Tuesday, 1 August 2017 - Monthly Climate Summary for Northern Territory - Product code IDCKGC12R0

Northern Territory in July 2017: Warmest July on record

The daytime and overall mean temperature was the highest ever recorded for July in the Northern Territory. Overnight temperatures were also well above average, but not a record. The total rainfall was slightly more than twice the long-term average.

Record heat across the Territory

• Averaged across the NT, the mean daily maximum temperature was 3.24 °C above average, the highest in the 108 year record
• Mean temperature was 2.73 °C above average, also the warmest on record
• Mean daily minimum temperature was 2.22 °C above average, the seventh-highest on record, and highest since 2010
• Every part of the NT experienced above average daytime temperatures, while overnight temperatures were above average in all parts apart from the far south
• Many locations had their highest July mean daily maximum temperature on record
• Several locations had either their highest July mean temperature on record, highest July mean daily minimum temperature on record, highest July mean daily maximum temperature for at least 20 years or highest July mean temperature for at least 20 years
• Some sites on the north coast had their highest July temperature on record
• Both Darwin and Alice Springs Airports had their highest July mean maximum temperatures on record;  Darwin was 2.0 °C above the long-term average, while Alice Springs was more than 4 °C above average
• Darwin had only 6 nights below 20 °C, compared to the July average of 18.6

Above average rain

• Rainfall was average to above average across most parts of the Northern Territory
• July was much wetter than average around Milingimbi in the far northeast, and in a wide band across the central NT
• The most significant rainfall was recorded across central parts of the NT on the 9th and 10th as a deep trough and associated cloudband affected the region
• Some sites had their highest July daily rainfall on record, highest total July rainfall on record or highest July rainfall in the last 30 years
• During this rain event Lajamanu experienced a severe thunderstorm that produced a wind gust of 91 km/h; the site also recorded 9.8 mm of rain in a 10-minute period
• Reports of hail and vegetation damage due to storms in the Tanami District were received and subsequent analysis of the storm indicated the presence of supercell thunderstorms on the 9th

Further information

Media

media@bom.gov.au (03) 9669 4057

Enquiries

helpdesk.climate@bom.gov.au

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

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Extremes in July 2017
Hottest day	35.8 °C at Bradshaw on the 6th
Warmest days on average	34.1 °C at Bradshaw 34.1 °C at Middle Point 34.1 °C at Noonamah Airstrip
Coolest days on average	23.4 °C at Yulara Airport
Coldest day	13.5 °C at Arltunga on the 10th
Coldest night	-3.5 °C at Yulara Airport on the 7th
Coolest nights on average	3.3 °C at Kulgera
Warmest nights on average	24.6 °C at McCluer Island
Warmest night	25.7 °C at McCluer Island on the 5th
Warmest on average overall	27.5 °C at Cape Wessel 27.5 °C at Jabiru Airport
Coolest on average overall	13.6 °C at Curtin Springs
Wettest overall	95.4 mm at Kurundi
Wettest day	54.0 mm at Kurundi on the 10th
Strongest wind gust	91 km/h at Lajamanu Airport on the 9th

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

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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

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Record highest July daily rainfall
	New record (mm)		Old record		Years of record
Kurundi	54.0	on the 10th	36.8	on the 1st in 1939	62




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Record highest July total rainfall
	New record (mm)	Old record		Years of record	Average for July
Kurundi	95.4	80.3	in 1939	63	6.9
Warramunga	68.8	43.2	in 2010	46	5.0




Highest July total rainfall for at least 20 years
	Observed (mm)	Most recent higher		Average for July
Riveren	18.0	59.0	in 1978	1.9
Lajamanu Airport	24.6	64.1	in 1968*	4.4
Soudan	20.0	129.1	in 1986*	7.7

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




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Record highest July temperature
	New record (°C)		Old record		Years of record	Average for July
Warruwi Airport	32.9	on the 19th	= 32.9	on the 4th in 1970	52	28.7
Black Point	33.2	on the 19th	33.0	on the 29th in 2010	26	29.7




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Record highest July mean daily maximum temperature
	New record (°C)	Old record		Years of record	Average for July
Darwin Airport	32.6	= 32.6	in 2010	76	30.6
Alice Springs Airport	23.9	22.9	in 2000	75	19.7
Brunette Downs	30.0	29.3	in 1958	53	26.7
Curtin Springs	23.6	23.2	in 2002	52	20.2
Tennant Creek Airport	26.9	= 26.9	in 1975	48	24.6
Daly Waters Airstrip	32.8	31.1	in 1958	47	29.0
Centre Island	28.6	27.7	in 1993	42	26.3
Wave Hill	31.1	30.7	in 1975	42	28.4
Jabiru Airport	33.8	33.4	in 2010	39	31.9
McArthur River Mine Airport	33.0	32.8	in 1993	39	30.1
Gove Airport	29.6	29.1	in 1998	37	27.8
Kulgera	23.5	21.9	in 2002	36	19.0
Elliott	30.5	30.2	in 2005	35	28.3
Pirlangimpi Airport	32.8	= 32.8	in 2010	34	31.2
Yulara Airport	23.4	22.8	in 1985	30	20.4
Tindal RAAF	33.0	31.7	in 1995	29	30.2
Black Point	31.1	= 31.1	in 2010	25	29.7
Douglas River Research Farm	33.7	33.5	in 1998	25	31.8
Territory Grape Farm	25.1	24.7	in 1993	24	22.6
Borroloola Airport	32.8	31.3	in 1998	23	30.2
Lajamanu Airport	29.8	28.7	in 2013	22	26.9
Batchelor Airport	33.6	33.4	in 2003	20	31.9
Delamere Weapons Range	31.9	31.2	in 1998	20	29.5
Rabbit Flat	29.3	27.8	in 2000	20	26.1




Highest July mean daily maximum temperature for at least 20 years
	Observed (°C)	Most recent higher		Average for July
Victoria River Downs	32.5	33.0	in 1975	29.3




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Record highest July daily minimum temperature
	New record (°C)		Old record		Years of record	Average for July
Victoria River Downs	24.2	on the 7th	23.4	on the 31st in 2010	51	10.9




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Record highest July mean daily minimum temperature
	New record (°C)	Old record		Years of record	Average for July
Tennant Creek Airport	14.4	= 14.4	in 1998	48	12.3
Centre Island	21.4	20.9	in 2010	42	18.6




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Record highest July mean temperature
	New record (°C)	Old record		Years of record	Average for July
Tennant Creek Airport	20.7	= 20.7	in 1975	48	18.4
Centre Island	25.0	24.1	in 2010	42	22.4
Tindal RAAF	24.6	= 24.6	in 2010	29	21.9
Territory Grape Farm	15.7	15.5	in 2000	24	13.9
Borroloola Airport	24.2	23.8	in 1998	23	21.0
Lajamanu Airport	20.8	20.5	in 2005	22	18.0
Rabbit Flat	18.9	18.5	in 2005	20	16.5




Highest July mean temperature for at least 20 years
	Observed (°C)	Most recent higher		Average for July
Alice Springs Airport	14.3	15.1	in 1996	11.9
Yulara Airport	13.8	14.4	in 1996	12.4





Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

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Summary statistics for July 2017
	Maximum temperatures (°C)				Minimum temperatures (°C)				Rainfall (millimetres)
	Mean for July 2017	Diff from average	Highest for July 2017		Mean for July 2017	Diff from average	Lowest for July 2017		Total for July 2017	Average for July	Rank of July 2017	Fraction of July average
Darwin-Daly (district 14GA)
Batchelor Airport	33.6	+1.7	34.9	25th	18.9	+2.6	13.8	22nd	0	0.8	lowest	0%
Black Point	31.1	+1.4	33.2	19th	23.0	+2.2	20.4	22nd	0.8	4.5	high	18%
Bradshaw	34.1	+2.2	35.8	6th	17.9	+2.7	11.8	22nd	0	0.3	v low	0%
Central Arnhem Plateau	30.5	+1.7	32.2	5th	17.6	+1.9	14.6	14th	0	2.6	v low	0%
Channel Point	30.5	+1.3	33.7	13th	19.2	+2.1	16.1	22nd	0	0.1	lowest	0%
Croker Island Airport	30.9		33.4	19th	22.4		19.8	19th	3.0
Darwin Airport	32.6	+2.0	34.2	23rd	21.1	+1.8	18.5	15th	0	1.1	lowest	0%
Delamere Weapons Range	31.9	+2.4	34.0	6th	17.1	+2.4	13.0	21st	0	0.5	lowest	0%
Douglas River Research Farm	33.7	+1.9	35.5	4th	16.1	+3.3	9.3	22nd	0	2.5	lowest	0%
Dum In Mirrie Airstrip	32.2	+2.0	34.2	24th	20.2	+2.0	16.3	22nd	0	1.0	lowest	0%
Jabiru Airport	33.8	+1.9	34.8	25th	21.3	+2.7	18.0	22nd	0	3.2	lowest	0%
Katherine Country Club	32.9		35.2	4th	15.9		10.4	22nd	0
McCluer Island	28.4	+1.2	30.8	19th	24.6	+1.7	23.3	1st	0.2	1.3	average	15%
Middle Point	34.1	+1.4	35.3	23rd	17.0	+2.6	11.7	21st	0	0.4	v low	0%
Murganella Airstrip	31.9		34.4	19th	18.8		14.4	21st	3.0
Noonamah Airstrip	34.1		35.4	24th	18.2		12.7	22nd	0
Oenpelli Airport	33.9		35.1	19th	20.3		15.8	22nd	0
Pirlangimpi Airport	32.8	+1.6	35.0	19th	20.7	+2.3	16.8	22nd	0.2	2.7	average	7%
Point Fawcett	32.1	+2.1	33.6	19th	18.7	+0.4	15.6	22nd	0.6	0.2	high	300%
Port Keats Airport	33.0	+1.6	35.1	13th	19.4	+2.8	15.1	22nd	0.2	1.2	average	17%
Tindal RAAF	33.0	+2.8	34.7	4th	16.2	+2.6	10.5	21st	0	2.6	lowest	0%
Arnhem (district 14BC)
Cape Wessel	30.6		31.6	9th	24.4		22.9	1st	30.8	17.2	high	179%
Gove Airport	29.6	+1.8	30.7	18th	21.7	+1.5	18.6	30th	8.4	18.4	average	46%
Groote Eylandt Airport	30.5	+1.7	31.8	24th	18.4	+2.9	14.8	22nd	0	3.1	v low	0%
Maningrida Airport	31.7	+1.0	33.7	18th	20.0	+1.6	17.2	15th	1.4	1.1	high	127%
Milingimbi Airport	31.4	+1.0	33.0	11th	21.2	+1.9	18.7	21st	11.0	3.5	high	314%
Ngayawili	30.7	+1.2	32.5	18th	21.2	+1.6	18.8	27th	1.0	3.9	average	26%
Warruwi Airport	29.9	+1.2	32.9	19th	23.2	+2.0	21.7	1st	3.2	1.8	v high	178%
Roper-Mcarthur (district 14DE)
Borroloola Airport	32.8	+2.6	34.2	25th	15.5	+3.6	11.0	21st	0	0.5	lowest	0%
Bulman	32.5	+1.7	34.1	25th	17.2	+3.4	11.5	21st	1.0	1.3	high	77%
Centre Island	28.6	+2.3	30.5	18th	21.4	+2.8	19.4	21st	1.2	1.8	average	67%
Daly Waters Airstrip	32.8	+3.8	34.7	4th	11.9	-0.1	6.4	21st	0	1.8	lowest	0%
McArthur River Mine Airport	33.0	+2.9	35.1	25th	15.9	+3.7	10.6	21st	0	2.2	lowest	0%
Ngukurr Airport	33.0		35.2	13th	17.2		10.8	21st	0
Victoria (district 14F)
Lajamanu Airport	29.8	+2.9	32.8	30th	11.7	+2.5	5.7	21st	24.6	4.4	v high	559%
Victoria River Downs	32.5	+3.2	35.3	6th	13.6	+2.7	7.1	22nd	0	2.8	lowest	0%
Wave Hill	31.1	+2.7	33.5	6th	14.3	+3.5	8.5	21st	6.0	5.3	high	113%
Barkly (district 15A)
Brunette Downs	30.0	+3.3	33.5	6th	13.1	+2.5	7.0	20th	0	4.3	lowest	0%
Elliott	30.5	+2.2	34.3	6th	13.8	+2.5	6.7	21st	0	3.0	lowest	0%
Tennant Creek Airport	26.9	+2.3	32.2	5th	14.4	+2.1	8.5	21st	25.6	5.4	v high	474%
Alice Springs (district 15B)
Alice Springs Airport	23.9	+4.2	29.2	29th	4.7	+0.7	-2.6	1st	0.8	15.1	average	5%
Arltunga	23.8	+4.1	28.3	30th	3.9	+0.5	-2.9	20th	5.2	10.2	average	51%
Curtin Springs	23.6	+3.4	30.0	29th	3.7	-0.1	-3.2	7th	2.0	12.6	average	16%
Jervois	24.4	+2.5	31.2	30th	7.5	+2.2	1.4	1st	53.6	14.1	v high	380%
Kulgera	23.5	+4.5	30.0	29th	3.3	-1.6	-0.5	31st	13.5	12.1	high	112%
Rabbit Flat	29.3	+3.2	33.7	30th	8.7	+1.9	4.1	24th	0	5.2	lowest	0%
Territory Grape Farm	25.1	+2.5	30.4	30th	6.4	+1.2	1.3	1st	21.2	5.4	v high	393%
Walungurru Airport	26.2	+2.8	30.5	29th	10.9	+0.5	6.2	7th	0	13.7	v low	0%
Yulara Airport	23.4	+3.0	30.4	29th	4.2	-0.3	-3.5	7th	10.6	18.2	average	58%

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

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Notes

The Monthly climate summary, generally published on the first working day of each month, 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 1 pm on Tuesday 1 August 2017. 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

Enquiries

helpdesk.climate@bom.gov.au

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