Monday, 1 May 2023 - Monthly Climate Summary for Northern Territory - Product code IDCKGC12R0

Northern Territory in April 2023

Rainfall

  • April rainfall was wetter than average for most of the Northern Territory, specially in the western and far south parts. In contrast, the coastal Carpentaria district received less than half of April average rainfall.
  • For the Territory as a whole, April rainfall was 83% above the 1961–1990 average, the wettest April since 2011.
  • A number of sites in the Lasseter and Tanami forecast districts had their highest April monthly rainfall since 2000.
  • Suplejack and Keep River Rangers had their highest April daily rainfall in 42 years of record.

Temperature

Darwin Airport

  • Total rainfall for Darwin Airport was 81.4 mm, which is 80% of the long-term average of 101.4 mm.
  • The mean daily maximum temperature for Darwin Airport was 32.7 °C, which is 0.1 °C below the long-term average of 32.8 °C.
  • The warmest day was 34.5 °C on the 5th, and the coolest day was on the 6th when the temperature reached 29.8 °C.
  • The mean daily minimum temperature for Darwin Airport was 24.4 °C, which is 0.3 °C above the long-term average of 24.1 °C.
  • The coldest morning was 18.6 °C on the 19th, and the warmest morning was on the 15th when the minimum temperature was 26.2 °C.

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

Extremes in April 2023
Hottest day 39.5 °C at Bradshaw - Gallanting Valley (Defense) on the 2nd
Warmest days on average 35.6 °C at McArthur River Mine Airport
Coolest days on average 27.7 °C at Alice Springs Airport
Coldest day 16.3 °C at Watarrka on the 15th
Coldest night 2.7 °C at Arltunga on the 30th
Coolest nights on average 13.2 °C at Alice Springs Airport
Warmest nights on average 26.4 °C at Centre Island
Warmest night 28.8 °C at McCluer Island on the 3rd
28.8 °C at Centre Island on the 10th
Warmest on average overall 29.8 °C at Centre Island
Coolest on average overall 20.5 °C at Alice Springs Airport
Wettest overall 548.4 mm at Gove Airport Met Office
Wettest day 304.0 mm at Gove Airport Met Office on the 18th
Strongest wind gust 76 km/h at Yulara Airport on the 14th

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

Maps
ObservedAnomalyDecile 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 April daily rainfall
New record
(mm)		 Old
record		 Years of
record
Keep River Rangers 90.0 on the 14th 75.2 on the 5th in 1998 42
Suplejack 103.0 on the 13th 71.6 on the 2nd in 1983 42
West Waterhouse 51.2 on the 10th 50.4 on the 11th in 2020 20


Record highest April total rainfall
New record
(mm)		 Old
record		 Years of
record		 Average for
April
Legune 205.4 177.8 in 2000 65 42.9

Highest April total rainfall for at least 20 years
Observed
(mm)		 Most recent
higher		 Average for
April
Suplejack 121.6 126.0 in 1983 23.5
Keep River Rangers 110.8 134.8 in 1996* 27.1
Lajamanu Airport 98.8 151.4 in 2000 15.6
Rabbit Flat 91.2 96.0 in 2000 19.9
Watarrka 79.0 161.6 in 2000 14.1
Arltunga 62.4 215.1 in 2000* 15.8
The Granites 56.2 84.1 in 2000* 14.0
Birrindudu 138.0 156.2 in 2000* 17.8

* note: there are gaps in the historical record at this site, so it is possible a higher value has gone unreported



Record highest April temperature
New record
(°C)		 Old
record		 Years of
record		 Average for
April
Groote Eylandt Airport 36.1 on the 3rd 36.0 on the 20th in 2020 24 32.5


Record lowest April daily maximum temperature
New record
(°C)		 Old
record		 Years of
record		 Average for
April
Ngayawili 25.3 on the 25th 25.8 on the 25th in 2017 23 31.9
Milingimbi Airport 26.0 on the 25th 26.8 on the 18th in 2006 21 32.5


Record highest April daily minimum temperature
New record
(°C)		 Old
record		 Years of
record		 Average for
April
Ngayawili 28.2 on the 16th = 28.2 on the 7th in 2015 23 23.8


Record lowest April temperature
New record
(°C)		 Old
record		 Years of
record		 Average for
April
Tennant Creek Airport 11.5 on the 17th 11.6 on the 26th in 1983 54 20.6
Walungurru Airport 11.6 on the 16th 12.0 on the 26th in 2015 21 20.8


Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

Summary statistics for April 2023
Maximum temperatures
(°C)		 Minimum temperatures
(°C)		 Rainfall
(millimetres)
Mean for
April
2023		 Diff
from
average		 Highest for
April
2023		 Mean for
April
2023		 Diff
from
average		 Lowest for
April
2023		 Total for
April
2023		 Average
for
April		 Rank of
April
2023		 Fraction of
April
average
Darwin-Daly (district 14GA)
Batchelor Airport 32.7 -1.1 34.7 5th 22.6 +0.8 16.6 19th 173.4 87.7 high 198%
Channel Point 32.3 -0.2 35.0 27th 23.9 +0.3 20.0 24th 104.0 100.3 high 104%
Charles Point 32.2   34.1 24th 24.5   19.7 19th 113.2
Darwin Airport 32.7 -0.1 34.5 5th 24.4 +0.3 18.6 19th 81.4 101.4 average 80%
Delamere Weapons Range 34.4 -0.1 36.9 7th 22.1 +0.9 15.2 18th 19.2 18.5 high 104%
Dum In Mirrie Airstrip 33.4 +0.3 36.4 25th 23.8 -0.6 18.2 19th 92.0 96.1 average 96%
Jabiru Airport 34.3 -0.3 37.1 4th 24.6 +0.9 19.3 19th 28.6 87.8 low 33%
Kangaroo Flats (Defence) 34.2   37.0 4th 23.3   16.6 19th 113.0
Knuckey Lagoon 33.2   35.5 5th 23.4   16.4 19th 94.6
McCluer Island 30.7 -0.2 32.4 16th 26.0 -0.3 23.2 17th 228.4 150.9 high 151%
Middle Point 33.1 -1.2 35.6 4th 23.0 +0.5 16.6 19th 75.2 96.6 average 78%
Mount Bundey North (Defence) 34.3   36.8 4th 23.3   19.3 18th 45.4
Mount Bundey South (Defence) 34.7   37.3 4th 22.8   16.8 19th 74.6
Noonamah Airstrip 33.9   36.7 4th 23.2   16.7 19th 46.8 82.9 low 56%
Oenpelli Airport 33.4 -1.8 36.2 1st 24.4 +0.3 20.7 19th 148.6 82.4 high 180%
Pirlangimpi Airport 32.8 -0.1 35.1 27th 23.6 +0.4 18.6 20th 313.4 162.4 high 193%
Point Fawcett 32.0 -0.4 34.5 2nd 23.8 +0.3 17.4 19th 185.2 133.1 high 139%
Port Keats Airport 33.2 -1.2 35.9 25th 23.3 +0.7 16.2 19th 182.0 82.9 high 220%
Tindal RAAF 34.2 -0.1 37.1 7th 21.5 +0.9 14.5 19th 47.6 36.1 high 132%
Arnhem (district 14BC)
Cape Wessel 32.0 -0.3 34.0 3rd 25.6 -0.5 23.1 25th 232.0 173.9 average 133%
Groote Eylandt Airport 32.7 +0.2 36.1 3rd 23.2 +1.3 20.0 28th 151.4 153.3 average 99%
Maningrida Airport 32.2 -0.4 35.1 4th 24.0 +0.6 21.7 19th 179.0 134.7 high 133%
Milingimbi Airport 32.3 -0.2 35.0 4th 24.3 +0.3 22.0 19th 346.4 131.6 high 263%
Ngayawili 31.4 -0.5 34.4 3rd 24.5 +0.7 23.3 19th 314.2 153.3 high 205%
Warruwi Airport 31.6 0.0 33.5 23rd 25.2 +0.1 23.0 19th 224.4 116.2 high 193%
Roper-Mcarthur (district 14DE)
Borroloola Airport 35.3 +1.0 37.7 13th 20.4 +0.1 14.1 18th 6.8 55.6 low 12%
Centre Island 33.0 +0.8 35.0 3rd 26.4 +1.0 22.1 17th 0.2 86.0 v low 0%
Daly Waters Airstrip 34.1 0.0 36.7 6th 20.3 +0.7 12.8 18th 39.4 20.8 high 189%
McArthur River Mine Airport 35.6 +0.7 37.7 6th 21.6 +0.8 15.1 18th 3.8 31.3 average 12%
Victoria (district 14F)
Lajamanu Airport 32.3 -1.8 36.7 1st 19.9 +1.5 11.3 18th 98.8 15.6 v high 633%
Victoria River Downs 35.1 +0.3 38.7 8th 21.7 +1.8 12.9 18th 62.2 22.6 high 275%
Barkly (district 15A)
Elliott 33.4 -1.2 36.5 7th 21.0 +1.2 11.0 18th 4.6 19.8 average 23%
Tennant Creek Airport 31.9 -0.1 36.6 7th 20.1 -0.5 11.5 17th 4.8 15.1 average 32%
Alice Springs (district 15B)
Alice Springs Airport 27.7 -0.7 35.8 14th 13.2 +0.6 5.1 30th 64.8 16.6 v high 390%
Arltunga 27.8 -1.3 35.4 11th 13.7 +0.2 2.7 30th 62.4 15.8 v high 395%
Curtin Springs 28.4 -0.9 38.5 13th 15.1 +1.5 7.0 30th 2.7 14.4 average 19%
Jervois 30.5 -0.2 37.3 11th 15.4 +0.9 7.5 30th 19.8 15.3 high 129%
Territory Grape Farm 30.2 -0.8 35.4 5th 15.3 +0.7 7.7 30th 16.8 15.3 high 110%
Walungurru Airport 31.1 -2.2 36.3 10th 19.4 -1.4 11.6 16th 57.6 13.8 high 417%
Watarrka     35.2 14th 15.4 -1.3 7.4 16th 79.0 14.1 v high 560%
Yulara Airport 29.0 -1.1 36.6 11th 15.9 +1.3 9.1 30th 26.8 14.3 high 187%
Offshore Islands
CP Dili Airport 31.4   32.2 4th 25.3   22.7 21st

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.

This statement has been prepared based on information available at 9 am on Monday 1 May 2023. 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.

Creative Commons By Attribution logo Unless otherwise noted, all maps, graphs and diagrams in this page are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence

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