Tuesday, 1 October 2019 - Monthly Climate Summary for Northern Territory - Product code IDCKGC12R0

Northern Territory in September 2019: Warm days, cool nights. Welcome rainfall in the south.

Daytime temperatures were generally average to above average, while nights were average to below average across the Northern Territory in September. Significant rainfall was confined to the southern half of the NT with many locations recording their highest monthly total since May 2019.

Warmer than normal days with slightly cooler than usual nighttime temperatures

• Apart from the far northwest and northeast coasts, maximum temperatures were mostly above average. Territory-wide, the mean daily maximum temperature for September was 1.17 °C above the long-term average
• Some sites had either their lowest September mean daily maximum temperature on record or lowest for at least 25 years. Some sites had their coldest September day (lowest maximum temperature) on record
• Minimum temperatures were below average throughout the NT, apart from the far southwest and a few regions near the base of the Top End. Overall, the mean daily minimum for the month was 0.16 °C below the long-term average
• Several sites across the NT had either their lowest September mean daily minimum temperature on record or lowest for at least 40 years. Some sites had their lowest September temperature on record
• Some sites had either their lowest September mean temperature on record or lowest for at least 25 years. Territory-wide, the mean (maximum and minimum combined) temperature was 0.51 °C above the long-term average
• Territory-wide, the year-to-date mean maximum temperature is currently the second-highest on record, 1.69 °C above the long-term average. The year-to-date mean minimum temperature is 0.94 °C above average and the mean temperature is tracking at 1.32 °C above average (5th-highest on record)

Rainfall in southern NT

• The first significant rainfall since May fell over much of the southern half of the Northern Territory late in September. Between Rabbit Flat in the north and Curtin Springs in the south, widespread rainfall of between 5 and 20 mm was recorded, extending from the western border to about Jervois. The peak fall during this rainfall event, the result of a mid-level trough, was 32.0 mm at Vaughan Springs
• Apart form the far western border region, there was virtually no rainfall in the northern half of the NT. Overall, rainfall across the Territory in September was 33% below the long-term average
• For the year to date, rainfall across the Northern Territory is 44% below the long-term average; the lowest since 1970 and the seventh-lowest on record

Darwin Airport

• Total rainfall for Darwin Airport was 0 mm, compared to the long-term average of 15.8 mm
• Zero September rainfall at Darwin is observed about 1 in every 5 years, on average. Prior to this year, it last occurred in 2017 and has now been observed 4 times since 2000
• The mean daily maximum temperature for Darwin Airport was 32.7 °C, which is 0.1 °C above the long-term average of 32.6 °C. The warmest day was 36.3 °C on the 9th, and the coolest day was on the 5th when the temperature reached 30.2 °C
• The mean daily minimum temperature for Darwin Airport was 21.2 °C, which is 1.8 °C below the long-term average of 23.0 °C and lowest since 2014. The coldest morning was 18.0 °C on the 1st, and the warmest morning was on the 25th when the minimum temperature was 24.8 °C
• Darwin Airport had 8 nights in September when the temperature fell below 20 °C; since 1941, this is the equal second-highest number of such cool nights for September, just behind the record of 9 from 2014. The average for September is 1.5 nights

Alice Springs Airport

• Total rainfall for Alice Springs Airport was 16.4 mm, which is 189% of the long-term average of 8.7 mm. This was the first rainfall recorded at Alice Springs Airport since 17 June 2019
• The mean daily maximum temperature for Alice Springs Airport was 28.5 °C, which is 1.2 °C above the long-term average of 27.3 °C. The warmest day was 35.4 °C on the 30th, and the coolest day was on the 24th when the temperature reached 13.6 °C
• The mean daily minimum temperature for Alice Springs Airport was 9.8 °C, which is 0.5 °C below the long-term average of 10.3 °C. The coldest morning was 2.3 °C on the 11th, and the warmest morning was on the 20th when the minimum temperature was 22.0 °C

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 lower value has gone unreported

* 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

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top