Monday, 2 August 2021 - Monthly Climate Summary for Northern Territory - Product code IDCKGC12R0

Northern Territory in July 2021: record warm days overall

Very little rainfall was recorded in the Northern Territory for the month, with only light falls reported in the far south, as is typical during the northern Australia dry season.

The mean maximum temperature for the NT as a whole was the equal-warmest on record with 2017. Mean maximum temperatures were much warmer than usual, and record warm in the north and central parts of the NT. Mean minimum temperatures were warmer than usual in the south, central and northern parts of the NT.

A dry July for the NT

  • Rainfall for July was 88% below the long-term average for the NT as a whole; July 2021 was drier than 2020 but wetter than 2019.
  • This July, the third month of the northern Australia dry season in 2021, typically recorded very little rainfall.
  • Showers associated with the passage of a surface trough in the middle of the month saw light falls reported on the 14th and 15th in southern parts of the NT.
  • Light falls were recorded in the for north-east coast during the month from onshore flow.

Warm days overall

  • For the NT as a whole, the mean temperature was the third-warmest on record at 2.42 °C above the long-term average .
  • Overall, the mean maximum temperature was the equal-warmest on record at 3.32 °C above the long-term average, equal with 2017.
  • Daytime temperatures were well above average across the NT, and record high in parts of the Top End and through central parts of the NT.
  • Numerous sites had their highest July temperature on record or their highest July mean daily maximum temperature on record.
  • Bradshaw - Angallari Valley reported 37.9 °C on the 30th, and Victoria River Downs reported 37.7 °C on the 23rd. These both exceeded the previous highest July daily maximum temperature for the NT of 37.5 °C, set in 2010.
  • For July in the NT, the mean minimum temperature was 1.51 °C above the long-term average.
  • Minimum temperatures were above average in northern, central and southern parts of the NT. Pockets of the Barkly and Carpentaria districts reported cooler than usual mean minimum temperatures.
  • For the year-to-date, the mean maximum temperature across the NT is 0.76 °C above the long-term average, and the mean minimum temperature is 0.23 °C below the long-term average. The mean temperature for the year-to-date across the NT is 0.50 °C above the long-term average.

Darwin Airport

  • Total rainfall for Darwin Airport was 0 mm, which is 0% of the long-term average of 1.1 mm.
  • The mean daily maximum temperature for Darwin Airport was 32.3 °C, which is 1.7 °C above the long-term average of 30.6 °C.
  • The warmest day was 33.9 °C on the 11th, and the coolest day was on the 4th when the temperature reached 29.0 °C.
  • The mean daily minimum temperature for Darwin Airport was 20.6 °C, which is 1.3 °C above the long-term average of 19.3 °C.
  • The coldest morning was 17.5 °C on the 22nd, and the warmest morning was on the 1st when the minimum temperature was 22.8 °C.

Alice Springs

  • Total rainfall for Alice Springs was 0 mm rainfall, which compares to the long-term average of 12.8 mm.
  • The mean daily maximum temperature for Alice Springs was 23.0 °C, which is 3.1 °C above the long-term average of 19.9 °C.
  • The warmest day was 31.8 °C on the 30th and 31st, and the coolest day was on the 4th when the temperature reached 15.0 °C.
  • The mean daily minimum temperature for Alice Springs was 5.6 °C, which is 1.6 °C above the long-term average of 4.0 °C.
  • The coldest morning was -1.9 °C on the 6th, and the warmest morning was on the 14th when the minimum temperature was 18.3 °C.

Further information

Media
(03) 9669 4057

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

Extremes in July 2021
Hottest day 37.9 °C at Bradshaw - Angallari Valley (Defence) on the 30th
Warmest days on average 34.8 °C at Oenpelli Airport
Coolest days on average 23.1 °C at Curtin Springs
Coldest day 15.0 °C at Alice Springs Airport on the 4th
Coldest night -2.7 °C at Watarrka on the 6th
Coolest nights on average 5.0 °C at Territory Grape Farm
Warmest nights on average 24.6 °C at Cape Wessel
Warmest night 25.8 °C at McCluer Island on the 28th
Warmest on average overall 27.8 °C at Cape Wessel
Coolest on average overall 14.8 °C at Yulara Airport
Wettest overall 14.2 mm at Cape Wessel
Wettest day 8.4 mm at Cape Wessel on the 7th
Strongest wind gust 69 km/h at Alice Springs Airport on the 22nd

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

Maps

Observed Anomaly Decile rank
Total
rainfall		 Map of Rainfall totals Map of Percentage of normal rainfall Map of Rainfall deciles
Mean
daily
maximum
temperatures		 Map of Mean maximum temperature Map of Anomaly in mean maximum temperature Map of Decile rank of mean maximum temperature
Mean
daily
minimum
temperatures		 Map of Mean minimum temperature Map of Anomaly in mean minimum temperature Map of Decile rank of mean minimum temperature

Click on a map to show it full size in a pop-up window


Record highest July temperature

New record
(°C)		 Old
record		 Years of
record		 Average for
July
Alice Springs Airport 31.8 on the 31st 31.6 on the 23rd in 1996 80 19.9
Victoria River Downs 37.7 on the 23rd 36.5 on the 30th in 2010 56 29.5
Jervois 35.1 on the 31st 33.3 on the 31st in 2008 54 22.0
Tennant Creek Airport 35.2 on the 30th 34.7 on the 16th in 1995 53 24.7
Daly Waters Airstrip 36.2 on the 23rd 35.8 on the 30th in 2010 52 29.1
Wave Hill 36.6 on the 31st 36.0 on the 16th in 1995 47 28.5
Jabiru Airport 37.0 on the 30th 36.2 on the 26th in 2015 44 32.1
McArthur River Mine Airport 36.2 on the 31st 35.9 on the 26th in 2015 44 30.2
Gove Airport 31.1 on the 30th 31.0 on the 31st in 2010 42 27.9
Elliott 36.2 on the 30th = 36.2 on the 7th in 1998 40 28.4
Tindal RAAF 36.3 on the 24th 35.8 on the 26th in 2015 34 30.4
Territory Grape Farm 33.1 on the 31st 32.2 on the 18th in 1996 29 22.8
Borroloola Airport 36.2 on the 24th 36.1 on the 3rd in 2001 28 30.5
Lajamanu Airport 35.4 on the 31st 34.7 on the 10th in 2016 27 27.2
Batchelor Airport 36.4 on the 24th 35.8 on the 1st in 2009 25 32.0
Delamere Weapons Range 36.0 on the 23rd 35.5 on the 30th in 2010 25 29.8
Rabbit Flat 35.4 on the 29th 34.5 on the 31st in 2008 25 26.4
McCluer Island 30.8 on the 16th = 30.8 on the 19th in 2017 22 27.3
Ngayawili 33.5 on the 16th 32.5 on the 18th in 2017 21 29.6
Port Keats Airport 35.6 on the 25th 35.4 on the 27th in 2015 21 31.6
Middle Point 36.4 on the 24th 36.1 on the 27th in 2015 20 32.9


Record highest July mean daily maximum temperature

New record
(°C)		 Old
record		 Years of
record		 Average for
July
Alice Springs Airport 23.9 = 23.9 in 2017 79 19.9
Warruwi Airport 30.4 30.3 in 2010 55 28.7
Jervois 25.2 24.5 in 2013 53 22.0
Tennant Creek Airport 27.9 27.1 in 2018 52 24.7
Wave Hill 31.4 31.0 in 2017 46 28.5
Jabiru Airport 34.5 33.8 in 2017 43 32.1
Gove Airport 29.7 29.6 in 2017 41 27.9
Pirlangimpi Airport 32.8 = 32.8 in 2017 38 31.3
Black Point 31.1 = 31.1 in 2017 29 29.9
Territory Grape Farm 25.4 25.1 in 2017 28 22.8
Lajamanu Airport 29.8 = 29.8 in 2017 26 27.2
Batchelor Airport 33.7 33.6 in 2017 24 32.0
Rabbit Flat 29.3 = 29.3 in 2017 24 26.4
McCluer Island 28.7 28.4 in 2017 21 27.3
Ngayawili 31.2 30.7 in 2017 20 29.6


Highest July mean daily minimum temperature for at least 20 years

Observed
(°C)		 Most recent
higher		 Average for
July
Yulara Airport 6.4 7.6 in 1998 4.4


Record highest July mean temperature

New record
(°C)		 Old
record		 Years of
record		 Average for
July
Alice Springs Airport 15.1 = 15.1 in 1996 79 11.9
Tennant Creek Airport 20.8 20.7 in 2017 52 18.5
Yulara Airport 14.8 14.6 in 2019 34 12.6
McCluer Island 26.5 = 26.5 in 2017 21 25.2

Highest July mean temperature for at least 20 years

Observed
(°C)		 Most recent
higher		 Average for
July
Jervois 16.2 16.3 in 1973 13.7


Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

Summary statistics for July 2021

Maximum temperatures
(°C)		 Minimum temperatures
(°C)		 Rainfall
(millimetres)
Mean for
July
2021		 Diff
from
average		 Highest for
July
2021		 Mean for
July
2021		 Diff
from
average		 Lowest for
July
2021		 Total for
July
2021		 Average
for
July		 Rank of
July
2021		 Fraction of
July
average
Darwin-Daly (district 14GA)
Batchelor Airport 33.7 +1.7 36.4 24th 18.1 +1.7 14.5 22nd 0.2 0.7 high 29%
Black Point 31.1 +1.2 32.2 19th 22.1 +1.2 19.1 22nd 0 4.2 lowest 0%
Central Arnhem Plateau 31.3 +2.2 34.7 31st 16.7 +0.9 12.0 22nd 0 2.0 v low 0%
Channel Point 30.1 +0.8 32.5 14th 18.4 +1.3 15.5 12th 0 0.1 lowest 0%
Charles Point 30.1   33.3 11th 21.4   18.9 22nd 0.2


Croker Island Airport 31.3   33.4 17th 21.6   18.2 5th 0


Darwin Airport 32.3 +1.7 33.9 11th 20.6 +1.3 17.5 22nd 0 1.1 lowest 0%
Delamere Weapons Range 31.8 +2.0 36.0 23rd 15.3 +0.4 10.8 13th 0 0.4 lowest 0%
Douglas River Research Farm 33.5 +1.5 36.3 31st 14.0 +1.1 9.4 22nd 0 2.3 lowest 0%
Jabiru Airport 34.5 +2.4 37.0 30th 20.3 +1.6 16.0 23rd 0 2.9 lowest 0%
Kangaroo Flats (Defence) 34.2   36.7 24th 18.6   14.9 22nd 0


McCluer Island 28.7 +1.4 30.8 16th 24.3 +1.3 22.5 24th 0 1.1 lowest 0%
Middle Point 34.0 +1.1 36.4 24th 15.7 +1.3 11.4 23rd 0 0.3 lowest 0%
Mount Bundey North (Defence) 34.0   36.6 24th 19.6   15.8 22nd 0


Mount Bundey South (Defence) 34.3   37.0 24th 17.3   11.5 22nd 0


Murganella Airstrip 32.5   34.1 31st 17.4   12.2 5th 0


Noonamah Airstrip 34.4   36.7 24th 17.0   13.0 6th 0.2


Oenpelli Airport 34.8   37.0 31st 20.3   13.5 22nd 0


Pirlangimpi Airport 32.8 +1.5 34.3 30th 19.5 +1.0 16.1 22nd 0 2.5 lowest 0%
Point Fawcett 31.1 +0.9 32.6 26th 18.3 +0.2 15.4 22nd 0 0.3 lowest 0%
Point Stuart 33.0   35.2 11th 18.6   13.4 22nd 0 0.7 lowest 0%
Port Keats Airport 32.7 +1.1 35.6 25th 17.5 +0.7 13.6 22nd 0 1.0 lowest 0%
Tindal RAAF 32.7 +2.3 36.3 24th 14.1 +0.5 9.6 5th 0 2.4 lowest 0%
Arnhem (district 14BC)
Cape Wessel 31.1   33.1 31st 24.6   23.0 24th 14.2 17.5 average 81%
Gove Airport 29.7 +1.8 31.1 30th 21.6 +1.4 17.7 24th 0.6 17.7 v low 3%
Groote Eylandt Airport 29.9 +1.0 32.6 31st 17.3 +1.6 10.5 22nd 0.6 2.6 average 23%
Maningrida Airport 32.2 +1.4 34.3 16th 19.3 +0.9 14.1 22nd 0 0.8 v low 0%
Milingimbi Airport 31.7 +1.1 34.3 16th 20.4 +1.1 16.2 5th 0 2.7 v low 0%
Ngayawili 31.2 +1.6 33.5 16th 20.9 +1.2 17.5 4th 0.4 3.5 low 11%
Warruwi Airport 30.4 +1.7 32.2 16th 22.8 +1.5 20.4 5th 0 1.7 lowest 0%
Roper-Mcarthur (district 14DE)
Borroloola Airport 32.6 +2.1 36.2 24th 12.4 +0.4 8.4 13th 0.2 0.4 average 50%
Bulman 33.1 +2.2 37.0 31st 15.2 +1.5 9.8 22nd 0 1.1 v low 0%
Centre Island 27.8 +1.4 31.3 29th 19.9 +1.3 17.1 5th 0.4 1.8 low 22%
Daly Waters Airstrip 31.8 +2.7 36.2 23rd 10.6 -1.3 5.5 13th 0 1.7 lowest 0%
McArthur River Mine Airport 32.2 +2.0 36.2 31st 12.3 0.0 7.1 11th 0 2.0 lowest 0%
Ngukurr Airport 32.7   37.3 24th 13.4   8.8 11th 0 0.2 v low 0%
Victoria (district 14F)
Bradshaw 34.0 +1.9 37.4 30th 16.3 +0.9 10.9 5th 0 0.2 lowest 0%
Bradshaw - Angallari Valley (Defence) 33.5   37.9 30th 17.2   10.4 6th 0


Bradshaw - Koolendong Valley (Defence) 33.4   37.0 30th 12.2   7.8 6th 0


Lajamanu Airport 29.8 +2.6 35.4 31st 10.7 +1.3 3.3 6th 0 4.0 lowest 0%
Victoria River Downs 32.5 +3.0 37.7 23rd 11.3 +0.3 5.7 5th 0 2.7 lowest 0%
Wave Hill 31.4 +2.9 36.6 31st 12.0 +1.1 5.6 5th
5.7

Barkly (district 15A)
Elliott 30.2 +1.8 36.2 30th 12.8 +1.4 7.0 5th 0 2.8 lowest 0%
Tennant Creek Airport 27.9 +3.2 35.2 30th 13.6 +1.3 8.0 5th 0 5.0 lowest 0%
Alice Springs (district 15B)
Alice Springs Airport 23.9 +4.0 31.8 31st 6.3 +2.3 -1.9 6th 0 14.5 lowest 0%
Curtin Springs 23.1 +2.7 29.9 13th     -1.6 6th 8.4 12.1 average 69%
Jervois 25.2 +3.2 35.1 31st 7.1 +1.8 0.6 7th 0 13.1 lowest 0%
Rabbit Flat 29.3 +2.9 35.4 29th 6.9 +0.1 -1.0 5th 0 4.3 lowest 0%
Territory Grape Farm 25.4 +2.6 33.1 31st 5.0 -0.1 -0.4 7th 0 4.8 lowest 0%
Walungurru Airport 25.6 +1.7 30.4 13th 12.5 +1.8 6.7 8th 0 10.8 v low 0%
Yulara Airport 23.2 +2.5 30.2 13th 6.4 +2.0 -0.3 6th 1.6 16.1 average 10%

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 6 am on Monday 2 August 2021. 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
(03) 9669 4057

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