Monday, 1 April 2019 - Monthly Climate Summary for Northern Territory - Product code IDCKGC12R0

Northern Territory in March 2019: Hottest March on record

March 2019 was the hottest March since temperature records began for the Northern Territory in 1910. Nearly every site in the Territory recorded above average daytime and overnight temperatures, with the southern NT especially warm. Rainfall was well below average apart from areas in the east, due to tropical cyclone Trevor.

Highest maximum and mean temperature ever recorded for NT

• Daytime temperatures were above average throughout, with only a small region in central parts not experiencing above average overnight temperatures: a significant proportion of the southwestern NT had record high temperatures
• Averaged Territory-wide, the mean maximum temperature was 3.40 °C above the long-term average, beating the previous high set in 1986. Many sites had their highest March temperature or highest March mean daily maximum temperature on record
• Rabbit Flat reached at least 39 °C every day for 115 consecutive days from 1 December 2018 to 25 March 2019, exceeding the previous longest run of such days at an Australia site of 106 days at Marble Bar in 1921-1922
• Several other NT sites had a record number of consecutive and total days above 40 °C during March, including Tennant Creek (5 consecutive, 9 total), Lajamanu (13 and 23) and Walungurru (14 and 21). Victoria River Downs had 11 days in March above 40 °C, the most in its 54 year record
• Curtin Springs, east of Yulara, recorded 45.0 °C on the 11th, a new record high March temperature for the NT
• The mean minimum temperature across the NT was 1.97 °C above average, the 2nd-highest on record, slightly behind the record in 2016 (2.02 °C above average)
• The NT-wide mean temperature (maximum and minimum combined) was 2.69 °C above average, nearly half a degree above the previous record set in 1992
• Several sites had their warmest March night (highest daily minimum temperature), their highest March mean daily minimum temperature on record or their highest March mean daily minimum temperature for at least 20 years
• Many sites also had either their highest March mean temperature on record or highest March mean temperature for at least 20 years

Very dry month, partially saved by TC Trevor

• The Northern Territory's Top End and western half had generally below to very much below average rainfall for March
• Areas along the southern Gulf of Carpenataria coast and eastern half of the Territory, where TC Trevor passed, had average to above average rainfall. As a result, a couple of sites had their highest March daily rainfall on record or highest total March rainfall for at least 30 years
• For the Territory as a whole, rainfall was only 41% of average: some sites had either their lowest total March rainfall on record or lowest total March rainfall for at least 25 years
• The low rainfall and lack of widespread monsoonal conditions across the NT contributed to the very high temperatures experienced during the month

Darwin Airport

• Total rainfall for Darwin Airport was 171.4 mm, which is 54% of the long-term average of 314.7 mm
• The mean daily maximum temperature for Darwin Airport was 33.4 °C, which is 1.5 °C above the long-term average of 31.9 °C. The warmest day was 35.2 °C on the 9th, and the coolest day was on the 22nd when the temperature reached 29.4 °C
• The mean daily minimum temperature for Darwin Airport was 25.3 °C, which is 0.7 °C above the long-term average of 24.6 °C. The coldest morning was 21.7 °C on the 9th, and the warmest morning was on the 21st when the minimum temperature was 28.9 °C

Alice Springs Airport

• Total rainfall for Alice Springs Airport was 1.6 mm, which is 5% of the long-term average of 30.5 mm
• The mean daily maximum temperature for Alice Springs Airport was 36.2 °C, which is 3.4 °C above the long-term average of 33.8 °C. The warmest day was 42.7 °C on the 11th, a March record, and the coolest day was on the 31st when the temperature reached 25.9 °C
• The mean daily minimum temperature for Alice Springs Airport was 19.3 °C, which is 1.8 °C above the long-term average of 17.5 °C. The coldest morning was 8.1 °C on the 31st, and the warmest morning was on the 24th when the minimum temperature was 27.6 °C

Severe weather across the NT

• Tropical cyclone Trevor reached category 4 intensity prior to making landfall on the southern Gulf of Carpentaria coast, east of Borroloola, on 23 March. A maximum wind gust of 139 km/h was recorded at Centre Island, while nearly 250 mm fell at Merlin Mine, near McArthur River Mine, during the event
• A severe wind gust of 91 km/h was recorded at Maningrida as Gulf-line thunderstorms moved over the region on the 8th
• A thunderstorm squall line generated a 94 km/h gust at Darwin Airport on the 9th

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

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Extremes in March 2019
Hottest day	45.0 °C at Curtin Springs on the 11th
Warmest days on average	40.9 °C at Rabbit Flat
Coolest days on average	31.5 °C at McCluer Island
Coldest day	23.4 °C at Jervois on the 25th
Coldest night	8.1 °C at Alice Springs Airport on the 31st
Coolest nights on average	19.3 °C at Alice Springs Airport
Warmest nights on average	27.4 °C at Walungurru Airport
Warmest night	32.6 °C at Walungurru Airport on the 14th
Warmest on average overall	33.8 °C at Walungurru Airport
Coolest on average overall	27.8 °C at Alice Springs Airport
Wettest overall	437.6 mm at Dum In Mirrie Airstrip
Wettest day	172.0 mm at Marqua on the 25th
Strongest wind gust	139 km/h at Centre Island on the 23rd

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 March daily rainfall
	New record (mm)		Old record		Years of record
Kurundi	108.6	on the 25th	105.0	on the 8th in 2011	64
Jervois	90.2	on the 26th	80.6	on the 1st in 2010	54

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Highest March total rainfall for at least 20 years
	Observed (mm)	Most recent higher		Average for March
Jervois	176.0	188.3	in 1983	35.6

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Record lowest March total rainfall
	New record (mm)	Old record		Years of record	Average for March
Wagait Beach	93.0	98.8	in 1992	29	327.1

Lowest March total rainfall for at least 20 years
	Observed (mm)	Most recent lower		Average for March
Elizabeth Valley	145.8	104.4	in 1992*	293.2

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

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Record highest March temperature
	New record (°C)		Old record		Years of record	Average for March
Alice Springs Airport	42.7	on the 11th	42.5	on the 19th in 2015	78	32.8
Curtin Springs	45.0	on the 11th	43.4	on the 19th in 2015	55	33.9
Victoria River Downs	43.2	on the 21st	42.2	on the 3rd in 1988	54	35.2
Jervois	44.4	on the 12th	44.0	on the 19th in 2015	51	34.7
Tennant Creek Airport	42.5	on the 12th	42.0	on the 2nd in 2016	50	34.5
Yuendumu	42.6	on the 12th	41.7	on the 18th in 2015	50	33.5
Tindal RAAF	39.2	on the 14th	38.9	on the 10th in 2005	32	34.3
Yulara Airport	44.8	on the 11th	42.9	on the 6th in 1999	32	34.5
Douglas River Research Farm	38.9	on the 9th	38.6	on the 14th in 2015	28	34.0
Lajamanu Airport	43.5	on the 12th	42.9	on the 2nd in 2016	27	35.1
Channel Point	35.0	on the 31st	= 35.0	on the 17th in 2014	25	32.0
Watarrka	44.0	on the 11th	42.6	on the 20th in 2015	25	34.8
Rabbit Flat	43.8	on the 12th	43.6	on the 2nd in 2016	23	36.5
Territory Grape Farm	43.5	on the 12th	42.1	on the 18th in 2015	23	34.6

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Record highest March mean daily maximum temperature
	New record (°C)	Old record		Years of record	Average for March
Curtin Springs	37.8	37.5	in 2017	54	33.9
Daly Waters Airstrip	38.5	= 38.5	in 1958	49	34.7
Douglas River Research Farm	35.7	= 35.7	in 2015	27	34.0
Lajamanu Airport	40.8	38.7	in 2016	26	35.1
Rabbit Flat	40.9	39.4	in 1998	22	36.5
Territory Grape Farm	37.5	= 37.5	in 2013	22	34.6
Delamere Weapons Range	37.8	36.6	in 2002	20	34.5
Dum In Mirrie Airstrip	33.2	= 33.2	in 2016	20	31.9

Highest March mean daily maximum temperature for at least 20 years
	Observed (°C)	Most recent higher		Average for March
Yulara Airport	38.1	38.4	in 1986*	34.5
Wave Hill	39.7	39.8	in 1990	35.5
Elliott	39.4	39.8	in 1990*	35.7

* 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 March daily minimum temperature
	New record (°C)		Old record		Years of record	Average for March
Curtin Springs	28.2	on the 12th	= 28.2	on the 3rd in 2016	55	18.6
Yuendumu	28.2	on the 12th	28.0	on the 4th in 2005	50	19.9
Lajamanu Airport	29.3	on the 11th	28.1	on the 4th in 2016	27	22.2
Channel Point	29.5	on the 22nd	29.4	on the 12th in 2005	25	24.7
Point Fawcett	29.5	on the 22nd	29.3	on the 29th in 2010	22	25.0

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Record lowest March temperature
	New record (°C)		Old record		Years of record	Average for March
McCluer Island	21.9	on the 7th	22.0	on the 23rd in 2003	21	26.1

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Record highest March mean daily minimum temperature
	New record (°C)	Old record		Years of record	Average for March
Wave Hill	25.2	24.9	in 1992	45	22.3
Elliott	24.5	= 24.5	in 2016	38	22.4

Highest March mean daily minimum temperature for at least 20 years
	Observed (°C)	Most recent higher		Average for March
Tennant Creek Airport	25.3	25.7	in 1990	23.3

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Record highest March mean temperature
	New record (°C)	Old record		Years of record	Average for March
Curtin Springs	29.3	= 29.3	in 1999	54	26.3
Wave Hill	32.4	32.3	in 1992	45	28.9
Lajamanu Airport	32.5	31.7	in 2016	26	28.7
Rabbit Flat	32.0	= 32.0	in 1998	22	29.1
Delamere Weapons Range	31.1	30.4	in 2016	20	28.9

Highest March mean temperature for at least 20 years
	Observed (°C)	Most recent higher		Average for March
Daly Waters Airstrip	30.9	=30.9	in 1959*	28.6
Yulara Airport	29.7	29.8	in 1986*	26.9
Elliott	31.9	32.1	in 1990*	29.1
Tennant Creek Airport	31.3	31.5	in 1992	28.9

* 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 March 2019
	Maximum temperatures (°C)				Minimum temperatures (°C)				Rainfall (millimetres)
	Mean for March 2019	Diff from average	Highest for March 2019		Mean for March 2019	Diff from average	Lowest for March 2019		Total for March 2019	Average for March	Rank of March 2019	Fraction of March average
Darwin-Daly (district 14GA)
Batchelor Airport	34.4	+1.3	36.5	8th	23.7	+0.2	20.4	2nd	173.6	235.8	average	74%
Black Point	32.1	+0.6	33.2	21st	26.4	+0.8	23.6	7th	174.2	242.4	average	72%
Central Arnhem Plateau	33.7	+1.5	35.8	14th	23.2	+0.2	20.8	22nd	68.0	216.7	average	31%
Channel Point	33.2	+1.2	35.0	31st	25.8	+1.1	23.0	15th	135.6	337.2	low	40%
Charles Point	32.4		33.6	13th	25.8		22.0	2nd	324.8
Croker Island Airport	32.0		33.8	21st	25.9		22.4	23rd	228.0
Darwin Airport	33.4	+1.5	35.2	9th	25.3	+0.7	21.7	9th	171.4	314.7	low	54%
Delamere Weapons Range	37.8	+3.3	40.1	14th	24.4	+1.1	20.3	10th	39.4	147.0	low	27%
Douglas River Research Farm	35.7	+1.7	38.9	9th	23.2	0.0	20.1	31st	168.0	224.7	average	75%
Dum In Mirrie Airstrip	33.2	+1.3	34.6	3rd	25.9	+0.6	20.8	10th	437.6	308.4	high	142%
Jabiru Airport	35.2	+1.5	37.0	27th	25.1	+0.7	22.1	22nd	189.2	310.2	low	61%
McCluer Island	31.5	+0.4	33.4	21st	26.9	+0.8	21.9	7th	111.0	213.3	average	52%
Middle Point	34.9	+1.2	37.0	8th	23.7	-0.3	21.9	9th	152.8	243.6	low	63%
Mount Bundey North (Defence)	35.2		37.4	9th	24.2		22.6	22nd	74.2
Mount Bundey South (Defence)	35.6		37.4	9th	24.0		22.0	22nd	146.0
Murganella Airstrip	33.3		34.9	29th	24.0		22.2	7th	242.0
Noonamah Airstrip	35.0		37.2	8th	24.5		22.3	10th	80.6
Oenpelli Airport	34.4		35.8	18th	25.0		22.5	22nd	151.8
Pirlangimpi Airport	32.6	+0.5	34.9	9th	24.8	+0.7	22.5	23rd	363.8	355.9	average	102%
Point Fawcett	32.8	+1.0	34.1	6th	25.5	+0.5	22.2	9th	182.0	242.2	average	75%
Point Stuart	33.5		36.2	21st	24.7		22.5	24th	156.0	223.9	average	70%
Port Keats Airport	34.0	+0.5	36.4	9th	24.8	+0.6	21.2	10th	232.8	207.9	average	112%
Tindal RAAF	36.5	+2.2	39.2	14th	23.5	+0.4	20.1	30th	148.0	161.9	average	91%
Arnhem (district 14BC)
Cape Wessel	32.7		34.7	18th	26.0		22.4	22nd	161.6	215.8	average	75%
Gove Airport	32.2	+0.9	35.8	21st	24.8	+0.8	23.1	23rd	262.4	278.4	average	94%
Groote Eylandt Airport	32.7	+0.1	34.3	20th	24.3	+0.4	21.3	30th	336.8	296.9	average	113%
Maningrida Airport	33.0	+0.9	36.5	21st	24.6	+0.1	18.9	9th	303.2	306.6	average	99%
Milingimbi Airport	33.9	+1.5	37.2	21st	25.7	+0.8	22.9	22nd	116.4	266.2	low	44%
Ngayawili	32.3	+0.7	33.9	19th	24.8	-0.2	22.3	22nd	236.4	267.5	average	88%
Warruwi Airport	32.7	+1.2	35.0	21st	26.1	+0.9	22.1	7th	133.2	235.2	low	57%
Roper-Mcarthur (district 14DE)
Borroloola Airport	36.9	+2.9	41.3	7th	23.7	+0.3	21.9	19th	164.4	157.8	average	104%
Bulman	36.6	+2.1	39.2	20th	23.7	+0.4	22.0	9th	60.8	231.1	v low	26%
Centre Island	33.7	+0.7	36.1	7th	26.8	+0.4	23.4	24th	200.8	251.1	average	80%
Daly Waters Airstrip	38.5	+3.8	41.0	20th	23.4	+0.9	17.3	30th	27.0	110.4	low	24%
McArthur River Mine Airport	37.6	+2.5	42.1	20th	24.8	+1.3	22.4	29th	201.6	146.0	high	138%
Ngukurr Airport	38.0		41.0	21st	25.2		21.5	30th	8.8
Victoria (district 14F)
Bradshaw	38.5	+2.7	41.5	9th	25.5	+1.2	22.5	24th	133.0	122.4	average	109%
Bradshaw - Angallari Valley (Defence)	38.7		41.8	21st	25.0		20.3	29th	38.6
Lajamanu Airport	40.8	+5.7	43.5	12th	24.2	+2.0	18.1	29th	5.2	78.8	low	7%
Wave Hill	39.7	+4.2	42.5	21st	25.2	+2.9	19.6	29th	29.5	117.5	low	25%
Barkly (district 15A)
Elliott	39.4	+3.7	42.2	21st	24.5	+2.1	21.0	29th	9.8	81.0	low	12%
Tennant Creek Airport	37.4	+2.9	42.5	12th	25.3	+2.0	18.3	31st	16.8	52.9	average	32%
Alice Springs (district 15B)
Alice Springs Airport	36.2	+3.4	42.7	11th	19.3	+1.8	8.1	31st	1.6	30.5	average	5%
Curtin Springs	37.8	+3.9	45.0	11th	20.8	+2.2	11.3	31st	0	27.5	lowest	0%
Jervois	36.5	+1.8	44.4	12th	21.4	+1.9	13.5	31st	176.0	35.6	v high	494%
Rabbit Flat	40.9	+4.4	43.8	12th	23.1	+1.3	14.3	29th	5.0	64.0	low	8%
Territory Grape Farm	37.5	+2.9	43.5	12th	21.0	+1.4	10.1	31st	1.0	20.7	low	5%
Walungurru Airport	40.3	+3.7	43.9	11th	27.4	+3.1	18.3	31st	0	41.8	v low	0%
Yulara Airport	38.1	+3.6	44.8	11th	21.3	+2.0	11.7	31st	0	31.5	lowest	0%

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

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