Thursday, 5 January 2017 - Monthly Climate Summary for Northern Territory - Product code IDCKGC12R0

Northern Territory in December 2016: Wet end to month

Rainfall was well above the long-term average, Territory-wide, thanks to monsoonal activity in the second half of December. Overall, temperatures in the NT were near average, balanced by warmer than average overnight temperatures and cooler daytime temperatures.

Monsoon makes for a wet second half to the month

• The first half of December was very dry across all parts of the NT apart from the far south
• Monsoonal conditions developed across the Top End around 21 December: widespread rainfall of between 50 mm and 200 mm fell across the Top End, with peak falls in excess of 400 mm reported along the west coast associated with a tropical low which tracked southwards near the coast
• In the last few days of the month, the tropical moisture associated with the monsoon moved inland and impacted the southern NT
• Many sites in the NT had their highest December daily rainfall while many in the south had their highest total December rainfall on record, causing widespread flooding in some southern districts
• Overall, the NT had its 3rd-wettest December on record, with a Territory-wide total more than two and a half times the long-term average

Cool days and warm nights in most parts

• The Top End saw near average daytime temperatures while it was cooler than average further south
• Most of the NT experienced warmer than average overnight minimum temperatures
• Territory-wide, the mean daily minimum temperature was 0.73 °C above average, while the mean daily maximum and mean temperatures were below average during December (1.16 °C and 0.20 °C below average, respectively)

First tropical low for the year

• A tropical low developed off the NT's northwest coast on 18 December and tracked southwards, roughly parallel to the Territory's west coast, before crossing the northern Kimberley coast on 21 December
• The low was not over open water long enough to attain tropical cyclone intensity, but generated widespread rainfall over parts of northwest Australia for several days
• On the 25th, this low combined with ex-tropical cyclone Yvette to form a tropical depression which tracked across inland Western Australia and central Australia, producing heavy rainfall and widespread flooding in the southern NT between the 25th and 28th

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

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

* 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