Thursday, 2 November 2023 - Monthly Climate Summary for Northern Territory - Product code IDCKGC12R0

Northern Territory in October 2023

Rainfall

  • For the Northern Territory as a whole, October rainfall was 87.9% below the 1961–1990 average of 18.8 mm.
  • This was the fifth-driest October on record (since 1900), and the driest since 2014.
  • Most of the Territory received little to no rain, with only parts of the Daly and Tiwi districts recording more than 25 mm for the month.
  • Bonalbo had its highest October daily rainfall on record.

Temperature

Darwin Airport

  • Total rainfall for Darwin Airport was 1.6 mm, which is 2% of the long-term average of 70.4 mm.
  • The mean daily maximum temperature for Darwin Airport was 34.6 °C, which is 1.3 °C above the long-term average of 33.3 °C.
  • The warmest day was 38.0 °C on the 15th, and the coolest day was on the 5th when the temperature reached 30.7 °C.
  • The mean daily minimum temperature for Darwin Airport was 25.4 °C, which is 0.5 °C above the long-term average of 24.9 °C.
  • The coldest morning was 24.0 °C on the 17th, and the warmest morning was on the 24th when the minimum temperature was 27.6 °C.

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

Extremes in October 2023
Hottest day 42.8 °C at Ngukurr Airport on the 25th
Warmest days on average 39.6 °C at Bradshaw - Angallari Valley (Defence)
Coolest days on average 30.7 °C at McCluer Island
Coldest day 24.7 °C at Alice Springs Airport on the 4th
24.7 °C at Yulara Airport on the 4th
24.7 °C at Arltunga on the 5th
Coldest night 2.9 °C at Arltunga on the 29th
Coolest nights on average 11.9 °C at Alice Springs Airport
Warmest nights on average 26.3 °C at Charles Point
Warmest night 28.6 °C at Charles Point on the 28th
Warmest on average overall 32.2 °C at Bradshaw - Angallari Valley (Defence)
Coolest on average overall 22.0 °C at Alice Springs Airport
Wettest overall 72.0 mm at Charles Point
Wettest day 68.0 mm at Bonalbo on the 5th
Strongest wind gust 70 km/h at Bradshaw on the 22nd

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 October daily rainfall
New record
(mm)		 Old
record		 Years of
record
Bonalbo 68.0 on the 5th 41.0 on the 28th in 2010 26


Record highest October temperature
New record
(°C)		 Old
record		 Years of
record		 Average for
October
Pirlangimpi Airport 38.8 on the 15th 38.1 on the 29th in 2015 40 33.8


Highest October mean daily maximum temperature for at least 20 years
Observed
(°C)		 Most recent
higher		 Average for
October
Jabiru Airport 39.3 39.4 in 1987* 37.7

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



Record lowest October mean daily minimum temperature
New record
(°C)		 Old
record		 Years of
record		 Average for
October
Lajamanu Airport 17.9 18.1 in 2012 30 20.9
Rabbit Flat 13.9 15.9 in 2012 26 18.6

Lowest October mean daily minimum temperature for at least 20 years
Observed
(°C)		 Most recent
lower		 Average for
October
Alice Springs Airport 11.9 10.9 in 1982 14.8
Bradshaw 24.0 23.5 in 2003 25.1


Record lowest October mean temperature
New record
(°C)		 Old
record		 Years of
record		 Average for
October
Rabbit Flat 25.4 25.6 in 2010 26 28.0


Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

Summary statistics for October 2023
Maximum temperatures
(°C)		 Minimum temperatures
(°C)		 Rainfall
(millimetres)
Mean for
October
2023		 Diff
from
average		 Highest for
October
2023		 Mean for
October
2023		 Diff
from
average		 Lowest for
October
2023		 Total for
October
2023		 Average
for
October		 Rank of
October
2023		 Fraction of
October
average
Darwin-Daly (district 14GA)
Batchelor Airport 38.0 +1.2 40.3 14th 23.1 0.0 20.4 19th 10.6 62.0 v low 17%
Central Arnhem Plateau 36.6 +0.9 38.9 25th 22.0 -0.2 18.2 7th 3.0 30.9 average 10%
Channel Point 32.5 +0.2 34.0 28th 24.7 +0.4 22.5 5th 25.1 70.3 average 36%
Charles Point 31.6   33.4 15th 26.3   22.8 9th 72.0 59.3 high 121%
Croker Island Airport 34.3 +0.6 37.2 18th 23.5 -1.2 22.2 25th 0
Darwin Airport 34.6 +1.3 38.0 15th 25.4 +0.5 24.0 17th 1.6 70.4 v low 2%
Delamere Weapons Range 38.1 +0.4 41.6 25th 23.6 -0.4 19.7 19th 2.4 27.6 low 9%
Douglas River Research Farm 38.5 +0.6 40.7 28th 22.6 +0.2 19.0 19th 40.8 39.2 average 104%
Dum In Mirrie Airstrip 33.7 +0.8 36.0 30th 25.1 -0.3 23.3 7th 32.0 60.7 average 53%
East Point 33.7   35.4 19th 25.8   23.6 9th 9.6
Jabiru Airport 39.3 +1.6 41.1 26th 24.1 +0.1 21.9 7th 0 39.6 lowest 0%
Kangaroo Flats (Defence) 38.1   40.5 18th 24.6   22.4 5th 19.2
Knuckey Lagoon 36.7   39.9 15th 22.8   20.7 16th 0.2
McCluer Island 30.7 +0.1 33.6 27th 26.1 -0.2 24.1 4th 0 7.0 lowest 0%
Middle Point 38.4 +1.1 40.6 19th 22.9 +0.7 20.3 17th 0 45.8 lowest 0%
Mount Bundey North (Defence) 39.3   42.0 14th 24.6   23.0 16th 2.6
Mount Bundey South (Defence) 39.0   40.9 25th 24.7   22.9 16th 6.8
Murganella Airstrip 34.5 -0.1 37.7 25th 21.1 -1.0 17.5 25th 0 10.2 v low 0%
Noonamah Airstrip 38.2 +1.7 41.2 15th 23.9 0.0 21.6 17th 4.6 66.2 low 7%
Oenpelli Airport 38.8 +0.6 40.4 26th 23.0 -0.1 20.0 25th 0 17.9 v low 0%
Pirlangimpi Airport 35.8 +2.0 38.8 15th 23.2 +0.1 21.6 17th 42.2 84.8 average 50%
Point Fawcett 33.3 +0.2 34.6 19th 23.3 -0.3 21.0 9th 16.2 67.2 low 24%
Point Stuart 35.0 +0.4 37.4 28th 24.2 0.0 21.5 16th 0 53.7 lowest 0%
Port Keats Airport 34.9 +0.5 39.3 18th 23.5 -0.7 16.9 8th 1.4 42.2 lowest 3%
Tindal RAAF 38.5 +0.7 41.2 25th 23.1 -0.9 17.5 28th 0.2 32.5 v low 1%
Arnhem (district 14BC)
Cape Wessel 33.2 -0.2 34.7 27th 25.1 -0.1 23.5 4th 0.2 10.4 low 2%
Gove Airport 32.1   36.6 26th 22.0   20.6 16th 0
Groote Eylandt Airport 34.3 +0.1 37.0 25th 20.5 -0.7 16.3 18th 20.6 27.0 average 76%
Maningrida Airport 33.8 +0.5 36.7 27th 22.7 -0.4 19.9 7th 0 10.8 lowest 0%
Milingimbi Airport 33.2 +0.1 36.2 27th 23.2 -0.6 21.1 2nd 0 6.8 lowest 0%
Ngayawili 33.3 +0.5 36.2 27th 21.8 -0.9 19.9 15th 6.6 9.8 average 67%
Warruwi Airport 33.3 +0.7 37.1 25th 25.5 +0.1 23.5 7th 0 12.2 lowest 0%
Roper-Mcarthur (district 14DE)
Borroloola Airport 38.3 +1.2 41.4 25th 20.4 -1.1 15.9 7th 0 13.0 lowest 0%
Bulman 38.6 +0.1 41.5 25th 21.1 -0.9 16.5 7th 0 19.0 lowest 0%
Centre Island 33.0 -0.2 35.7 24th 25.2 +0.2 23.4 2nd 0 7.5 lowest 0%
Daly Waters Airstrip     41.7 25th 18.6 -2.5 10.7 16th 1.4 21.3 average 7%
McArthur River Mine Airport 38.9 +0.9 42.1 25th 21.0 -0.4 16.6 28th 0 20.1 lowest 0%
Ngukurr Airport 39.0 0.0 42.8 25th 22.1 -0.9 17.3 7th 0 19.1 v low 0%
Victoria (district 14F)
Bradshaw 38.6 -0.5 41.3 25th 24.0 -1.1 17.6 17th 23.0 25.0 average 92%
Bradshaw - Angallari Valley (Defence) 39.6   42.2 25th 24.8   18.8 17th 0
Bradshaw - Koolendong Valley (Defence) 38.9   41.4 25th 21.1   12.8 17th 0
Lajamanu Airport 36.7 -0.9 39.7 22nd 17.9 -3.0 11.2 28th 0 21.8 lowest 0%
Victoria River Downs 39.0 +1.0 40.7 25th 20.5 -2.0 14.9 8th 0.4 19.0 low 2%
Barkly (district 15A)
Tennant Creek Airport 35.1 +0.1 40.1 31st 20.9 -1.0 17.1 6th 0 19.2 lowest 0%
Alice Springs (district 15B)
Alice Springs Airport 32.0 +0.8 39.4 30th 11.9 -2.9 4.9 28th 0 19.8 lowest 0%
Curtin Springs 32.6 +0.7 40.1 30th 14.6 +0.1 8.5 27th 0 18.1 lowest 0%
Jervois 33.4 0.0 40.8 3rd 14.2 -1.6 8.2 5th 0 14.2 lowest 0%
Rabbit Flat 36.7 -0.8 40.9 31st 13.9 -4.7 8.9 20th 0 21.0 lowest 0%
Territory Grape Farm 33.5 0.0 39.4 24th 13.1 -2.7 7.5 28th 0 14.4 lowest 0%
Walungurru Airport 35.6 -0.4 40.8 23rd 20.7 -0.3 13.8 5th 0 14.0 lowest 0%
Yulara Airport 32.6 +0.2 40.4 30th 14.5 -0.6 9.4 4th 0 22.1 lowest 0%

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 1 pm on Thursday 2 November 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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