Wednesday, 1 May 2024 - Monthly Climate Summary for Northern Territory - Product code IDCKGC12R0
Northern Territory in April 2024
Rainfall
- Across the NT, April average rainfall was 16.1 mm, 41.8% below the 1961–1990 average.
- Rainfall was below to very much below average across the south of the NT, Tiwi Islands and surrounding Darwin and above average for parts of the Carpentaria, Gregory and Barkly districts.
- Cape Wessel recorded its highest April daily rainfall on record and highest total April rainfall for at least 20 years.
Temperature
- The mean maximum temperature across the NT was 30.06 °C, 1.72 °C below the 1961–1990 average and the coolest since 2011.
- Maximum temperatures were below to very much below average across most of the NT south of the Top End and above average to the north of the Daly and Arnhem districts and the Tiwi Islands.
- Channel Point recorded its highest April temperature on record.
- Channel Point and Dum In Mirrie Airstrip had their highest April mean daily maximum temperature on record.
- A few sites had their lowest April mean daily maximum temperature on record.
- Alice Springs Airport and Territory Grape Farm had their lowest April mean daily maximum temperature for at least 20 years.
- The mean minimum temperature across the NT was 17.57 °C, 1.52 °C below the 1961–1990 average and the coolest since 2011.
- Minimum temperatures were below to very much below average for the southern half of the NT and above average for most of the Top End.
- Groote Eylandt Airport and Middle Point had their warmest April night (highest daily minimum temperature) on record.
- A few sites had their highest April mean daily minimum temperature on record.
- Walungurru Airport recorded its lowest April mean daily minimum temperature on record.
- Alice Springs Airport and Yulara Airport had their lowest April mean daily minimum temperature for at least 20 years.
- The mean temperature across the NT was 23.8 °C, 1.61 °C below the 1961–1990 average.
- A few sites had their lowest April mean temperature on record.
- A few sites had their lowest April mean temperature for at least 20 years.
Darwin Airport
- Total rainfall for Darwin Airport was 18.4 mm, which is 18% of the long-term average of 100.5 mm.
- The mean daily maximum temperature for Darwin Airport was 33.6 °C, which is 0.8 °C above the long-term average of 32.8 °C.
- The warmest day was 35.2 °C on the 26th, and the coolest day was on the 5th when the temperature reached 31.7 °C.
- The mean daily minimum temperature for Darwin Airport was 24.7 °C, which is 0.6 °C above the long-term average of 24.1 °C.
- The coldest morning was 22.1 °C on the 11th, and the warmest morning was on the 17th when the minimum temperature was 26.9 °C.
Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top
| Extremes in April 2024 | |
|---|---|
| Hottest day | 37.4 °C at Bradshaw - Angallari Valley (Defence) on the 17th |
| Warmest days on average |
34.9 °C at Jabiru Airport 34.9 °C at Mount Bundey North (Defence) |
| Coolest days on average | 24.8 °C at Arltunga |
| Coldest day | 21.0 °C at Arltunga on the 26th |
| Coldest night | 2.3 °C at Arltunga on the 27th |
| Coolest nights on average | 8.9 °C at Alice Springs Airport |
| Warmest nights on average | 26.8 °C at McCluer Island |
| Warmest night | 28.4 °C at McCluer Island on the 6th |
| Warmest on average overall | 29.8 °C at Jabiru Airport |
| Coolest on average overall | 17.4 °C at Alice Springs Airport |
| Wettest overall | 757.0 mm at Cape Wessel |
| Wettest day | 298.4 mm at Cape Wessel on the 22nd |
| Strongest wind gust | 76 km/h at Cape Wessel on the 19th |
Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top
| Maps | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 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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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 |
||||
| Cape Wessel | 298.4 | on the 22nd | 251.0 | on the 8th in 1992 | 33 | |
| Highest April total rainfall for at least 20 years | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Observed (mm) |
Most recent higher |
Average for April |
|||
| Cape Wessel | 757.0 | 1061.2 | in 1992* | 191.5 | |
* 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 |
|||
| Channel Point | 35.5 | on the 16th | = 35.5 | on the 24th in 2020 | 30 | 32.5 |
| Record highest April mean daily maximum temperature | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
New record (°C) |
Old record |
Years of record |
Average for April |
||
| Channel Point | 33.7 | 33.6 | in 2004 | 29 | 32.5 |
| Dum In Mirrie Airstrip | 34.8 | 34.5 | in 2016 | 25 | 33.1 |
| Record lowest April mean daily maximum temperature | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
New record (°C) |
Old record |
Years of record |
Average for April |
||
| Elliott | 30.2 | 30.7 | in 2006 | 43 | 34.6 |
| Rabbit Flat | 30.4 | 30.5 | in 2011 | 27 | 34.3 |
| Arltunga | 24.8 | 25.2 | in 2015 | 22 | 29.0 |
| Walungurru Airport | 29.6 | 30.4 | in 2015 | 21 | 33.2 |
| Lowest April mean daily maximum temperature for at least 20 years | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Observed (°C) |
Most recent lower |
Average for April |
|||
| Alice Springs Airport | 25.9 | 25.0 | in 2000 | 28.4 | |
| Territory Grape Farm | 27.9 | 27.0 | in 2000 | 30.9 | |
| Record highest April daily minimum temperature | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
New record (°C) |
Old record |
Years of record |
Average for April |
|||
| Groote Eylandt Airport | 27.0 | on the 20th | 26.1 | on the 6th in 2006 | 25 | 21.9 |
| Middle Point | 25.7 | on the 3rd | = 25.7 | on the 18th in 2009 | 23 | 22.5 |
| Record highest April mean daily minimum temperature | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
New record (°C) |
Old record |
Years of record |
Average for April |
||
| Groote Eylandt Airport | 24.0 | 23.8 | in 2006 | 24 | 21.9 |
| Ngayawili | 25.0 | 24.9 | in 2010 | 23 | 23.8 |
| Middle Point | 23.7 | = 23.7 | in 2010 | 22 | 22.5 |
| Record lowest April mean daily minimum temperature | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
New record (°C) |
Old record |
Years of record |
Average for April |
||
| Walungurru Airport | 18.0 | 18.2 | in 2015 | 21 | 20.7 |
| Lowest April mean daily minimum temperature for at least 20 years | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Observed (°C) |
Most recent lower |
Average for April |
|||
| Alice Springs Airport | 8.9 | =8.9 | in 2001 | 12.7 | |
| Yulara Airport | 12.5 | 10.8 | in 2001 | 14.7 | |
| Record lowest April mean temperature | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
New record (°C) |
Old record |
Years of record |
Average for April |
||
| Territory Grape Farm | 20.2 | 20.6 | in 2015 | 27 | 22.8 |
| Arltunga | 17.5 | 18.1 | in 2011 | 22 | 21.3 |
| Walungurru Airport | 23.8 | 24.3 | in 2015 | 21 | 27.0 |
| Lowest April mean temperature for at least 20 years | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Observed (°C) |
Most recent lower |
Average for April |
|||
| Alice Springs Airport | 17.4 | 17.1 | in 1949 | 20.5 | |
| Elliott | 25.3 | =25.3 | in 1983* | 27.2 | |
| Jervois | 20.8 | 20.3 | in 1995 | 22.6 | |
| Yulara Airport | 20.1 | 19.5 | in 2001 | 22.4 | |
* note: there are gaps in the historical record at this site, so it is possible a lower value has gone unreported
Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top
| Summary statistics for April 2024 | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum temperatures (°C) |
Minimum temperatures (°C) |
Rainfall (millimetres) |
||||||||||
| Mean for April 2024 |
Diff from average |
Highest for April 2024 |
Mean for April 2024 |
Diff from average |
Lowest for April 2024 |
Total for April 2024 |
Average for April |
Rank of April 2024 |
Fraction of April average |
|||
| Darwin-Daly (district 14GA) | ||||||||||||
| Batchelor Airport | 33.4 | -0.4 | 35.3 | 16th | 22.5 | +0.6 | 19.1 | 22nd | 67.4 | 87.0 | average | 77% |
| Central Arnhem Plateau | 32.2 | -0.4 | 33.4 | 24th | 22.1 | +0.4 | 19.3 | 11th | 13.2 | 63.4 | low | 21% |
| Channel Point | 33.7 | +1.2 | 35.5 | 16th | 24.2 | +0.6 | 21.5 | 11th | 26.0 | 98.1 | low | 27% |
| Charles Point | 33.5 | 35.4 | 16th | 24.7 | 22.3 | 21st | 5.4 | 85.0 | v low | 6% | ||
| Croker Island Airport | 31.9 | -0.4 | 33.3 | 8th | 24.7 | -0.3 | 21.7 | 11th | 139.2 | 153.6 | average | 91% |
| Darwin Airport | 33.6 | +0.8 | 35.2 | 26th | 24.7 | +0.6 | 22.1 | 11th | 18.4 | 100.5 | low | 18% |
| Delamere Weapons Range | 32.6 | -1.9 | 34.7 | 17th | 20.9 | -0.4 | 17.3 | 28th | 21.8 | 18.6 | high | 117% |
| Douglas River Research Farm | 34.0 | -0.7 | 36.5 | 25th | 21.1 | +0.4 | 17.4 | 28th | 25.2 | 49.6 | average | 51% |
| Dum In Mirrie Airstrip | 34.8 | +1.7 | 36.2 | 17th | 23.9 | -0.4 | 20.3 | 10th | 110.4 | 96.6 | average | 114% |
| East Point | 33.8 | 35.4 | 30th | 25.0 | 23.0 | 28th | 36.6 | |||||
| Jabiru Airport | 34.9 | +0.3 | 36.5 | 25th | 24.7 | +1.0 | 21.5 | 28th | 24.2 | 86.5 | low | 28% |
| Kangaroo Flats (Defence) | 34.4 | 35.6 | 16th | 23.4 | 20.8 | 22nd | 76.2 | |||||
| Knuckey Lagoon | 33.8 | 35.3 | 16th | 24.1 | 21.6 | 22nd | 11.0 | |||||
| McCluer Island | 31.2 | +0.3 | 33.2 | 8th | 26.8 | +0.6 | 24.7 | 14th | 97.8 | 149.0 | average | 66% |
| Middle Point | 33.6 | -0.6 | 34.9 | 26th | 23.7 | +1.2 | 20.5 | 11th | 62.6 | 95.1 | average | 66% |
| Mount Bundey North (Defence) | 34.9 | 36.6 | 16th | 23.1 | 20.2 | 11th | 39.4 | |||||
| Mount Bundey South (Defence) | 34.7 | 36.0 | 16th | 22.5 | 18.2 | 22nd | 58.4 | |||||
| Murganella Airstrip | 32.8 | -0.3 | 34.9 | 8th | 23.5 | +0.5 | 17.8 | 11th | 34.4 | |||
| Noonamah Airstrip | 34.8 | +0.1 | 36.7 | 26th | 23.3 | -0.1 | 19.3 | 11th | 9.6 | 76.2 | low | 13% |
| Oenpelli Airport | 34.8 | -0.2 | 36.6 | 15th | 24.4 | +0.3 | 19.7 | 11th | 47.8 | 79.6 | low | 60% |
| Pirlangimpi Airport | 34.4 | +1.5 | 35.9 | 26th | 24.1 | +0.9 | 20.8 | 11th | 42.4 | 160.2 | low | 26% |
| Point Fawcett | 32.5 | +0.1 | 33.9 | 25th | 23.7 | +0.1 | 19.6 | 12th | 96.2 | 131.7 | average | 73% |
| Port Keats Airport | 34.6 | +0.2 | 36.7 | 25th | 23.4 | +0.8 | 19.9 | 12th | 19.4 | 80.1 | low | 24% |
| Tindal RAAF | 33.4 | -0.9 | 34.9 | 17th | 20.5 | -0.2 | 16.1 | 11th | 0.4 | 35.3 | low | 1% |
| Arnhem (district 14BC) | ||||||||||||
| Cape Wessel | 31.2 | -1.0 | 33.5 | 2nd | 25.6 | -0.5 | 23.6 | 19th | 757.0 | 191.5 | v high | 395% |
| Gove Airport | 30.4 | 32.3 | 4th | 25.0 | 23.1 | 20th | 528.2 | |||||
| Groote Eylandt Airport | 32.3 | -0.2 | 34.2 | 6th | 24.0 | +2.1 | 18.4 | 10th | 18.6 | 147.9 | v low | 13% |
| Maningrida Airport | 32.7 | +0.1 | 34.4 | 5th | 24.2 | +0.8 | 22.0 | 9th | 97.8 | 132.9 | average | 74% |
| Milingimbi Airport | 33.0 | +0.5 | 35.2 | 8th | 24.5 | +0.5 | 22.9 | 11th | 133.8 | 131.7 | average | 102% |
| Ngayawili | 31.8 | -0.1 | 33.9 | 7th | 25.0 | +1.2 | 22.3 | 10th | 135.4 | 152.6 | average | 89% |
| Warruwi Airport | 32.0 | +0.4 | 33.5 | 20th | 25.9 | +0.8 | 24.4 | 14th | 35.0 | 115.4 | average | 30% |
| Roper-Mcarthur (district 14DE) | ||||||||||||
| Borroloola Airport | 33.7 | -0.7 | 35.5 | 25th | 20.8 | +0.5 | 16.0 | 27th | 19.2 | 54.4 | average | 35% |
| Bulman | 33.1 | -1.3 | 35.4 | 15th | 22.1 | +1.1 | 17.0 | 11th | 45.4 | 60.1 | average | 76% |
| Centre Island | 31.3 | -0.9 | 33.5 | 3rd | 25.5 | +0.1 | 23.5 | 11th | 15.0 | 84.8 | average | 18% |
| Daly Waters Airstrip | 31.8 | -2.3 | 34.0 | 24th | 19.4 | -0.2 | 13.5 | 28th | 31.8 | 21.0 | high | 151% |
| McArthur River Mine Airport | 34.1 | -0.9 | 35.9 | 16th | 21.2 | +0.4 | 15.9 | 13th | 13.4 | 31.0 | average | 43% |
| Ngukurr Airport | 33.4 | -2.1 | 35.0 | 16th | 22.1 | 0.0 | 17.4 | 11th | 40.6 | 39.0 | average | 104% |
| Victoria (district 14F) | ||||||||||||
| Bradshaw | 34.8 | -1.5 | 36.6 | 17th | 21.6 | -1.0 | 17.3 | 22nd | 7.4 | 26.1 | average | 28% |
| Bradshaw - Angallari Valley (Defence) | 34.7 | 37.4 | 17th | 22.7 | 18.0 | 11th | 17.2 | |||||
| Bradshaw - Koolendong Valley (Defence) | 34.1 | 36.0 | 24th | 19.5 | 15.3 | 28th | 11.4 | |||||
| Lajamanu Airport | 30.9 | -3.2 | 34.3 | 2nd | 17.1 | -1.4 | 13.2 | 28th | 1.0 | 15.4 | average | 6% |
| Victoria River Downs | 32.9 | -1.9 | 34.9 | 24th | 19.2 | -0.7 | 15.3 | 11th | 52.0 | 22.8 | high | 228% |
| Barkly (district 15A) | ||||||||||||
| Elliott | 30.2 | -4.4 | 32.9 | 2nd | 20.4 | +0.6 | 16.9 | 11th | 35.8 | 20.1 | high | 178% |
| Tennant Creek Airport | 29.4 | -2.6 | 32.7 | 2nd | 18.2 | -2.3 | 14.3 | 22nd | 0 | 14.8 | lowest | 0% |
| Alice Springs (district 15B) | ||||||||||||
| Alice Springs Airport | 25.9 | -2.5 | 31.9 | 1st | 8.9 | -3.8 | 2.9 | 27th | 0 | 16.4 | lowest | 0% |
| Arltunga | 24.8 | -4.2 | 30.4 | 1st | 10.2 | -3.3 | 2.3 | 27th | 0 | 15.4 | lowest | 0% |
| Curtin Springs | 28.1 | -1.2 | 34.5 | 1st | 12.6 | -1.1 | 6.9 | 28th | 0 | 14.2 | lowest | 0% |
| Jervois | 28.5 | -2.2 | 34.2 | 1st | 13.1 | -1.4 | 6.8 | 27th | 1.6 | 15.1 | average | 11% |
| Rabbit Flat | 30.4 | -3.9 | 33.8 | 2nd | 16.0 | -1.1 | 11.8 | 23rd | 11.0 | 19.6 | average | 56% |
| Territory Grape Farm | 27.9 | -3.0 | 33.0 | 1st | 12.3 | -2.3 | 6.4 | 27th | 0 | 14.9 | lowest | 0% |
| Walungurru Airport | 29.6 | -3.6 | 35.0 | 1st | 18.0 | -2.7 | 13.7 | 28th | 0 | 13.1 | lowest | 0% |
| Yulara Airport | 27.7 | -2.3 | 33.3 | 1st | 12.5 | -2.2 | 6.6 | 28th | 0 | 13.9 | 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 10 am on Wednesday 1 May 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.
Unless otherwise noted, all maps, graphs and diagrams in this page are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence
