Friday, 5 January 2024 - Monthly Climate Summary for Northern Territory - Product code IDCKGC12R0

Northern Territory in December 2023

Rainfall

  • For most of the Northern Territory, December rainfall was below average; it was very much below average for areas scattered across the Gregory, Barkly, Lasseter and Tanami districts.
  • Rainfall was above average only for parts the Arnhem district.
  • For the territory as a whole, rainfall was 35.1% below the 1961–1990 average, the driest December since 2019.

Temperature

Darwin Airport

  • Total rainfall for Darwin Airport was 248.6 mm, which is 97% of the long-term average of 255.2 mm.
  • The mean daily maximum temperature for Darwin Airport was 34.1 °C, which is 1.4 °C above the long-term average of 32.7 °C.
  • The warmest day was 36.1 °C on the 2nd, and the coolest day was on the 15th when the temperature reached 30.7 °C.
  • The mean daily minimum temperature for Darwin Airport was 26.5 °C, which is 1.2 °C above the long-term average of 25.3 °C.
  • The coldest morning was 22.5 °C on the 16th, and the warmest morning was on the 20th when the minimum temperature was 29.8 °C.

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

Extremes in December 2023
Hottest day 46.6 °C at Lajamanu Airport on the 19th
Warmest days on average 42.1 °C at Rabbit Flat
Coolest days on average 32.8 °C at Charles Point
32.8 °C at McCluer Island
Coldest day 19.6 °C at Alice Springs Airport on the 10th
Coldest night 8.3 °C at Watarrka on the 11th
Coolest nights on average 18.7 °C at Alice Springs Airport
Warmest nights on average 29.0 °C at Centre Island
Warmest night 31.7 °C at Tennant Creek Airport on the 31st
Warmest on average overall 34.1 °C at Victoria River Downs
Coolest on average overall 28.2 °C at Alice Springs Airport
Wettest overall 391.2 mm at Jabiru Airport
Wettest day 100.0 mm at Murganella Airstrip on the 3rd
Strongest wind gust 104 km/h at Rabbit Flat on the 15th

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 December temperature
New record
(°C)		 Old
record		 Years of
record		 Average for
December
Lajamanu Airport 46.6 on the 19th 46.2 on the 12th in 2018 32 38.4
Ngayawili 37.5 on the 31st 36.4 on the 14th in 2005 25 32.9


Record highest December mean daily maximum temperature
New record
(°C)		 Old
record		 Years of
record		 Average for
December
Channel Point 34.0 33.6 in 2002 28 32.4
Ngayawili 34.4 34.1 in 2012 24 32.9
Arltunga 39.0 = 39.0 in 2019 21 34.7


Record highest December daily minimum temperature
New record
(°C)		 Old
record		 Years of
record		 Average for
December
Douglas River Research Farm 27.7 on the 20th 27.4 on the 12th in 2018 35 23.8
Batchelor Airport 27.4 on the 20th = 27.4 on the 12th in 2018 28 24.1
Bradshaw 29.8 on the 25th 29.4 on the 16th in 2021 26 25.6
Port Keats Airport 30.1 on the 26th 30.0 on the 27th in 2019 24 25.4


Record lowest December temperature
New record
(°C)		 Old
record		 Years of
record		 Average for
December
Curtin Springs 9.7 on the 11th 11.0 on the 8th in 1983 58 20.7
Watarrka 8.3 on the 11th 10.4 on the 12th in 1995 33 22.0
Walungurru Airport 14.3 on the 11th 16.4 on the 16th in 2022 23 25.0


Record highest December mean daily minimum temperature
New record
(°C)		 Old
record		 Years of
record		 Average for
December
Victoria River Downs 27.1 26.9 in 1985 55 25.2
Centre Island 29.0 28.8 in 1990 49 27.4
Bradshaw 26.9 26.8 in 2018 25 25.6
Port Keats Airport 26.7 26.6 in 2018 23 25.4
Middle Point 25.2 24.7 in 2018 22 24.2
Milingimbi Airport 26.8 26.7 in 2018 20 26.0

Highest December mean daily minimum temperature for at least 20 years
Observed
(°C)		 Most recent
higher		 Average for
December
Borroloola Airport 26.5 26.7 in 1995 25.2
Delamere Weapons Range 26.0 26.1 in 2002 24.6


Record highest December mean temperature
New record
(°C)		 Old
record		 Years of
record		 Average for
December
Centre Island 32.8 = 32.8 in 1990 49 31.1
Channel Point 30.0 29.9 in 2018 28 28.8
Groote Eylandt Airport 31.1 = 31.1 in 2018 24 29.7
Ngayawili 30.8 30.5 in 2014 24 29.3
Middle Point 30.8 30.7 in 2019 22 29.6


Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

Summary statistics for December 2023
Maximum temperatures
(°C)		 Minimum temperatures
(°C)		 Rainfall
(millimetres)
Mean for
December
2023		 Diff
from
average		 Highest for
December
2023		 Mean for
December
2023		 Diff
from
average		 Lowest for
December
2023		 Total for
December
2023		 Average
for
December		 Rank of
December
2023		 Fraction of
December
average
Darwin-Daly (district 14GA)
Batchelor Airport 35.3 +1.3 37.3 31st 24.8 +0.7 22.6 2nd 168.8 267.3 average 63%
Central Arnhem Plateau 34.8 +1.4 36.8 31st 23.9 +0.3 21.6 3rd 318.0 247.6 average 128%
Channel Point 34.0 +1.6 35.5 21st 26.1 +0.9 22.0 7th 148.4 319.7 low 46%
Charles Point 32.8   34.0 30th 26.6   22.8 26th 222.6 279.6 average 80%
Croker Island Airport 33.6 +0.2 35.8 6th 27.0 +0.6 23.8 3rd 135.4 205.3 average 66%
Darwin Airport 34.1 +1.4 36.1 2nd 26.5 +1.2 22.5 16th 248.6 255.2 average 97%
Delamere Weapons Range 39.1 +3.0 42.1 30th 26.0 +1.4 22.6 6th 51.4 168.9 v low 30%
Douglas River Research Farm 36.6 +1.5 39.9 2nd 24.8 +1.0 22.3 16th 237.4 215.6 average 110%
Dum In Mirrie Airstrip 34.1 +1.4 35.5 5th 26.6 +0.5 22.8 10th 214.0 284.0 average 75%
East Point 34.0   36.4 2nd 26.7   22.7 16th 253.6
Jabiru Airport 36.5 +1.3 39.0 2nd 25.2 +0.2 22.9 20th 391.2 230.1 v high 170%
Kangaroo Flats (Defence) 36.1   38.3 30th 25.6   23.7 6th 219.0
Knuckey Lagoon 34.8   36.5 2nd 25.4   22.5 16th 189.0
McCluer Island 32.8 +0.6 34.2 11th 28.1 +0.9 25.0 3rd 60.8 195.7 low 31%
Middle Point 36.3 +1.3 39.1 2nd 25.2 +1.0 22.5 2nd 136.6 236.6 average 58%
Mount Bundey North (Defence) 36.7   38.5 4th 25.0   22.4 16th 215.2
Mount Bundey South (Defence) 36.7   39.6 1st 25.4   22.7 9th 101.0
Murganella Airstrip 35.0 +0.6 37.2 31st 24.8 +0.5 22.6 3rd 185.2 254.9 average 73%
Noonamah Airstrip 35.7 +1.2 38.1 30th 25.7 +0.7 23.1 16th 238.0 265.3 average 90%
Oenpelli Airport 35.8 -0.1 38.6 2nd 25.4 +0.3 23.0 20th 309.2 235.1 high 132%
Pirlangimpi Airport 34.4 +1.5 36.6 1st 25.8 +1.0 22.8 21st 216.4 342.5 low 63%
Point Fawcett 33.3 +0.6 35.2 2nd 26.8 +1.2 23.3 16th 150.4 295.3 low 51%
Point Stuart 35.0 +1.1 36.9 2nd 25.3 +0.1 22.7 22nd 191.6 233.6 average 82%
Port Keats Airport 34.9 +1.3 36.7 30th 26.7 +1.3 22.0 7th 139.4 202.5 average 69%
Tindal RAAF 37.7 +1.9 40.3 29th 25.3 +0.4 21.5 8th 130.6 205.4 low 64%
Arnhem (district 14BC)
Cape Wessel 35.7 +1.3 37.2 4th 27.4 +1.0 22.7 21st 63.4 137.4 average 46%
Gove Airport 34.9   38.0 24th 26.6   24.3 21st 67.8
Groote Eylandt Airport 36.0 +1.6 40.0 24th 26.2 +1.2 23.3 9th 118.8 181.0 low 66%
Maningrida Airport 34.6 +1.1 37.0 31st 26.0 +0.6 23.5 3rd 55.8 176.6 low 32%
Milingimbi Airport 35.1 +1.2 36.8 23rd 26.8 +0.8 24.1 16th 83.0 183.6 average 45%
Ngayawili 34.4 +1.5 37.5 31st 27.2 +1.4 24.3 11th 146.6 231.0 average 63%
Warruwi Airport 33.8 +0.6 35.8 18th 26.7 +0.4 23.9 16th 137.0 197.6 average 69%
Roper-Mcarthur (district 14DE)
Borroloola Airport 39.5 +2.8 42.7 31st 26.5 +1.3 24.2 6th 49.2 133.9 low 37%
Bulman 37.9 +0.6 40.4 23rd 24.9 +0.1 22.5 20th 190.2 192.7 average 99%
Centre Island 36.5 +1.7 38.9 13th 29.0 +1.6 24.7 7th 29.6 138.0 low 21%
Daly Waters Airstrip     42.7 24th 25.2 +1.0 22.6 24th 22.6 116.8 v low 19%
McArthur River Mine Airport 39.4 +1.6 42.6 13th 26.2 +1.1 23.0 3rd 150.4 125.5 average 120%
Ngukurr Airport 40.3 +1.5 42.6 25th 26.9 +0.9 22.9 20th 64.8 123.1 average 53%
Victoria (district 14F)
Bradshaw 39.2 +2.4 42.4 30th 26.9 +1.3 23.2 7th 91.6 197.7 low 46%
Bradshaw - Angallari Valley (Defence) 39.8   43.2 30th 27.0   23.7 9th 95.0
Bradshaw - Koolendong Valley (Defence) 38.0   41.5 29th 26.1   23.6 11th 70.4
Lajamanu Airport 41.5 +3.1 46.6 19th 26.2 +1.8 21.6 11th 43.8 82.5 average 53%
Victoria River Downs 41.1 +3.3 43.8 30th 27.1 +1.9 23.6 7th 39.8 120.0 low 33%
Barkly (district 15A)
Elliott 40.8 +2.2 44.5 24th 26.3 +1.8 21.8 23rd 7.4 102.9 v low 7%
Tennant Creek Airport 40.6 +3.3 44.2 29th 26.5 +1.5 17.7 11th 14.4 77.8 low 19%
Alice Springs (district 15B)
Alice Springs Airport 37.4 +1.9 43.2 29th 18.7 -1.6 9.9 12th 12.0 38.4 low 31%
Arltunga 39.0 +4.3 43.8 29th 19.7 -0.7 12.4 12th 15.6 42.2 average 37%
Curtin Springs 38.9 +2.4 44.3 18th 21.7 +1.0 9.7 11th 12.3 31.0 average 40%
Jervois 40.0 +2.2 45.2 29th 21.7 +0.1 14.0 12th 2.6 40.1 low 6%
Rabbit Flat 42.1 +3.3 46.4 19th 25.2 +1.5 18.3 11th 21.4 81.0 low 26%
Territory Grape Farm 39.0 +2.5 43.2 30th 20.8 -0.5 14.9 11th 10.4 61.4 low 17%
Walungurru Airport 40.7 +2.2 45.3 30th 26.0 +1.0 14.3 11th 1.4 54.9 low 3%
Yulara Airport 38.5 +1.8 44.0 28th 21.6 +0.6 10.3 11th 15.8 41.5 average 38%

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 3 pm on Friday 5 January 2024. 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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