Monday, 2 March 2020 - Monthly Climate Summary for Northern Territory - Product code IDCKGC12R0

Northern Territory in February 2020: Warm days and nights, average rainfall

Daytime and overnight temperatures were warmer than the long-term average across much of the Northern Territory in February. Rainfall was generally near average, although totals were below average across parts of the Top End and the far southwest, and above average near the base of the Top End

Very warm nights, warm days

• Territory-wide, the mean minimum temperature across the NT was 1.64 °C above the long-term average: this is the second-highest on record, behind the 1983 record of 1.87 °C above average
• Virtually the entire Northern Territory had an above average mean minimum temperature in February, with the northern half having temperatures in the highest 10% of all records. Many sites (including Darwin Airport) had either their warmest February night (highest daily minimum temperature) and/or their highest February mean daily minimum temperature on record
• The mean maximum temperature across the Territory was 1.74 °C above the long-term average. Parts of the far north and the southwest had the highest temperature anomalies. Several sites had either their highest February temperature, highest February mean daily maximum temperature on record or their highest February mean daily minimum temperature for at least 20 years
• The mean temperature averaged across the NT was 1.69 °C above the long-term average and the sixth-highest on record. Some sites had their highest February mean temperature on record
• For the wet season-to-date (1 October–29 February), the mean maximum temperature for the Northern Territory was 2.27 °C above the long-term average and second-highest on record (2.55 °C in 2019). The mean minimum for the same period was 1.47 °C above the long-term average, while the mean temperature was 1.87 °C above the long-term average; these measures were also the second-highest on record for the 5-month period (1.99 °C in 2019 for February mean minimum and 2.27 °C in 2019 for mean temperature)

Variable, but below average rainfall overall

• Across the Top End of the NT, rainfall was mostly close to the monthly average during February; Territory-wide, rainfall was 33% below the long-term average
• Well above average rain was observed just south of the Top End, including across the Carpenatria District, as well as the northern Barkly and Gregory districts, due to the passage of TC Esther which crossed the southern coast of the Gulf of Carpentaria late in the month
• Arltunga, in the southern NT, along with several other sites in the northen NT, had their highest February daily rainfall on record
• For the wet season-to-date (1 October–29 February), rainfall for the Northern Territory was 36% below the long-term average: the ninth-lowest on record and lowest since 1983 for the 5-month period

Darwin Airport

• Total rainfall for Darwin Airport was 215.4 mm, which is 58% of the long-term average of 370.0 mm
• The mean daily maximum temperature for Darwin Airport was 33.4 °C, which is 1.9 °C above the long-term average of 31.5 °C, the second-highest on record (0.1 °C lower than 2016 record). The warmest day was 34.8 °C on the 13th, and the coolest day was on the 11th when the temperature reached 30.6 °C
• The mean daily minimum temperature for Darwin Airport was 26.8 °C, which is 2.1 °C above the long-term average of 24.7 °C, exceeding the previous record set in 2019 by 0.8 °C. The coldest morning was 21.9 °C on the 20th, and the warmest morning was on the 26th when the minimum temperature was 29.7 °C (highest February daily minimum temperature on record)
• Darwin Airport's mean temperature was 30.1 °C, exceeding the previous record set in February 2019
• For the wet season to date (1 October–29 February), Darwin Airport had total rainfall of 783.8 mm (62% of the long-term average), its lowest since 1991 (when 659.8 mm was observed). Darwin Airport's mean maximum and mean temperature are both highest on record for the 5-month period (34.1 °C and 29.9 °C, respectively)

Alice Springs Airport

• Total rainfall for Alice Springs Airport was 4.2 mm, which is 10% of the long-term average of 41.2 mm
• The mean daily maximum temperature for Alice Springs Airport was 36.8 °C, which is 1.6 °C above the long-term average of 35.2 °C. The warmest day was 41.5 °C on the 13th, and the coolest day was on the 2nd when the temperature reached 23.0 °C
• The mean daily minimum temperature for Alice Springs Airport was 21.7 °C, which is 1.0 °C above the long-term average of 20.7 °C. The coldest morning was 15.3 °C on the 23rd, and the warmest morning was on the 11th when the minimum temperature was 26.9 °C
• Summer (December–February) summary: rainfall total of 38.4 mm, 32% of long-term average of 120.3 mm. Mean maximum temperature of 38.6 °C, which was 2.9 °C above the long-term average. A temperature of 45.7 °C observed on 25 December was the highest daily temperature recorded at Alice Springs Airport. The mean minimum summer temperature was 22.7 °C, 1.8 °C above average; the lowest summer temperature was 12.5  °C observed on 1 December 2019
• Yulara had its highest recorded temperature for all months during the 2019–2020 summer, with 47.1 °C on 24 December. It also had its highest recorded daily minimum temperature with 32.5 °C on 25 December. Yulara also had its highest summer mean daily minimum temperature on record with 24.2 °C

Severe weather in the NT

• On 1 February, multicell thunderstorms occurred across parts of the southern NT, generating heavy rainfall across the Simpson and Barkly districts. Tennant Creek Airport recorded 71.8 mm in 2 hours which exceeded its 10% Annual Exceedance probability (AEP) (roughly equivalent to a one-in-10-year event). Of note, is that in this 2-hour period, Tennant Creek recorded more rainfall than all of 2019
• Multicell thunderstorms affected the Daly region on 11 February, generating heavy rainfall. At Gourley, southeast of Naiyu, 98.5 mm was recorded in 1 hour, exceeding its 1% AEP (roughly equivalent to a one-in-100-year event)
• A continental squall-line thunderstorm on 16 February generated a severe wind gust of 98 km/h at Tindal RAAF, near Katherine
• A squall-line thunderstorm affected Croker Island, on the far north coast, generating 114.6 mm of rainfall in the 24 hours to 9am on 23 February. An hourly total of 94 mm had an AEP between 1 and 2 % (roughly between a one-in-50 and one-in-100-year event)
• Heavy rainfall associated with thunderstorms occurring in the convective bands circling ex-TC Esther exceeded rainfall thresholds at multiple sites across the southern Arnhem, Carpentaria and Daly districts on 26 February

Tropical cyclone activity

• Tropical cyclone Esther formed in the southern Gulf of Carpentaria during the evening of 23 February, before making landfall near the NT/Queensland border on the 24th as a category 1 system

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

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Extremes in February 2020
Hottest day	44.1 °C at Rabbit Flat on the 15th
Warmest days on average	40.4 °C at Walungurru Airport
Coolest days on average	31.3 °C at McCluer Island
Coldest day	23.0 °C at Alice Springs Airport on the 2nd
Coldest night	12.0 °C at Kulgera on the 2nd
Coolest nights on average	21.7 °C at Alice Springs Airport
Warmest nights on average	28.0 °C at Walungurru Airport
Warmest night	31.6 °C at Centre Island on the 15th
Warmest on average overall	34.2 °C at Walungurru Airport
Coolest on average overall	28.4 °C at Central Arnhem Plateau
Wettest overall	531.5 mm at Labelle Downs
Wettest day	310.0 mm at Buley Rockhole on the 28th
Strongest wind gust	102 km/h at Centre Island on the 25th

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 February daily rainfall
	New record (mm)		Old record		Years of record
Arltunga	162.2	on the 6th	117.1	on the 25th in 1936	73
Kidman Springs	143.0	on the 27th	133.8	on the 13th in 2008	51
Montejinni	137.0	on the 26th	117.0	on the 5th in 1976	47
Bullo River	226.0	on the 28th	174.0	on the 4th in 1969	30
Labelle Downs	228.0	on the 27th	170.0	on the 5th in 2017	30
Batchelor Airport	179.8	on the 27th	165.2	on the 17th in 2011	24
Nitmiluk Rangers	149.0	on the 27th	131.0	on the 14th in 2002	23

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Record highest February temperature
	New record (°C)		Old record		Years of record	Average for February
Tindal RAAF	39.0	on the 15th	= 39.0	on the 22nd in 2016	33	34.0
Groote Eylandt Airport	38.7	on the 15th	38.6	on the 21st in 2019	21	33.1

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Record highest February mean daily maximum temperature
	New record (°C)	Old record		Years of record	Average for February
Point Fawcett	32.9	= 32.9	in 2016	22	31.7
Dum In Mirrie Airstrip	32.8	= 32.8	in 2019	21	31.4

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Record highest February daily minimum temperature
	New record (°C)		Old record		Years of record	Average for February
Darwin Airport	29.7	on the 26th	29.4	on the 19th in 1983	80	24.7
Daly Waters Airstrip	29.4	on the 16th	28.9	on the 22nd in 1962	51	23.4
Centre Island	31.6	on the 15th	30.9	on the 3rd in 2002	46	26.6
Jabiru Airport	27.8	on the 24th	27.5	on the 5th in 1974	45	24.5
Gove Airport	28.7	on the 16th	28.4	on the 4th in 2002	42	24.6
Pirlangimpi Airport	28.9	on the 26th	28.5	on the 6th in 1988	39	24.5
Channel Point	29.5	on the 26th	29.4	on the 22nd in 1996	26	25.1
Batchelor Airport	27.6	on the 26th	26.6	on the 1st in 2007	25	23.8
Point Fawcett	29.8	on the 27th	29.3	on the 20th in 2010	23	25.7
Dum In Mirrie Airstrip	29.7	on the 26th	29.4	on the 17th in 2016	22	25.5
Groote Eylandt Airport	29.9	on the 15th	29.0	on the 14th in 2010	21	25.0
Bradshaw	29.1	on the 25th	28.0	on the 16th in 2016	20	24.8

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Record highest February mean daily minimum temperature
	New record (°C)	Old record		Years of record	Average for February
Darwin Airport	26.8	26.0	in 2019	79	24.7
Daly Waters Airstrip	25.0	= 25.0	in 1952	50	23.4
Gove Airport	26.3	25.8	in 2019	41	24.6
Pirlangimpi Airport	26.2	25.6	in 2016	38	24.5
Douglas River Research Farm	24.7	24.5	in 2010	29	23.7
Territory Grape Farm	23.5	23.4	in 2008	26	21.6
Channel Point	27.0	26.6	in 2010	25	25.1
Batchelor Airport	24.7	24.3	in 2019	24	23.8
Dum In Mirrie Airstrip	27.1	26.9	in 2010	21	25.5

Highest February mean daily minimum temperature for at least 20 years
	Observed (°C)	Most recent higher		Average for February
Tennant Creek Airport	26.8	27.3	in 1986	24.5

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Record highest February mean temperature
	New record (°C)	Old record		Years of record	Average for February
Darwin Airport	30.1	29.6	in 2019	79	28.1
Gove Airport	29.8	= 29.8	in 2016	41	28.1
Channel Point	29.7	29.5	in 2010	25	28.3
Point Fawcett	30.1	29.9	in 2010	22	28.7
Dum In Mirrie Airstrip	30.0	29.7	in 2019	21	28.5

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

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Summary statistics for February 2020
	Maximum temperatures (°C)				Minimum temperatures (°C)				Rainfall (millimetres)
	Mean for February 2020	Diff from average	Highest for February 2020		Mean for February 2020	Diff from average	Lowest for February 2020		Total for February 2020	Average for February	Rank of February 2020	Fraction of February average
Darwin-Daly (district 14GA)
Batchelor Airport	33.8	+1.3	35.9	22nd	24.7	+0.9	21.3	20th	340.8	321.4	average	106%
Black Point	32.0	+0.8	33.1	16th	26.8	+1.1	23.8	22nd	69.2	275.0	v low	25%
Central Arnhem Plateau	32.9	+0.9	37.9	17th	23.9	+0.8	21.4	27th	331.2	240.2	average	138%
Channel Point	32.4	+0.8	33.5	22nd	27.0	+1.9	22.5	11th	139.6	384.5	lowest	36%
Charles Point	32.4		33.3	18th	27.1		22.2	20th	181.0
Croker Island Airport	31.8		33.2	19th	26.7		23.2	23rd	201.0
Darwin Airport	33.4	+1.9	34.8	13th	26.8	+2.1	21.9	20th	215.4	370.0	low	58%
Delamere Weapons Range	35.2	+0.7	39.3	15th	24.9	+1.0	21.8	12th	179.0	211.4	average	85%
Douglas River Research Farm	34.4	+0.9	36.8	22nd	24.7	+1.0	22.0	20th	275.8	283.0	average	97%
Dum In Mirrie Airstrip	32.8	+1.4	34.0	18th	27.1	+1.6	22.6	20th	185.6	393.7	low	47%
Jabiru Airport	34.6	+1.3	37.0	17th	25.3	+0.8	23.3	19th	227.4	353.9	low	64%
Kangaroo Flats (Defence)	34.7		36.6	6th	25.3		21.5	20th	145.6
McCluer Island	31.3	+0.2	33.2	18th	27.1	+0.9	22.9	9th	137.2	233.2	average	59%
Middle Point	34.9	+1.4	38.0	17th	25.0	+1.0	22.5	20th	256.4	288.8	average	89%
Mount Bundey North (Defence)	33.9		36.4	15th	25.1		22.7	20th	291.2
Mount Bundey South (Defence)	34.6		37.0	22nd	25.2		23.0	20th	262.8
Murganella Airstrip	33.0		35.0	19th	25.1		22.6	23rd	223.6
Noonamah Airstrip	34.0		36.5	17th	25.6		22.1	20th	284.4
Oenpelli Airport	33.3		35.8	17th	25.6		23.0	23rd	263.8
Pirlangimpi Airport	32.8	+1.1	34.8	17th	26.2	+1.7	22.6	20th	187.4	369.3	low	51%
Point Fawcett	32.9	+1.2	34.5	6th	27.3	+1.6	22.6	11th	259.2	272.7	average	95%
Port Keats Airport	33.5	+0.8	36.7	9th	26.3	+1.5	21.9	16th	235.6	295.7	average	80%
Tindal RAAF	35.6	+1.6	39.0	15th	25.1	+1.0	21.6	17th	134.0	229.1	low	58%
Arnhem (district 14BC)
Cape Wessel	33.3		35.7	1st	26.8		23.7	10th	211.8	244.4	average	87%
Gove Airport	33.4	+1.8	36.1	17th	26.3	+1.7	23.9	23rd	195.8	273.0	average	72%
Groote Eylandt Airport	34.1	+1.0	38.7	15th	25.9	+0.9	23.6	17th	229.6	229.3	average	100%
Maningrida Airport	33.7	+1.4	36.2	14th	24.9	+0.1	22.2	19th	364.2	264.0	high	138%
Milingimbi Airport	34.2	+1.4	36.0	1st	25.4	+0.1	23.2	14th	254.8	231.4	average	110%
Ngayawili	32.0	+0.5	32.8	21st	26.6	+1.0	23.1	13th	156.8	291.3	low	54%
Warruwi Airport	32.8	+1.3	35.3	18th	26.5	+1.2	22.6	9th	185.8	232.4	average	80%
Roper-Mcarthur (district 14DE)
Borroloola Airport	35.9	+1.8	42.0	15th	25.4	+0.9	22.9	19th	377.8	219.6	high	172%
Bulman	36.4	+1.7	40.8	17th			24.4	22nd	65.2	196.2	v low	33%
Centre Island	34.3	+1.2	38.8	14th	27.0	+0.4	22.6	25th	459.4	273.8	high	168%
Daly Waters Airstrip	36.9	+1.9	42.0	15th	25.0	+1.6	21.1	24th	303.6	182.5	high	166%
McArthur River Mine Airport	36.7	+1.3	42.5	15th	26.0	+1.2	23.2	2nd	487.8	184.4	v high	265%
Ngukurr Airport	36.9		41.8	15th	26.2		21.8	17th	192.6
Victoria (district 14F)
Bradshaw	36.5	+1.2	39.6	22nd	26.1	+1.3	22.6	16th	193.0	197.3	average	98%
Bradshaw - Angallari Valley (Defence)	35.9		39.6	22nd	26.0		23.1	1st	49.4
Bradshaw - Koolendong Valley (Defence)	35.5		39.9	23rd	26.0		22.9	21st	255.6
Lajamanu Airport	37.6	+1.2	42.7	15th	25.2	+1.6	22.0	24th	131.6	142.7	average	92%
Victoria River Downs	37.1	+1.6	41.0	15th	25.6	+1.1	21.0	24th	276.6	161.3	high	171%
Wave Hill	37.6	+1.5	42.8	15th	25.4	+1.6	20.1	26th	173.6	165.6	average	105%
Barkly (district 15A)
Elliott	37.0	+0.4	42.4	16th	25.7	+1.9	21.8	22nd	272.8	156.8	high	174%
Tennant Creek Airport	37.8	+2.0	42.7	14th	26.8	+2.3	22.8	4th	160.0	117.2	high	137%
Alice Springs (district 15B)
Alice Springs Airport	36.8	+1.6	41.5	13th	21.7	+1.0	15.3	23rd	4.2	41.2	low	10%
Jervois	36.9	-0.1	40.9	15th	22.5	+0.3	17.5	29th	29.2	55.0	average	53%
Rabbit Flat	38.5	+1.0	44.1	15th	25.1	+1.6	18.4	24th	79.2	83.3	average	95%
Territory Grape Farm	37.5	+1.0	41.5	14th	23.5	+1.9	18.9	23rd	39.4	57.7	average	68%
Walungurru Airport	40.4	+1.5	43.5	15th	28.0	+2.1	24.3	1st	19.4	30.3	average	64%
Yulara Airport	39.1	+2.1	43.6	13th	23.9	+1.8	19.4	23rd	9.2	36.2	average	25%

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

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