Wednesday, 1 November 2017 - Monthly Climate Summary for Northern Territory - Product code IDCKGC12R0

Northern Territory in October 2017: Very warm days and nights across the Top End

Both daytime and overnight temperatures were well above average across the Top End, and record warm in some places. Rainfall was above average in parts of the northwestern Top End, areas of the southwest, and pockets of the east.

Warm days and nights

• Both daytime and overnight temperatures were well above average across the Top End for October
• Some locations, including Gove and Daly Waters, reported their highest October mean daily maximum temperature on record
• Very hot days at the end of the month; Lajamanu Airport reached 43.0 °C on the 29th
• Southern parts of the Northern Territory had several cold nights at the start of October, with minimum temperatures more than eight degrees cooler than average around Alice Springs on the 2nd
• Later in the month, minimum temperatures in the south stayed up to ten degrees warmer than average on the 25th
• Overnight temperatures were record warm at Jabiru and Batchelor, both sites had mean minimum temperatures of more than 24.0 °C
• A few sites had their warmest October night (highest daily minimum temperature) on record during the month, with Bradshaw and Delamere recording their warmest night on record for any month
  

Darwin Airport

• Total rainfall for Darwin Airport was 104.8 mm, which is 149% of the long-term average of 70.3 mm
• The mean daily maximum temperature for Darwin Airport was 33.9 °C, which is 0.6 °C above the long-term average of 33.3 °C. The warmest day was 35.8 °C on the 20th, and the coolest day was on the 22nd when the temperature reached 31.7 °C
• The mean daily minimum temperature for Darwin Airport was 25.4 °C, which is 0.5 °C above the long-term average of 24.9 °C. The coldest morning was 22.2 °C on the 30th, and the warmest morning was on the 17th when the minimum temperature was 28.6 °C

Alice Springs Airport

• Total rainfall reported from Alice Springs Airport was 19.0 mm (although 3 mm to 4 mm was missing on the 7th), close to the long-term average of 20.3 mm
• The mean daily maximum temperature for Alice Springs Airport was 32.8 °C, which is 1.7 °C above the long-term average of 31.1 °C. The warmest day was 39.9 °C on the 25th, and the coolest day was on the 1st when the temperature reached 21.7 °C
• The mean daily minimum temperature for Alice Springs Airport was 15.1 °C, which is 0.4 °C above the long-term average of 14.7 °C. The coldest morning was 5.9 °C on the 2nd, and the warmest morning was on the 25th when the minimum temperature was 21.9 °C

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 October 2017
Hottest day	43.0 °C at Lajamanu Airport on the 29th
Warmest days on average	40.1 °C at Bradshaw and at Daly Waters Airstrip
Coolest days on average	31.0 °C at McCluer Island
Coldest day	21.3 °C at Yulara Airport on the 6th
Coldest night	5.9 °C at Alice Springs Airport on the 2nd
Coolest nights on average	15.1 °C at Alice Springs Airport
Warmest nights on average	26.7 °C at McCluer Island
Warmest night	30.2 °C at Bradshaw on the 22nd
Warmest on average overall	33.2 °C at Bradshaw
Coolest on average overall	23.5 °C at Arltunga
Wettest overall	211.8 mm at Pirlangimpi Airport
Wettest day	70.8 mm at McMinns Lagoon on the 18th
Strongest wind gust	98 km/h at Centre Island on the 16th

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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Highest October total rainfall for at least 20 years
	Observed (mm)	Most recent higher		Average for October
Pirlangimpi Airport	211.8	228.2	in 1970*	83.7

* 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 October mean daily maximum temperature
	New record (°C)	Old record		Years of record	Average for October
Daly Waters Airstrip	40.1	40.0	in 2002	47	37.4
Gove Airport	33.5	33.1	in 2011	37	31.8
Lajamanu Airport	39.5	39.3	in 2014	24	37.4




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Record highest October daily minimum temperature
	New record (°C)		Old record		Years of record	Average for October
Channel Point	28.5	on the 29th	28.1	on the 14th in 2000	23	24.0
Delamere Weapons Range	29.4	on the 13th	28.6	on the 10th in 2013	21	23.8
Bradshaw	30.2	on the 22nd	29.5	on the 4th in 2009	20	24.9
Point Fawcett	28.9	on the 17th	28.6	on the 26th in 2005	20	23.5




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Record highest October mean daily minimum temperature
	New record (°C)	Old record		Years of record	Average for October
Jabiru Airport	25.0	= 25.0	in 1998	39	23.9
Batchelor Airport	24.3	23.9	in 2001	20	23.0




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Record highest October mean temperature
	New record (°C)	Old record		Years of record	Average for October
Douglas River Research Farm	31.4	31.3	in 2008	27	30.0
Delamere Weapons Range	32.0	31.9	in 2013	20	30.6




Highest October mean temperature for at least 20 years
	Observed (°C)	Most recent higher		Average for October
Tindal RAAF	32.4	32.7	in 1988*	30.8

* 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

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Summary statistics for October 2017
	Maximum temperatures (°C)				Minimum temperatures (°C)				Rainfall (millimetres)
	Mean for October 2017	Diff from average	Highest for October 2017		Mean for October 2017	Diff from average	Lowest for October 2017		Total for October 2017	Average for October	Rank of October 2017	Fraction of October average
Darwin-Daly (district 14GA)
Batchelor Airport	36.6	-0.2	38.5	12th	24.3	+1.3	22.3	17th	160.4	66.7	v high	240%
Bradshaw	40.1	+1.2	42.2	16th	26.2	+1.3	21.2	23rd	21.4	21.9	average	98%
Central Arnhem Plateau	36.5	+1.0	38.1	25th	23.7	+1.8	20.4	30th	30.0	27.6	high	109%
Charles Point	32.8		33.8	17th	26.5		22.2	19th	54.0
Croker Island Airport	34.1		35.6	20th	25.4		23.6	1st	34.8
Darwin Airport	33.9	+0.6	35.8	20th	25.4	+0.5	22.2	30th	104.8	70.7	high	148%
Delamere Weapons Range	39.1	+1.7	41.5	28th	24.8	+1.0	18.3	23rd	3.8	28.5	low	13%
Douglas River Research Farm	38.9	+1.2	40.8	17th	23.8	+1.5	20.9	23rd	19.8	36.0	average	55%
Dum In Mirrie Airstrip	32.8	0.0	34.5	8th	26.1	+0.7	22.6	26th	N/A	60.7	N/A	N/A
Jabiru Airport	38.0	+0.4	40.0	14th	25.0	+1.1	22.2	17th	129.4	40.5	v high	320%
Kangaroo Flats (Defence)	36.4		38.4	8th	24.6		23.0	3rd	143.8
Katherine Country Club	39.4		41.4	28th	25.5		22.4	23rd	12.0
McCluer Island	31.0	+0.5	32.9	16th	26.7	+0.5	23.2	17th	27.2	8.1	v high	336%
Middle Point	37.3	-0.1	40.1	14th	23.8	+1.8	22.2	11th	89.8	46.4	high	194%
Mount Bundey North (Defence)	37.8		39.4	13th	25.5		22.5	16th	71.6
Mount Bundey South (Defence)	38.4		40.3	12th	25.4		23.1	16th	87.4
Murganella Airstrip	35.4		37.6	15th	23.4		20.6	1st	17.4
Noonamah Airstrip	36.1		38.1	12th	24.7		23.2	3rd	81.4
Oenpelli Airport	38.2		40.6	14th	24.0		21.3	17th	11.0
Pirlangimpi Airport	34.4	+0.8	36.2	8th	24.2	+1.2	21.8	19th	211.8	83.7	v high	253%
Point Fawcett	33.8	+0.8	35.3	10th	24.8	+1.3	22.2	10th	98.4	67.8	high	145%
Point Stuart	35.1		37.3	17th	25.2		22.9	18th	79.8	57.0	average	140%
Port Keats Airport	35.0	+0.6	37.9	23rd	25.5	+1.6	22.8	21st	54.8	42.0	average	130%
Tindal RAAF	39.1	+1.5	40.8	28th	25.7	+1.8	22.0	23rd	27.8	32.6	average	85%
Arnhem (district 14BC)
Cape Wessel	34.4		35.7	23rd	25.8		24.1	29th	12.4	12.2	high	102%
Gove Airport	33.5	+1.7	35.6	24th	23.0	+1.5	19.0	24th	7.8	10.5	high	74%
Groote Eylandt Airport	34.3	+0.2	36.1	29th	22.0	+1.1	16.1	24th	13.8	26.5	average	52%
Maningrida Airport	33.9	+0.8	35.9	24th	24.1	+1.2	22.1	9th	19.8	12.9	high	153%
Milingimbi Airport	34.2	+1.3	38.1	24th	24.6	+1.0	20.6	24th	1.2	8.4	average	14%
Ngayawili	33.5	+0.8	36.3	24th	23.4	+0.9	19.7	24th	6.8	10.3	average	66%
Warruwi Airport	33.3	+0.8	35.0	16th	26.0	+0.6	22.0	18th	58.2	12.5	v high	466%
Roper-Mcarthur (district 14DE)
Borroloola Airport	38.3	+1.7	42.0	15th	22.6	+1.3	17.2	24th	0	13.6	lowest	0%
Bulman	39.1	+0.8	41.0	28th	23.3	+1.7	19.3	25th	0.6	18.3	average	3%
Centre Island	34.3	+1.3	36.6	28th	26.1	+1.2	24.6	24th	3.0	8.1	average	37%
Daly Waters Airstrip	40.1	+2.7	42.4	30th	21.3	+0.3	11.3	23rd	0.6	21.3	low	3%
McArthur River Mine Airport	39.2	+1.4	41.5	15th	23.2	+2.1	16.9	24th	0	19.8	lowest	0%
Ngukurr Airport	40.0		42.4	16th	24.0		17.5	24th	0.6
Victoria (district 14F)
Lajamanu Airport	39.5	+2.1	43.0	29th	22.0	+1.6	14.7	24th	6.8	19.1	average	36%
Victoria River Downs	39.6	+1.7	41.6	29th	23.2	+0.9	13.5	23rd	16.4	19.2	average	85%
Wave Hill	38.6	+1.0	41.5	25th	23.4	+1.8	14.6	23rd	8.7	26.9	average	32%
Barkly (district 15A)
Elliott	38.6	+0.7	41.5	28th	22.7	+1.9	15.6	24th	1.0	21.2	low	5%
Tennant Creek Airport	36.3	+1.5	40.6	26th	23.0	+1.3	16.8	1st	5.8	19.2	average	30%
Alice Springs (district 15B)
Alice Springs Airport	32.6	+1.5	39.9	25th	15.1	+0.4	5.9	2nd	19.0	20.2	average	94%
Arltunga	31.8	+0.6	39.6	25th	15.2	+1.1	7.9	3rd	23.6	21.3	average	111%
Curtin Springs	32.1	+0.3	39.5	26th	15.4	+1.1	9.1	2nd	38.0	18.2	high	209%
Jervois	34.3	+1.0	42.4	27th	16.9	+1.3	9.4	2nd	13.4	14.4	average	93%
Rabbit Flat	37.6	+0.4	42.9	26th	20.1	+1.9	12.4	23rd	23.8	19.9	average	120%
Territory Grape Farm	33.9	+0.6	40.0	25th	16.0	+0.5	9.2	2nd	25.8	14.7	high	176%
Walungurru Airport	36.2	+0.2	41.2	26th	21.5	+0.6	16.0	1st	34.8	16.5	high	211%
Yulara Airport	32.2	-0.1	38.9	27th	16.2	+1.3	10.2	2nd	51.4	21.1	high	244%

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 10 am on Wednesday 1 November 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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