Monday, 2 February 2015 - Monthly Climate Summary for Northern Territory - Product code IDCKGC12R0

Northern Territory in January 2015: Monsoon arrives to Top End

Late in the day on 31 December, 2014, a wall of dark, ominous rain cloud rolled across the north coast near Darwin. This marked the onset of the north Australian monsoon at Darwin and across the western Top End. Daily rainfall totals around the Darwin area on 1 January include 119 mm at Darwin Airport, 162 mm at Darwin Botanic Gardens, and 136 mm at Channel Point. Heavy rainfall continued throughout the first two weeks of the month.

During early January, an interesting combination of surface and mid-level weather features brought heavy rainfall to the Red Centre. The monsoon trough was active across much of northwestern Australia and within it a monsoonal low intensified over the Kimberley region, lifting much moisture into the mid-levels of the atmosphere. About this time, a mid-level trough moved across central Australia and began to capture this moisture and transport it southwards. Winds ahead of the mid-level trough were northwesterly and as the system 'pulled' the tropical moisture southward, it lifted to produce a thick band of cloud causing heavy rainfall across the central desert regions from the 7th through the 12th. While the heavier falls were along the north side of the MacDonnell Ranges, the whole region received some rain during this time, including a few new rainfall records. Many central Australian locations received 200% to 300% of their January monthly mean rainfall in a single day of rain. Alice Springs Airport had a three day (8-10th inclusive) rainfall total of 156.6 mm, the highest since January 2001. Arltunga exceeded 100 mm of rainfall in the 24 hours up to 9 am on the 8th. The event saw significant flows in the Todd River through Alice Springs for the first time since April 2014.

The rainfall for January was 230.6 mm when averaged over the entire NT, the 6th highest January total on record and 92% above the January mean. Ample cloud and rain kept temperatures down. The mean daily maximum temperature was 2.5 °C below normal; the coolest January since 1984 for the Territory.

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

Maps
	Observed	Anomaly	Decile rank
Total rainfall
Mean daily maximum temperatures
Mean daily minimum temperatures

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* note: there are gaps in the historical record at this site, so it is possible a higher value has gone unreported.

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top