Tuesday, 1 September 2020 - Monthly Climate Summary for Northern Territory - Product code IDCKGC12R0
Northern Territory in August 2020: Very warm throughout; good rains in the south
Dayime and overnight temperatures were above average across most of the Northern Territory in August. The Top End was especially warm with mean maximum temperatures likely the highest on record. Rainfall was near average across most regions, although parts south of about Alice Springs observed above average rainfall during the month.
Near-record daytime temperatures
- The Territory had above average mean maximum temperatures throughout in August, with much of the Top End and Gregory District having their highest daytime temperatures on record.
- Provisional data indicates the region of the NT north of 15 °South (roughly the Top End) had its highest mean maximum temperature on record in August; many sites across the Top End had their highest August temperature on record and/or highest August mean daily maximum temperature on record.
- Averaged across the NT, the mean maximum temperature was 2.66 °C above the long-term average, the third-highest on record. The record of 2.86 °C above average was set in August 2013.
- Most of the NT also had above average mean minimum temperatures, with the Territory-wide temperature of 1.57 °C above the long-term average, the highest since 2009; a few sites had either their highest August mean daily minimum temperature on record or highest August mean daily minimum temperature for at least 20 years.
- The mean temperature averaged across the Northern Territory in August was 2.12 °C above the long-term average, the seventh-highest on record and highest since 2009.
- For the year to date, Territory-wide temperatures are well above average: to the end of August, the mean maximum was 1.29 °C above average and seventh-highest on record; the mean minimum was 0.92 °C above average, while the mean temperature was 1.11 °C above the long-term average and ninth-highest on record.
Dry in the north, wet in the far south
- Apart from some isolated pocket near the northern border with Queensland, the only rainfall recorded across the NT during the month was across the far south.
- A broad region south of about Alice Springs recorded between 10 and 50 mm, the result of single rainfall event, associated with a low pressure system which moved across South Australia during the first week of August.
- Territory-wide, rainfall was 28% below the long-term average for the month.
- For the year to date, Territory-wide rainfall was 12% below the long-term average.
Darwin Airport
- Total rainfall for Darwin Airport was 0 mm, compared to the long-term average of 4.5 mm.
- The mean daily maximum temperature for Darwin Airport was 32.6 °C, which is 1.2 °C above the long-term average of 31.4 °C.
- The warmest day was 36.4 °C on the 27th, and the coolest day was on the 3rd when the temperature reached 30.1 °C.
- The mean daily minimum temperature for Darwin Airport was 21.0 °C, which is 0.7 °C above the long-term average of 20.3 °C.
- The coldest morning was 17.3 °C on the 1st, and the warmest morning was on the 17th when the minimum temperature was 23.8 °C
- Darwin Airport had 10 nights below 20 °C, compared to the August average of 13 such nights.
Alice Springs Airport
- Total rainfall for Alice Springs Airport was 5.0 mm, which is 58% of the the long-term average of 8.6 mm.
- The mean daily maximum temperature for Alice Springs Airport was 26.2 °C, which is 3.5 °C above the long-term average of 22.7 °C.
- The warmest day was 32.8 °C on the 17th, and the coolest day was on the 7th when the temperature reached 15.7 °C.
- The mean daily minimum temperature for Alice Springs Airport was 7.7 °C, which is 1.8 °C above the long-term average of 5.9 °C.
- The coldest morning was 0.2 °C on the 1st, and the warmest morning was on the 5th when the minimum temperature was 15.2 °C.
- For winter, Alice Springs' mean maximum temperature was 22.3 °C, 1.5 °C above average, and its highest temperature was 32.8 °C on 17 August.
- Its winter mean minimum temperature was 4.3 °C which is 0.7 °C below the long-term average, and its lowest temperature during was -0.9 °C on 28 June.
- The winter rainfall total at Alice Springs Airport was 5.8 mm, which is 16% of its long-term average of 36.1 mm.
- During the 3 months of June to August, Alice Springs recorded 14 days when the overnight temperature dropped below 0 °C; this compares to the long-term average of about 12 such days.
Further information
- Media
- media@bom.gov.au (03) 9669 4057
Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top
| Extremes in August 2020 | |
|---|---|
| Hottest day | 39.5 °C at Bradshaw - Koolendong Valley (Defence) on the 21st |
| Warmest days on average | 35.9 °C at Bradshaw |
| Coolest days on average | 26.0 °C at Yulara Airport |
| Coldest day | 15.5 °C at Curtin Springs on the 7th |
| Coldest night | -3.3 °C at Arltunga on the 2nd |
| Coolest nights on average | 6.1 °C at Arltunga |
| Warmest nights on average | 23.8 °C at McCluer Island |
| Warmest night | 26.4 °C at Oenpelli Airport on the 31st |
| Warmest on average overall |
27.7 °C at Jabiru Airport 27.7 °C at Mount Bundey North (Defence) |
| Coolest on average overall | 16.8 °C at Yulara Airport |
| Wettest overall | 9.5 mm at Maryvale |
| Wettest day | 9.5 mm at Maryvale on the 5th |
| Strongest wind gust | 76 km/h at Cape Wessel on the 31st |
Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top
| Maps | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Observed | Anomaly | Decile rank | |
| Total rainfall |
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| Mean daily maximum temperatures |
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| Mean daily minimum temperatures |
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Click on a map to show it full size in a pop-up window
| Record highest August temperature | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
New record (°C) |
Old record |
Years of record |
Average for August |
|||
| Tindal RAAF | 37.8 | on the 20th | 37.4 | on the 31st in 2016 | 33 | 32.3 |
| Delamere Weapons Range | 37.3 | on the 20th | 37.1 | on the 19th in 2013 | 24 | 31.7 |
| Dum In Mirrie Airstrip | 37.1 | on the 27th | 35.2 | on the 29th in 2006 | 22 | 30.8 |
| Port Keats Airport | 37.5 | on the 27th | 36.3 | on the 30th in 2011 | 22 | 32.0 |
| Record highest August mean daily maximum temperature | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
New record (°C) |
Old record |
Years of record |
Average for August |
||
| Wave Hill | 33.8 | = 33.8 | in 2009 | 46 | 31.1 |
| Jabiru Airport | 35.4 | 35.0 | in 2017 | 42 | 33.8 |
| Tindal RAAF | 34.8 | 33.9 | in 2017 | 32 | 32.3 |
| Douglas River Research Farm | 35.6 | 35.1 | in 2017 | 31 | 33.6 |
| Lajamanu Airport | 32.8 | 32.7 | in 2013 | 25 | 29.8 |
| Batchelor Airport | 34.6 | = 34.6 | in 1992 | 23 | 33.4 |
| Delamere Weapons Range | 34.1 | 33.3 | in 2013 | 23 | 31.7 |
| Bradshaw | 35.9 | 35.3 | in 2017 | 21 | 33.7 |
| Port Keats Airport | 33.3 | 33.2 | in 2017 | 21 | 32.0 |
| Highest August mean daily maximum temperature for at least 20 years | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Observed (°C) |
Most recent higher |
Average for August |
|||
| Victoria River Downs | 34.8 | 35.2 | in 1971* | 31.9 | |
* note: there are gaps in the historical record at this site, so it is possible a higher value has gone unreported
| Record highest August daily minimum temperature | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
New record (°C) |
Old record |
Years of record |
Average for August |
|||
| Groote Eylandt Airport | 25.3 | on the 31st | 24.2 | on the 1st in 2010 | 22 | 15.1 |
| Record highest August mean daily minimum temperature | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
New record (°C) |
Old record |
Years of record |
Average for August |
||
| Bradshaw | 18.9 | 18.1 | in 2010 | 21 | 16.5 |
| Highest August mean daily minimum temperature for at least 20 years | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Observed (°C) |
Most recent higher |
Average for August |
|||
| Wave Hill | 15.8 | 15.9 | in 1985 | 12.7 | |
| Lajamanu Airport | 13.7 | 14.8 | in 1972* | 11.0 | |
* note: there are gaps in the historical record at this site, so it is possible a higher value has gone unreported
| Record highest August mean temperature | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
New record (°C) |
Old record |
Years of record |
Average for August |
||
| Wave Hill | 24.8 | 24.6 | in 1985 | 46 | 21.9 |
| Delamere Weapons Range | 26.0 | 25.2 | in 1998 | 23 | 23.8 |
| Bradshaw | 27.4 | 26.6 | in 2009 | 21 | 25.1 |
| Dum In Mirrie Airstrip | 26.1 | = 26.1 | in 2010 | 21 | 24.9 |
| Highest August mean temperature for at least 20 years | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Observed (°C) |
Most recent higher |
Average for August |
|||
| Daly Waters Airstrip | 23.3 | 23.9 | in 1958* | 21.9 | |
| Tindal RAAF | 25.8 | 25.9 | in 1988* | 23.6 | |
| Douglas River Research Farm | 25.6 | 25.8 | in 1972* | 24.0 | |
| Victoria River Downs | 24.7 | 24.8 | in 1992 | 22.5 | |
| Lajamanu Airport | 23.2 | 23.5 | in 1972* | 20.4 | |
* 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
| Summary statistics for August 2020 | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum temperatures (°C) |
Minimum temperatures (°C) |
Rainfall (millimetres) |
||||||||||
| Mean for August 2020 |
Diff from average |
Highest for August 2020 |
Mean for August 2020 |
Diff from average |
Lowest for August 2020 |
Total for August 2020 |
Average for August |
Rank of August 2020 |
Fraction of August average |
|||
| Darwin-Daly (district 14GA) | ||||||||||||
| Batchelor Airport | 34.6 | +1.2 | 37.0 | 21st | 17.9 | +0.9 | 13.4 | 2nd | 0 | 2.0 | lowest | 0% |
| Black Point | 31.0 | +0.4 | 33.3 | 23rd | 21.0 | -0.2 | 18.4 | 3rd | 0 | 1.3 | lowest | 0% |
| Central Arnhem Plateau | 32.5 | +1.8 | 35.4 | 20th | 17.6 | +1.8 | 12.6 | 24th | 0 | 0.7 | v low | 0% |
| Charles Point | 30.2 | 35.5 | 28th | 21.8 | 17.5 | 3rd | 0 | |||||
| Croker Island Airport | 31.2 | 33.1 | 15th | 21.2 | 18.9 | 12th | 0 | |||||
| Darwin Airport | 32.6 | +1.2 | 36.4 | 27th | 21.0 | +0.7 | 17.3 | 1st | 0 | 4.5 | lowest | 0% |
| Delamere Weapons Range | 34.1 | +2.4 | 37.3 | 20th | 17.9 | +2.0 | 12.0 | 2nd | 0 | 0.3 | lowest | 0% |
| Douglas River Research Farm | 35.6 | +2.0 | 38.0 | 21st | 15.8 | +1.8 | 8.3 | 2nd | 0 | 1.2 | lowest | 0% |
| Dum In Mirrie Airstrip | 32.1 | +1.3 | 37.1 | 27th | 20.0 | +0.9 | 15.1 | 1st | 0.6 | 3.1 | average | 19% |
| Jabiru Airport | 35.4 | +1.6 | 37.6 | 22nd | 19.9 | +0.7 | 16.4 | 2nd | 0 | 2.5 | lowest | 0% |
| Kangaroo Flats (Defence) | 35.2 | 37.4 | 21st | 19.5 | 15.3 | 1st | 0.2 | |||||
| McCluer Island | 28.2 | +0.4 | 30.6 | 30th | 23.8 | +0.4 | 21.5 | 12th | 0 | 0.4 | lowest | 0% |
| Middle Point | 35.4 | +1.2 | 37.8 | 27th | 16.0 | +1.2 | 10.7 | 29th | 0 | 0.8 | lowest | 0% |
| Mount Bundey North (Defence) | 35.1 | 37.0 | 21st | 20.4 | 15.8 | 1st | 0 | |||||
| Mount Bundey South (Defence) | 35.4 | 37.5 | 20th | 18.7 | 12.4 | 1st | 0 | |||||
| Murganella Airstrip | 32.7 | 34.5 | 19th | 16.5 | 12.5 | 26th | 0 | |||||
| Noonamah Airstrip | 35.0 | 37.8 | 27th | 18.1 | 12.7 | 26th | 0 | |||||
| Oenpelli Airport | 35.7 | 38.0 | 22nd | 18.8 | 13.4 | 25th | 0 | |||||
| Pirlangimpi Airport | 32.8 | +0.6 | 35.4 | 23rd | 19.7 | +0.6 | 16.8 | 3rd | 0 | 6.4 | lowest | 0% |
| Point Fawcett | 31.8 | +0.8 | 34.2 | 31st | 18.9 | +0.5 | 14.9 | 3rd | 0 | 0.5 | lowest | 0% |
| Point Stuart | 32.9 | 35.9 | 27th | 18.8 | 15.1 | 2nd | 0 | 3.7 | v low | 0% | ||
| Port Keats Airport | 33.3 | +1.3 | 37.5 | 27th | 18.2 | +0.9 | 12.0 | 1st | 0 | 0.7 | lowest | 0% |
| Tindal RAAF | 34.8 | +2.5 | 37.8 | 20th | 16.9 | +2.0 | 10.5 | 2nd | 0 | 1.1 | lowest | 0% |
| Arnhem (district 14BC) | ||||||||||||
| Cape Wessel | 31.0 | 32.3 | 9th | 23.6 | 22.1 | 18th | 2.2 | 7.8 | low | 28% | ||
| Gove Airport | 30.2 | +1.5 | 31.5 | 7th | 19.9 | +0.8 | 14.6 | 18th | 0.8 | 5.1 | average | 16% |
| Groote Eylandt Airport | 31.0 | +0.9 | 33.4 | 21st | 15.8 | +0.7 | 8.8 | 11th | 0.2 | 1.3 | low | 15% |
| Maningrida Airport | 32.1 | +0.9 | 35.2 | 27th | 18.6 | +0.7 | 15.2 | 18th | 0 | 2.0 | v low | 0% |
| Milingimbi Airport | 32.2 | +1.3 | 34.5 | 30th | 19.4 | +0.2 | 15.4 | 24th | 0 | 2.0 | v low | 0% |
| Warruwi Airport | 30.5 | +1.2 | 33.0 | 7th | 21.9 | +0.2 | 19.2 | 19th | 0 | 0.5 | lowest | 0% |
| Roper-Mcarthur (district 14DE) | ||||||||||||
| Borroloola Airport | 33.8 | +1.7 | 36.1 | 31st | 13.9 | +0.4 | 7.5 | 1st | 0 | 0.5 | lowest | 0% |
| Bulman | 34.5 | +1.8 | 37.1 | 20th | 16.1 | +1.7 | 11.7 | 24th | 0 | 0.9 | v low | 0% |
| Centre Island | 28.6 | +0.7 | 30.6 | 19th | 20.4 | +0.9 | 17.4 | 1st | 1.6 | 1.6 | average | 100% |
| Daly Waters Airstrip | 33.8 | +2.6 | 37.2 | 20th | 12.7 | +0.1 | 7.6 | 10th | 0 | 0.3 | lowest | 0% |
| McArthur River Mine Airport | 33.8 | +1.7 | 37.0 | 31st | 13.9 | +0.5 | 8.1 | 1st | 0 | 0.3 | lowest | 0% |
| Ngukurr Airport | 34.2 | 37.6 | 19th | 16.2 | 11.2 | 11th | 0.2 | |||||
| Victoria (district 14F) | ||||||||||||
| Bradshaw | 35.9 | +2.2 | 38.8 | 15th | 18.9 | +2.4 | 11.4 | 2nd | 0 | 0 | lowest | |
| Bradshaw - Angallari Valley (Defence) | 35.6 | 38.6 | 21st | 19.2 | 13.1 | 9th | 0 | |||||
| Bradshaw - Koolendong Valley (Defence) | 35.7 | 39.5 | 21st | 13.2 | 6.1 | 2nd | 0 | |||||
| Lajamanu Airport | 32.8 | +3.0 | 35.9 | 18th | 13.7 | +2.7 | 6.7 | 2nd | 0 | 1.0 | lowest | 0% |
| Victoria River Downs | 34.8 | +2.9 | 37.8 | 22nd | 14.6 | +1.5 | 7.7 | 1st | 0 | 0.9 | lowest | 0% |
| Wave Hill | 33.8 | +2.7 | 36.6 | 21st | 15.8 | +3.1 | 7.8 | 2nd | 0 | 1.4 | lowest | 0% |
| Barkly (district 15A) | ||||||||||||
| Elliott | 32.8 | +1.7 | 36.1 | 18th | 15.1 | +1.9 | 9.2 | 8th | 0 | 1.0 | lowest | 0% |
| Tennant Creek Airport | 30.5 | +3.0 | 35.2 | 18th | 16.3 | +2.0 | 9.1 | 7th | 0 | 2.3 | lowest | 0% |
| Alice Springs (district 15B) | ||||||||||||
| Alice Springs Airport | 26.2 | +3.5 | 32.8 | 17th | 7.7 | +1.8 | 0.2 | 1st | 5.0 | 8.6 | average | 58% |
| Arltunga | 31.7 | 17th | 6.1 | +1.4 | -3.3 | 2nd | 7.2 | 6.7 | average | 107% | ||
| Jervois | 27.3 | +2.3 | 34.6 | 17th | 7.6 | +0.5 | 1.2 | 10th | 2.8 | 7.0 | average | 40% |
| Rabbit Flat | 31.4 | +2.1 | 35.5 | 27th | 9.1 | +0.8 | 1.3 | 2nd | 0 | 2.8 | lowest | 0% |
| Territory Grape Farm | 27.7 | +2.4 | 32.5 | 17th | 7.7 | +0.8 | 2.0 | 9th | 0 | 3.9 | lowest | 0% |
| Walungurru Airport | 28.5 | +1.9 | 34.8 | 25th | 14.6 | +2.3 | 8.1 | 8th | 6.2 | 4.5 | high | 138% |
| Yulara Airport | 26.0 | +2.3 | 34.3 | 26th | 7.6 | +1.7 | 1.3 | 9th | 8.8 | 5.0 | high | 176% |
Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top
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 12 pm on Tuesday 1 September 2020. 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
Unless otherwise noted, all maps, graphs and diagrams in this page are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence
