Tuesday, 1 November 2016 - Monthly Climate Summary for Northern Territory - Product code IDCKGC12R0

Northern Territory in October 2016: First cooler than average month for 2016

After nine consecutive months of warmer than average mean temperatures across the Northern Territory, October temperatures were more than 1 °C below the long-term average. Territory-wide, near average rainfall was observed during October, however there were areas of the north and east that were much wetter than average, while the south and west tended drier than average.

Cool days and nights

  • The mean temperature in the Territory was 1.15 °C below the October average.
  • The mean minimum temperature for October was 1.56 °C below average, the ninth lowest on record and lowest in October since 1982.
  • The mean maximum temperature for October was 0.76 °C below average.
  • Nearly all of the NT south of the Top End had below average temperatures, with a large area in the south experiencing its coolest overnight temperatures on record. Several sites had their lowest October mean daily minimum temperatures on record and some sites had their lowest October temperature on record.
  • Most coastal locations across the Top End had warmer than average temperatures and the northeast of the Top End observed very much above average maximum temperatures.
  • Lajamanu in the Tanami District had a very hot 24-hour period towards the end of the month, with its record highest October temperature on the thirtieth and warmest October night (highest daily minimum temperature) on the thirty-first.
  • An exceptionally cool day occurred over the Top End on the twenty-second as overnight rain and persistent cloud kept maximum temperatures well below average. Some sites had their lowest daily maximum temperature for October.
  • Darwin had slightly above average daytime temperatures and slightly below average overnight temperatures; Darwin Airport's maximum temperature of 26.7 °C on the twenty-second was its second lowest October maximum temperature on record, while on the eighth, its maximum of 37.5 °C was its equal-fifth-highest in October and equal-sixth all-time high temperature.

Near average rainfall

  • Territory-wide, rainfall was slightly below average (7% less than the long-term October mean).
  • Much of the southern half observed below average rainfall.
  • In the north, rainfall was generally above average apart from the southwest of the Top End. The northeast of the NT was mostly above average, particularly the northern Barkly District and the eastern Top End.
  • Darwin observed a total of 133.8 mm, which was nearly twice the October average of 70.3 mm

    • Further information

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    Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

    Extremes in October 2016
    Hottest day 43.7 °C at Rabbit Flat on the 29th
    Warmest days on average 38.5 °C at Bradshaw
    Coolest days on average 30.5 °C at Alice Springs Airport
    Coldest day 21.6 °C at Alice Springs Airport on the 22nd
    Coldest night 2.2 °C at Arltunga on the 24th
    Coolest nights on average 12.1 °C at Curtin Springs
    12.1 °C at Yulara Airport
    Warmest nights on average 27.3 °C at McCluer Island
    Warmest night 30.2 °C at Lajamanu Airport on the 31st
    Warmest on average overall 31.7 °C at Bradshaw
    Coolest on average overall 21.3 °C at Alice Springs Airport
    Wettest overall 201.4 mm at Point Stuart
    Wettest day 91.0 mm at Charles Point on the 25th
    Strongest wind gust 76 km/h at Yulara Airport on the 1st

    Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

    Maps
    ObservedAnomalyDecile rank
    Total
    rainfall    		 Map of Rainfall totals Map of Percentage of normal rainfall Map of Rainfall deciles
    Mean
    daily
    maximum
    temperatures    		 Map of Mean maximum temperature Map of Anomaly in mean maximum temperature Map of Decile rank of mean maximum temperature
    Mean
    daily
    minimum
    temperatures    		 Map of Mean minimum temperature Map of Anomaly in mean minimum temperature Map of Decile rank of mean minimum temperature

    Click on a map to show it full size in a pop-up window

    Record highest October daily rainfall
    New record
    (mm)    		 Old
    record    		 Years of
    record
    CSIRO Berrimah 77.0 on the 4th 68.0 on the 18th in 2003 23


    Record highest October total rainfall
    New record
    (mm)    		 Old
    record    		 Years of
    record    		 Average for
    October
    CSIRO Berrimah 189.6 168.0 in 1999 23 77.4


    Record highest October temperature
    New record
    (°C)    		 Old
    record    		 Years of
    record    		 Average for
    October
    Lajamanu Airport 43.6 on the 30th 43.5 on the 30th in 2014 24 37.4
    Channel Point 37.7 on the 7th 37.6 on the 23rd in 2008 22 32.3


    Record lowest October daily maximum temperature
    New record
    (°C)    		 Old
    record    		 Years of
    record    		 Average for
    October
    Pirlangimpi Airport 28.4 on the 22nd = 28.4 on the 9th in 1996 33 33.6
    Batchelor Airport 26.1 on the 22nd 26.2 on the 20th in 2000 20 36.8


    Record highest October daily minimum temperature
    New record
    (°C)    		 Old
    record    		 Years of
    record    		 Average for
    October
    Lajamanu Airport 30.2 on the 31st 28.9 on the 26th in 1971 24 20.4


    Record lowest October temperature
    New record
    (°C)    		 Old
    record    		 Years of
    record    		 Average for
    October
    Yulara Airport 3.7 on the 17th 4.5 on the 3rd in 1986 29 15.0
    Watarrka 4.0 on the 4th 5.0 on the 8th in 2002 26 17.5


    Record lowest October mean daily minimum temperature
    New record
    (°C)    		 Old
    record    		 Years of
    record    		 Average for
    October
    Territory Grape Farm 12.6 13.0 in 1995 24 15.6

    Lowest October mean daily minimum temperature for at least 20 years
    Observed
    (°C)    		 Most recent
    lower    		 Average for
    October
    Jervois 12.9 11.3 in 1982 15.6
    Tennant Creek Airport 19.7 19.1 in 1982 21.8
    Brunette Downs 18.9 17.2 in 1982* 20.7

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



    Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

    Summary statistics for October 2016
    Maximum temperatures
    (°C)    		 Minimum temperatures
    (°C)    		 Rainfall
    (millimetres)
    Mean for
    October
    2016    		 Diff
    from
    average    		 Highest for
    October
    2016    		 Mean for
    October
    2016    		 Diff
    from
    average    		 Lowest for
    October
    2016    		 Total for
    October
    2016    		 Average
    for
    October    		 Rank of
    October
    2016    		 Fraction of
    October
    average
    Darwin-Daly (district 14GA)
    Batchelor Airport 36.3 -0.5 37.8 8th 23.5 +0.5 19.9 6th 48.4 62.5 average 77%
    Black Point 33.7 +1.0 35.0 19th 25.7 +1.2 22.9 3rd 23.4 12.1 high 193%
    Bradshaw 38.5 -0.4 42.3 30th 24.8 -0.1 17.5 6th 0 21.9 v low 0%
    Central Arnhem Plateau 34.2 -1.4 37.5 29th 22.3 +0.4 16.5 15th 3.4 27.4 average 12%
    Channel Point 33.1 +0.8 37.7 7th 24.3 +0.3 21.6 15th 54.6 62.6 average 87%
    Charles Point 32.8   34.7 6th 25.8   21.8 25th 144.2
    Croker Island Airport 34.1   36.6 12th 25.1   22.5 24th
    Darwin Airport 33.8 +0.5 37.5 8th 24.6 -0.3 22.8 9th 133.8 70.3 high 190%
    Delamere Weapons Range 36.7 -0.8 40.3 30th 23.2 -0.6 17.3 14th 33.2 29.8 average 111%
    Douglas River 37.8 +0.1 40.5 30th 21.9 -0.4 16.5 14th 27.6 36.4 average 76%
    Dum In Mirrie Airstrip 33.9 +1.2 36.7 8th 25.5 +0.1 23.2 23rd 42.8 63.6 average 67%
    Jabiru Airport 36.9 -0.7 39.3 19th 24.8 +0.9 21.2 15th 45.0 38.4 high 117%
    Katherine Country Club 37.3   41.0 30th 23.3   15.4 15th 4.4
    McCluer Island 31.3 +0.8 33.3 14th 27.3 +1.2 24.6 4th 11.6 7.2 high 161%
    Middle Point 36.7 +0.7 38.4 14th 22.8 +0.9 19.2 6th 40.4 43.7 average 92%
    Murganella Airstrip 34.0   35.8 29th 23.7   20.9 15th 13.4
    Noonamah Airstrip 36.0   38.2 8th 24.0   20.9 6th 66.8
    Oenpelli Airport 37.2   39.2 19th 24.1   19.7 15th 51.6
    Pirlangimpi Airport 34.3 +0.7 36.1 9th 23.8 +0.8 22.4 22nd 143.0 80.9 high 177%
    Point Fawcett 33.3 +0.3 36.0 8th 23.5 0.0 21.8 16th 103.8 66.2 high 157%
    Point Stuart 33.2   34.5 8th 24.8   21.8 6th 201.4 55.7 v high 362%
    Port Keats Airport 35.4 +1.1 39.0 5th 23.8 -0.1 16.5 15th 5.0 41.2 low 12%
    Tindal RAAF 36.9 -0.8 40.3 30th 23.2 -0.8 15.5 15th 25.8 32.7 average 79%
    Arnhem (district 14BC)
    Cape Wessel 34.3   35.2 25th 26.0   24.0 2nd 7.0 12.2 average 57%
    Gove Airport 32.7 +0.9 33.7 13th 23.4 +1.9 18.0 14th 9.2 10.5 high 88%
    Groote Eylandt Airport 33.6 -0.5 35.7 20th 21.7 +0.8 14.3 14th 69.4 27.2 high 255%
    Maningrida Airport 34.2 +1.2 37.0 14th 23.5 +0.7 19.3 15th 10.6 12.4 average 85%
    Milingimbi Airport 34.2 +1.4 36.5 5th 24.7 +1.2 19.9 14th 4.4 8.9 average 49%
    Ngayawili 33.8 +1.2 35.8 12th 23.5 +1.0 17.9 14th 48.0 10.5 high 457%
    Warruwi Airport 33.3 +0.8 35.2 14th 26.6 +1.3 24.6 5th 16.6 12.0 high 138%
    Roper-Mcarthur (district 14DE)
    Borroloola Airport 36.4 -0.2 40.1 31st 20.9 -0.5 14.2 14th 30.8 14.3 high 215%
    Bulman 36.6 -1.8 39.3 30th 22.7 +1.1 15.4 15th 43.6 19.5 high 224%
    Centre Island 33.3 +0.3 35.8 31st 25.0 +0.1 22.9 23rd 21.2 8.2 high 259%
    Daly Waters Airstrip 37.8 +0.5 42.3 30th 19.7 -1.3 11.0 14th 11.0 21.7 average 51%
    McArthur River Mine Airport 37.1 -0.8 40.8 27th 21.9 +0.8 16.0 5th 59.6 20.3 high 294%
    Ngukurr Airport 37.4   41.6 31st 23.0   16.3 14th 15.4
    Victoria (district 14F)
    Lajamanu Airport 36.9 -0.5 43.6 30th 19.7 -0.7 13.1 15th 2.6 19.4 low 13%
    Victoria River Downs 37.1 -0.8 42.0 30th 21.0 -1.4 13.0 14th 31.6 19.2 high 165%
    Barkly (district 15A)
    Brunette Downs 34.6 -2.1 42.1 30th 18.9 -1.8 13.0 5th 66.3 15.6 v high 425%
    Elliott 36.3 -1.7 42.4 30th 20.3 -0.6 14.3 4th 17.0 21.6 average 79%
    Tennant Creek Airport 33.8 -1.1 41.4 30th 19.7 -2.1 13.8 4th 20.0 19.5 average 103%
    Alice Springs (district 15B)
    Alice Springs Airport 30.5 -0.6 39.9 29th 12.2 -2.6 3.4 23rd 2.2 20.2 low 11%
    Curtin Springs 30.7 -1.1 40.4 29th 12.1 -2.3 4.5 3rd 1.0 17.9 average 6%
    Jervois 30.7 -2.7 39.7 30th 12.9 -2.7 6.6 18th 8.4 14.4 average 58%
    Rabbit Flat 36.1 -1.2 43.7 29th 16.2 -2.1 8.1 4th 10.4 19.7 average 53%
    Territory Grape Farm 31.2 -2.2 39.5 30th 12.6 -3.0 8.0 18th 1.4 14.3 low 10%
    Walungurru Airport 34.9 -1.2 42.3 29th 19.4 -1.6 10.3 3rd 1.6 15.4 average 10%
    Watarrka 31.1 -2.0 39.5 29th 14.2 -3.3 4.0 4th 1.2 25.2 low 5%
    Yulara Airport 30.8 -1.6 39.9 29th 12.1 -2.9 3.7 17th 2.0 20.0 average 10%

    Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

    Notes

    The Monthly 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. Later information, including data that has had greater opportunity for quality control, will be presented in the Monthly Weather Review.

    A climate summary is generally published on the first working day of each month.

    This statement has been prepared based on information available at 11 am on Tuesday 1 November 2016. Some checks have been made on the data, but it is possible that results will change as new information becomes available.

    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.

    The ACORN-SAT dataset is used for temperature area averages.

    Further information

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