0 | very high | 212% | |
| Tennant Creek Airport | 33.3 | −3.4 | 39.0 | 12th | 23.4 | −1.6 | 20.9 | 18th | 341.8 | very high | 321% | |
| Alice Springs (district 15B) | ||||||||||||
| Alice Springs Airport | 36.1 | −0.3 | 40.2 | 23rd | 22.4 | +1.0 | 17.4 | 12th | 14.4 | average | 39% | |
| Arltunga | 35.9 | 40.3 | 24th | 19.8 | 15th | 31.0 | average | 81% | ||||
| Curtin Springs | 39.2 | +1.5 | 44.0 | 23rd | 24.0 | +2.0 | 19.0 | 3rd | 0 | lowest | 0% | |
| Jervois | 36.3 | −2.2 | 42.7 | 24th | 23.6 | +1.2 | 21.1 | 31st | 38.2 | average | 84% | |
| Kulgera | 37.5 | +0.8 | 43.0 | 23rd | 22.3 | +0.4 | 15.3 | 3rd | 0 | lowest | 0% | |
| Papunya | 37.2 | 41.6 | 12th | 23.2 | 18.0 | 19th | 25.5 | average | 59% | |||
| Rabbit Flat | 37.8 | −0.6 | 43.7 | 12th | 24.2 | −0.1 | 20.8 | 18th | 139.4 | high | 128% | |
| Territory Grape Farm AWS | 35.8 | −1.9 | 39.5 | 12th | 22.8 | +1.3 | 17.5 | 19th | 62.8 | high | 146% | |
| Watarrka | 37.6 | −0.9 | 41.7 | 27th | 23.5 | −0.1 | 18.2 | 8th | 11.8 | average | 36% | |
| Yuendumu | 36.1 | −0.3 | 39.5 | 11th | 22.3 | 0.0 | 15.4 | 19th | 102.2 | high | 162% | |
| Yulara Aero AWS | 39.1 | +0.6 | 42.9 | 24th | 23.8 | +1.4 | 19.1 | 4th | 0 | lowest | 0% | |
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Notes
This statement has been prepared based on information available at 1 pm on Monday 2 February 2009. Some checks have been made on the data, but it is possible that results will change as new information becomes available.
Averages are long-term means based on observations from
the years 1800 to 2006.
They are not shown for sites with less than 10 years of record in that time, 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.
Further information
NT Climate Services CentreBureau of Meteorology
Phone (08) 8920 3813
Email climate.nt@bom.gov.au