Northern Territory in October 2024

Temperature

Rainfall

Events

  • Hot days and warm nights occurred regularly throughout October across the Northern Territory. A severe intensity heatwave developed from 3 October in parts of western Top End including the Tiwi Islands in the Northern Territory. Extreme intensity heatwaves impacted areas south of Darwin at times, with Heatwave Warnings issued for affected areas. Conditions started to ease from 12 October. For further information, refer to the October summary for Australia.

Darwin Airport

  • Total rainfall for Darwin Airport was 39.4 mm, which is 56% of the long-term average of 70.0 mm.
  • The mean daily maximum temperature for Darwin Airport was 34.7 °C, which is 1.4 °C above the long-term average of 33.3 °C.
  • The warmest day was 36.9 °C on the 1st, and the coolest day was on the 31st when the temperature reached 29.1 °C.
  • The mean daily minimum temperature for Darwin Airport was 25.7 °C, which is 0.8 °C above the long-term average of 24.9 °C.
  • The coldest morning was 22.4 °C on the 31st, and the warmest morning was on the 27th when the minimum temperature was 27.8 °C.

Extremes in October 2024
Hottest day 42.7 °C at McArthur River Mine Airport on the 21st
Warmest days on average 39.8 °C at Bradshaw - Angallari Valley (Defence)
Coolest days on average 31.1 °C at McCluer Island
Coldest day 23.7 °C at Alice Springs Airport on the 1st
Coldest night 7.0 °C at Arltunga on the 2nd
Coolest nights on average 12.8 °C at Arltunga
Warmest nights on average 27.0 °C at McCluer Island
Warmest night 29.0 °C at Charles Point on the 27th
Warmest on average overall 32.6 °C at Bradshaw - Angallari Valley (Defence)
Coolest on average overall 22.5 °C at Arltunga
Wettest overall 151.5 mm at Labelle Downs
Wettest day 87.2 mm at Foelsche Headland on the 31st
Strongest wind gust 98.0 km/h at Territory Grape Farm on the 17th

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
Average for
October
Wandie Creek 37.6 on the 31st 33.6 on 29 Oct 1992 27 28.5
Bradshaw 40.2 on the 21st 39.0 on 31 Oct 1998 27 25.0
Milingimbi Airport 37.4 on the 29th 32.6 on 10 Oct 2010 23 7.1
Foelsche Headland 87.2 on the 31st 34.8 on 31 Oct 2015 22 17.9
Snowdrop Creek 43.6 on the 31st 30.8 on 05 Oct 2022 21 17.8



Record highest October total rainfall
New record
(mm)
Old
record
Years of
record
Average for
October
Bradshaw 85.8 83.4 in 2010 27 27.2
Humbert River 68.0 59.5 in 1969 22 15.4
Foelsche Headland 120.6 61.4 in 2010 22 22.5



Highest October total rainfall for at least 20 years
Observed
(mm)
Most recent
higher
Average for
October
Katherine Council 59.0 100.6 in 2001 27.2

note: there may be gaps in the historical record at some sites, so it is possible more recent higher values have gone unreported




Record highest October temperature
New record
(°C)
Old
record
Years of
record
Average for
October
Groote Eylandt Airport 39.1 on the 26th =39.1 on 11 Oct 2011 26 34.2
Maningrida Airport 38.2 on the 26th 37.6 on 16 Oct 2014 22 33.3



Record lowest October daily maximum temperature
New record
(°C)
Old
record
Years of
record
Average for
October
Pirlangimpi Airport 28.0 on the 31st 28.4 on 22 Oct 2016 41 33.8



Record highest October mean maximum temperature
New record
(°C)
Old
record
Years of
record
Average for
October
McArthur River Mine Airport 39.8 =39.8 in 1987 44 38.0
Dum In Mirrie Airstrip 34.0 33.9 in 2016 26 32.9



Highest October mean maximum temperature for at least 20 years
Observed
(°C)
Most recent
higher
Average for
October
McArthur River Mine Airport 39.8 =39.8 in 1987 38.0
Jervois 37.1 37.2 in 1988 33.4

note: there may be gaps in the historical record at some sites, so it is possible more recent higher values have gone unreported




Record highest October mean minimum temperature
New record
(°C)
Old
record
Years of
record
Average for
October
Curtin Springs 18.7 18.2 in 2006 60 14.5
Middle Point 23.8 =23.8 in 2021 24 22.2



Record highest October mean temperature
New record
(°C)
Old
record
Years of
record
Average for
October
Alice Springs Airport 25.7 =25.7 in 1967 83 23.0
Jervois 27.8 27.4 in 1988 55 24.6
Pirlangimpi Airport 29.9 29.7 in 2021 40 28.5




Summary statistics for October 2024
Maximum temperatures
(°C)
Minimum temperatures
(°C)
Rainfall
(millimetres)
Mean for
October
2024
Diff
from
average
Highest for
October
2024
Mean for
October
2024
Diff
from
average
Lowest for
October
2024
Total for
October
2024
Average
for
October
Rank of
October
2024
Fraction of
October
average
Darwin-Daly (district 14GA)
Batchelor Airport 37.0 +0.2 39.0 11th 23.6 +0.5 21.6 31st 70.4 62.3 average 113%
Central Arnhem Plateau 36.5 +0.8 38.4 26th 22.7 +0.5 17.6 1st 60.6 32.3 high 188%
Charles Point 32.3 +0.4 35.3 29th 26.3 +0.3 22.4 31st 80.8 61.2 high 132%
Croker Island Airport 34.3 +0.5 36.2 23rd 24.4 -0.2 22.7 8th 20.8 8.5 245%
Darwin Airport 34.7 +1.4 36.9 1st 25.7 +0.8 22.4 31st 39.4 70.0 average 56%
Delamere Weapons Range 38.8 +1.1 41.5 22nd 24.7 +0.8 22.0 22nd 34.4 27.9 high 123%
Douglas River Research Farm 38.7 +0.8 41.6 9th 24.0 +1.5 20.8 2nd 119.2 40.6 high 294%
Dum In Mirrie Airstrip 34.0 +1.1 37.0 29th 25.2 -0.2 22.0 31st 79.0 61.4 high 129%
East Point 33.7 36.2 29th 25.9 22.9 31st 56.6
Jabiru Airport 39.1 +1.3 41.7 26th 24.8 +0.8 22.3 1st 14.8 39.1 average 38%
Kangaroo Flats (Defence) 37.5 40.0 10th 24.9 22.1 31st 111.8
Knuckey Lagoon 36.0 38.2 1st 24.2 22.2 5th 17.6
McCluer Island 31.1 +0.5 33.4 21st 27.0 +0.7 25.5 18th 4.0 6.9 average 58%
Middle Point 37.4 0.0 39.7 10th 23.8 +1.6 20.6 1st 86.6 47.5 high 182%
Mount Bundey North (Defence) 38.5 40.3 10th 24.9 22.5 31st 52.4
Mount Bundey South (Defence) 38.5 40.6 10th 25.0 21.9 1st 107.2
Murganella Airstrip 35.0 +0.4 38.5 26th 22.9 +0.8 20.0 8th 26.0 11.4 high 228%
Noonamah Airstrip 37.0 +0.4 39.4 1st 24.7 +0.8 22.3 31st 22.8 62.6 low 36%
Oenpelli Airport 39.1 +0.8 41.6 26th 23.8 +0.7 20.3 1st 7.2 17.0 average 42%
Pirlangimpi Airport 35.9 +2.1 38.7 29th 23.9 +0.8 22.3 6th 104.4 85.2 average 122%
Point Stuart 35.3 +0.7 36.7 28th 24.9 +0.7 22.4 8th 24.0 52.5 average 46%
Port Keats Airport 34.8 +0.4 38.7 1st 25.4 +1.3 22.3 30th 50.8 42.6 average 119%
Tindal RAAF 39.0 +1.1 41.2 26th 24.8 +0.8 16.9 1st 76.6 33.6 high 228%
Arnhem (district 14BC)
Gove Airport 32.4 34.3 20th 23.2 21.0 6th 2.6
Groote Eylandt Airport 35.2 +1.0 39.1 26th 22.1 +0.9 19.4 3rd 11.6 26.4 average 44%
Maningrida Airport 34.0 +0.7 38.2 26th 23.8 +0.7 21.8 8th 16.0 11.1 high 144%
Milingimbi Airport 33.5 +0.4 36.4 26th 24.5 +0.7 21.8 8th 48.2 8.6 high 560%
Ngayawili 33.5 +0.7 35.5 30th 23.4 +0.7 20.9 8th 0.2 9.4 low 2%
Warruwi Airport 33.5 +0.9 36.3 26th 26.1 +0.7 24.6 16th 6.8 12.1 average 56%
Roper-Mcarthur (district 14DE)
Borroloola Airport 38.6 +1.5 41.9 21st 22.3 +0.8 16.4 1st 7.4 12.8 average 58%
Bulman 39.5 +1.0 41.6 26th 22.0 0.0 15.1 1st 1.4 18.2 average 8%
Centre Island 34.2 +1.0 37.1 20th 26.3 +1.3 24.7 3rd 7.4 7.5 high 99%
Daly Waters Airstrip 39.4 +1.8 41.2 22nd 20.1 -0.9 14.8 11th 21.0 21.3 average 99%
McArthur River Mine Airport 39.8 +1.8 42.7 21st 23.1 +1.7 16.3 1st 4.8 19.8 average 24%
Ngukurr Airport 39.5 +0.5 41.9 22nd 24.2 +1.3 17.0 1st 7.2 18.2 average 40%
Victoria (district 14F)
Bradshaw 39.5 +0.4 41.5 26th 25.6 +0.5 20.2 1st 85.8 27.2 highest 315%
Bradshaw - Angallari Valley (Defence) 39.9 42.1 10th 25.5 21.2 14th 60.6
Bradshaw - Koolendong Valley (Defence) 39.0 41.4 26th 24.1 17.7 1st 49.2
Lajamanu Airport 39.3 +1.7 41.7 23rd 22.1 +1.3 17.4 12th 0.8 21.5 low 4%
Victoria River Downs 39.2 +1.1 41.7 22nd 22.8 +0.3 18.3 23rd 70.0 19.4 high 361%
Barkly (district 15A)
Elliott 38.9 +0.9 41.2 24th 23.0 +1.9 18.0 3rd 0.6 20.4 low 3%
Tennant Creek Airport 37.1 +2.1 39.6 31st 23.2 +1.4 20.6 2nd 21.8 19.3 high 113%
Alice Springs (district 15B)
Alice Springs Airport 35.1 +3.9 39.8 16th 16.3 +1.5 7.8 2nd 0.2 19.5 low 1%
Arltunga 32.4 +1.0 35.7 4th 12.8 -1.4 7.0 2nd 15.0 21.3 average 70%
Curtin Springs 35.5 +3.6 40.8 16th 18.7 +4.2 11.9 2nd 22.4 18.1 high 124%
Jervois 37.1 +3.7 40.8 16th 18.6 +2.9 12.3 2nd 1.6 14.0 average 11%
Rabbit Flat 38.3 +0.9 40.6 31st 19.1 +0.7 13.6 13th 1.8 20.4 low 9%
Territory Grape Farm 36.0 +2.5 38.3 31st 17.7 +2.0 12.2 2nd 3.8 14.2 average 27%
Walungurru Airport 37.5 +1.5 41.6 16th 23.0 +2.0 15.6 1st 4.8 13.7 average 35%
Watarrka 37.0 +3.9 40.9 21st 20.8 +3.4 11.5 5th 0.0 22.9 lowest 0%
Yulara Airport 35.2 +2.8 40.9 16th 18.6 +3.5 13.0 5th 8.2 21.7 average 38%

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 on Monday 4 November 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.

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