Thursday, 1 September 2022 - Monthly Climate Summary for Northern Territory - Product code IDCKGC12R0
Northern Territory in August 2022: Warm days and nights for northern parts
August in the Northern Territory was warmer than average. Across the northern half of the Territory, days and nights were warm. Across the southern half, mean monthly temperatures for both days and nights were around average. Above average rainfall was observed in the Tanami and Barkly Districts, though average rainfall is very low in August.
Mostly dry
- Rainfall for August 2022 was 11% below the 1961–1990 average for the Northern Territory as a whole, but August 2022 was still the wettest August since 2016.
- For most of the Northern Territory, August was typically dry with little or no rain recorded for the month.
- Rainfall was observed from cloud bands and inland troughs associated with complex low pressure systems in the Southern Ocean on the 4th August, 11th August and 30th August.
- Some sites had their highest total August rainfall for at least 20 years.
Warm days and nights over the north
- The northern half of the Northern Territory saw warm days nights and warm days throughout August.
- For the Northern Territory as a whole, the August mean maximum temperature was 1.05 °C warmer than the 1961–1990 average, the coolest August since 2019.
- The August mean minimum temperature was 0.47 °C above average, the coolest August since 2019.
- On the 3rd and 4th of August, daily maximum temperatures in central Australia were around 30 °C, which is around 5 to 8 °C above average for August. In central Australia temperatures were again around 30 °C from 17th to 18th August.
- The hottest day since April was observed for the north-west Top End on 8th August. Darwin Airport reached 34.9 °C, Tiwi Islands 35 °C, and rural areas of Darwin 36 to 37 °C.
- A dry south-east surge impacted the Top End from 15th to 17th, which brought elevated fire danger ratings. Fire bans were enforced for Darwin and Adelaide River areas on 17th August.
- On 16th August a record for lowest minimum temperature for August was set at Maningrida (11.3 °C). The previous August record was 11.7 °C set in 2004.
- On 19th August a record for lowest minimum temperature for August was equalled at Wadeye (10.0 °C). The previous August record was 10.0 °C set in 2002.
- Some sites had their highest August temperature on record.
- Some sites had their coldest August day (lowest maximum temperature) on record.
- Some sites had their lowest August temperature on record.
- Some sites had their warmest August night (highest daily minimum temperature) on record.
- Some sites had their highest August mean temperature for at least 20 years.
Darwin Airport
- Total rainfall for Darwin Airport was 0 mm, which is 0% of the long-term average of 4.6 mm
- The mean daily maximum temperature for Darwin Airport was 32.8 °C, which is 1.3 °C above the long-term average of 31.5 °C
- The warmest day was 34.9 °C on the 8th, and the coolest day was on the 3rd when the temperature reached 30.0 °C
- The mean daily minimum temperature for Darwin Airport was 20.8 °C, which is 0.5 °C above the long-term average of 20.3 °C
- The coldest morning was 15.3 °C on the 16th, and the warmest morning was on the 31st when the minimum temperature was 25.1 °C
Further information
- Media
- media@bom.gov.au (03) 9669 4057
Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top
Extremes in August 2022 | |
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Hottest day | 38.3 °C at Bradshaw - Angallari Valley (Defence) on the 30th |
Warmest days on average | 35.4 °C at Oenpelli Airport |
Coolest days on average | 22.8 °C at Curtin Springs |
Coldest day | 14.4 °C at Arltunga on the 23rd |
Coldest night | -3.2 °C at Arltunga on the 17th |
Coolest nights on average | 4.9 °C at Alice Springs Airport |
Warmest nights on average | 24.3 °C at McCluer Island |
Warmest night | 25.8 °C at McCluer Island on the 30th |
Warmest on average overall | 27.7 °C at Jabiru Airport |
Coolest on average overall | 14.0 °C at Alice Springs Airport |
Wettest overall | 31.0 mm at Pigeon Hole |
Wettest day | 31.0 mm at Pigeon Hole on the 31st |
Strongest wind gust | 83 km/h at Walungurru Airport on the 23rd |
Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top
Maps | |||
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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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Highest August total rainfall for at least 20 years | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Observed (mm) |
Most recent higher |
Average for August |
|||
Alexandria | 20.2 | 46.9 | in 1947* | 2.6 |
* note: there are gaps in the historical record at this site, so it is possible a higher value has gone unreported
Record highest August temperature | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
New record (°C) |
Old record |
Years of record |
Average for August |
|||
Groote Eylandt Airport | 34.1 | on the 6th | 33.8 | on the 29th in 2021 | 24 | 30.1 |
Record lowest August daily maximum temperature | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
New record (°C) |
Old record |
Years of record |
Average for August |
|||
Walungurru Airport | 15.7 | on the 11th | 16.3 | on the 25th in 2010 | 20 | 26.7 |
Record highest August daily minimum temperature | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
New record (°C) |
Old record |
Years of record |
Average for August |
|||
Milingimbi Airport | 25.0 | on the 29th | = 25.0 | on the 12th in 2003 | 20 | 19.3 |
Record lowest August temperature | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
New record (°C) |
Old record |
Years of record |
Average for August |
|||
Groote Eylandt Airport | 7.7 | on the 16th | = 7.7 | on the 30th in 2019 | 24 | 15.3 |
Port Keats Airport | 10.0 | on the 19th | = 10.0 | on the 21st in 2002 | 24 | 17.5 |
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 |
* 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 2022 | ||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Maximum temperatures (°C) |
Minimum temperatures (°C) |
Rainfall (millimetres) |
||||||||||
Mean for August 2022 |
Diff from average |
Highest for August 2022 |
Mean for August 2022 |
Diff from average |
Lowest for August 2022 |
Total for August 2022 |
Average for August |
Rank of August 2022 |
Fraction of August average |
|||
Darwin-Daly (district 14GA) | ||||||||||||
Batchelor Airport | 34.2 | +0.7 | 36.6 | 30th | 17.8 | +0.7 | 12.7 | 16th | 0 | 2.0 | lowest | 0% |
Central Arnhem Plateau | 31.9 | +1.1 | 34.9 | 6th | 16.9 | +0.9 | 9.8 | 17th | 0 | 0.7 | v low | 0% |
Channel Point | 30.4 | +0.7 | 33.0 | 23rd | 18.7 | +0.5 | 13.0 | 17th | 0 | 3.3 | lowest | 0% |
Charles Point | 30.0 | 34.1 | 23rd | 21.7 | 19.0 | 18th | 0 | |||||
Croker Island Airport | 31.9 | 33.9 | 28th | 21.5 | 17.3 | 19th | 0.8 | |||||
Darwin Airport | 32.8 | +1.3 | 34.9 | 8th | 20.8 | +0.5 | 15.3 | 16th | 0 | 4.6 | lowest | 0% |
Delamere Weapons Range | 33.0 | +1.1 | 36.2 | 6th | 17.7 | +1.7 | 12.3 | 22nd | 0 | 0.2 | lowest | 0% |
Douglas River Research Farm | 34.6 | +0.9 | 37.8 | 30th | 14.8 | +0.7 | 6.4 | 18th | 0 | 1.1 | lowest | 0% |
Dum In Mirrie Airstrip | 31.7 | +0.8 | 34.7 | 22nd | 19.3 | +0.2 | 13.7 | 26th | 0 | 3.0 | lowest | 0% |
Jabiru Airport | 35.3 | +1.4 | 37.9 | 28th | 20.2 | +1.0 | 14.7 | 18th | 0 | 2.4 | lowest | 0% |
Kangaroo Flats (Defence) | 34.8 | 37.1 | 30th | 18.6 | 13.0 | 16th | 0 | |||||
Knuckey Lagoon | 34.0 | 35.9 | 8th | 17.6 | 11.6 | 16th | 0 | |||||
McCluer Island | 28.2 | +0.4 | 29.7 | 30th | 24.3 | +0.8 | 22.1 | 17th | 0.4 | 0.4 | high | 100% |
Middle Point | 34.8 | +0.5 | 36.8 | 31st | 16.2 | +1.3 | 9.6 | 16th | 0 | 2.0 | lowest | 0% |
Mount Bundey North (Defence) | 34.8 | 37.1 | 30th | 20.3 | 16.2 | 18th | 0 | |||||
Mount Bundey South (Defence) | 34.7 | 37.2 | 30th | 18.6 | 10.9 | 17th | 0 | |||||
Murganella Airstrip | 32.6 | 34.1 | 23rd | 17.2 | 10.4 | 16th | 0 | 0 | v low | |||
Noonamah Airstrip | 34.9 | 37.2 | 30th | 17.7 | 10.3 | 16th | 0.6 | 0.7 | high | 86% | ||
Oenpelli Airport | 35.4 | 37.5 | 30th | 19.6 | 12.2 | 16th | 0 | 0.2 | v low | 0% | ||
Pirlangimpi Airport | 33.6 | +1.4 | 35.6 | 28th | 20.1 | +0.9 | 16.1 | 26th | 0.6 | 6.4 | average | 9% |
Point Fawcett | 31.6 | +0.5 | 33.2 | 31st | 18.7 | +0.3 | 15.1 | 18th | 0 | 1.5 | lowest | 0% |
Point Stuart | 33.1 | +0.8 | 36.1 | 23rd | 19.9 | +1.3 | 15.2 | 17th | 0 | 6.4 | lowest | 0% |
Port Keats Airport | 33.0 | +0.9 | 35.5 | 14th | 17.6 | +0.1 | 10.0 | 19th | 0.2 | 0.6 | average | 33% |
Tindal RAAF | 33.7 | +1.3 | 36.8 | 29th | 16.4 | +1.4 | 9.5 | 26th | 0 | 1.0 | lowest | 0% |
Arnhem (district 14BC) | ||||||||||||
Cape Wessel | 30.8 | +0.2 | 32.2 | 29th | 24.1 | +0.5 | 21.6 | 18th | 9.6 | 9.7 | average | 99% |
Gove Airport | 29.6 | +0.9 | 31.5 | 28th | 21.0 | +1.8 | 13.8 | 18th | 0 | 5.0 | lowest | 0% |
Groote Eylandt Airport | 30.4 | +0.3 | 34.1 | 6th | 16.7 | +1.4 | 7.7 | 16th | 0 | 1.2 | lowest | 0% |
Maningrida Airport | 32.4 | +1.0 | 34.9 | 23rd | 18.7 | +0.6 | 11.3 | 16th | 0 | 1.9 | v low | 0% |
Milingimbi Airport | 32.1 | +1.1 | 33.8 | 14th | 20.0 | +0.7 | 13.7 | 16th | 0 | 1.8 | lowest | 0% |
Ngayawili | 31.7 | +1.1 | 33.7 | 28th | 20.5 | +1.0 | 14.0 | 17th | 0.2 | 0.9 | low | 22% |
Warruwi Airport | 30.3 | +1.0 | 31.8 | 28th | 23.0 | +1.2 | 20.4 | 18th | 0 | 0.5 | lowest | 0% |
Roper-Mcarthur (district 14DE) | ||||||||||||
Borroloola Airport | 33.3 | +1.1 | 36.1 | 6th | 15.0 | +1.5 | 8.1 | 16th | 0 | 0.6 | lowest | 0% |
Centre Island | 28.4 | +0.5 | 32.8 | 23rd | 20.5 | +0.9 | 17.1 | 25th | 0 | 1.6 | lowest | 0% |
Daly Waters Airstrip | 32.9 | +1.6 | 36.1 | 29th | 13.6 | +1.0 | 5.4 | 18th | 1.2 | 0.4 | v high | 300% |
McArthur River Mine Airport | 33.7 | +1.5 | 36.7 | 30th | 14.5 | +1.1 | 6.2 | 16th | 0 | 0.3 | lowest | 0% |
Ngukurr Airport | 33.2 | +0.3 | 38.2 | 6th | 16.6 | +1.9 | 9.8 | 16th | 0 | 0.1 | v low | 0% |
Victoria (district 14F) | ||||||||||||
Bradshaw | 35.2 | +1.4 | 38.1 | 30th | 17.6 | +0.9 | 9.5 | 26th | 0 | 0 | lowest | |
Bradshaw - Angallari Valley (Defence) | 35.1 | 38.3 | 30th | 18.4 | 12.1 | 19th | 0 | |||||
Bradshaw - Koolendong Valley (Defence) | 34.9 | 38.1 | 30th | 12.5 | 4.6 | 19th | 0 | |||||
Lajamanu Airport | 31.1 | +1.1 | 35.9 | 29th | 13.4 | +2.2 | 7.5 | 26th | 0 | 1.0 | lowest | 0% |
Victoria River Downs | 33.7 | +1.7 | 37.6 | 29th | 14.7 | +1.6 | 6.6 | 26th | 0 | 0.9 | lowest | 0% |
Barkly (district 15A) | ||||||||||||
Elliott | 31.0 | -0.2 | 36.3 | 29th | 14.1 | +0.9 | 7.7 | 18th | 0 | 1.0 | lowest | 0% |
Tennant Creek Airport | 28.0 | +0.4 | 35.6 | 29th | 14.8 | +0.4 | 9.2 | 25th | 12.6 | 2.5 | v high | 504% |
Alice Springs (district 15B) | ||||||||||||
Alice Springs Airport | 23.1 | +0.3 | 32.1 | 3rd | 4.9 | -1.0 | -1.3 | 25th | 0 | 8.3 | lowest | 0% |
Curtin Springs | 22.8 | -0.4 | 30.0 | 17th | 0.5 | 13th | 3.6 | 7.9 | average | 46% | ||
Jervois | 25.0 | 0.0 | 33.9 | 4th | 8.1 | +1.0 | 2.3 | 9th | 1.4 | 6.8 | average | 21% |
Rabbit Flat | 29.8 | +0.4 | 34.8 | 29th | 9.9 | +1.6 | 2.5 | 25th | 0 | 2.6 | lowest | 0% |
Territory Grape Farm | 25.4 | 0.0 | 32.3 | 3rd | 7.1 | +0.2 | 0.7 | 13th | 1.0 | 3.8 | average | 26% |
Walungurru Airport | 25.8 | -0.9 | 31.5 | 3rd | 12.8 | +0.4 | 6.5 | 12th | 17.8 | 4.9 | v high | 363% |
Watarrka | 24.3 | -0.2 | 30.8 | 3rd | 7.3 | -0.8 | 0.1 | 12th | 4.5 | 5.9 | average | 76% |
Yulara Airport | 23.1 | -0.7 | 29.8 | 17th | 6.1 | +0.2 | 1.1 | 14th | 6.2 | 4.9 | average | 127% |
Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top
Notes
The Monthly climate summary, usually published in the first week of the following 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 11 am on Thursday 1 September 2022. 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.
Information about Australian Indigenous seasonal calendars is available at the Indigenous Weather Knowledge website.
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