Friday 3 January 2025 - Monthly Climate Summary for Northern Territory - Product code IDCKGC12R0

Northern Territory in December 2024

Rainfall

  • Rainfall totals in December were above average across parts of the southern Northern Territory and Top End and below average for part of northern-central Northern Territory.
  • The Northern Territory's area-averaged rainfall total in December was 86.55 mm, 18% above the 1961–1990 average.
  • Wandie Creek had its highest total December rainfall on record.

Temperature

  • Mean maximum temperatures in December were above to very much above average for most of the Northern Territory, and close to average for parts of the Carpentaria district.
  • The Northern Territory's area-averaged mean maximum temperature was 38.22 °C, 1.41 °C above the 1961–1990 average, the ninth-warmest on record for all Decembers since 1910.
  • Maningrida Airport had its hottest December day (highest daily maximum temperature) on record.
  • Ngayawili had its coolest December day (lowest daily maximum temperature) on record.
  • Mean minimum temperatures in December were above to very much above average across most of the Northern Territory and below average for a small region in the north-central Northern Territory.
  • The Northern Territory's area-averaged mean minimum temperature was 25.49 °C, 1.60 °C above the 1961–1990 average, the third-warmest on record for all Decembers since 1910.
  • Jervois and Curtin Springs had their highest December mean minimum temperature for at least 20 years.
  • The Northern Territory's area-averaged mean temperature was 31.86 °C, 1.51 °C above the 1961–1990 average, the fourth-warmest on record for all Decembers since 1910.
  • Jervois had its highest December mean temperature on record.

Darwin Airport

  • Total rainfall for Darwin Airport was 224.2 mm, which is 88% of the long-term average of 255.3 mm.
  • The mean daily maximum temperature for Darwin Airport was 33.7 °C, which is 1.0 °C above the long-term average of 32.7 °C.
  • The warmest day was 35.9 °C on the 4th, and the coolest day was on the 7th when the temperature reached 30.2 °C.
  • The mean daily minimum temperature for Darwin Airport was 25.5 °C, which is 0.1 °C above the long-term average of 25.4 °C.
  • The coldest morning was 23.1 °C on the 19th, and the warmest morning was on the 22nd when the minimum temperature was 29.0 °C.

Alice Springs Airport

  • Total rainfall for Alice Springs Airport was 18.2 mm, which is 47% of the long-term average of 38.4 mm.
  • The mean daily maximum temperature for Alice Springs Airport was 38.0 °C, which is 2.5 °C above the long-term average of 35.5 °C.
  • The warmest day was 42.5 °C on the 15th, and the coolest day was on the 27th when the temperature reached 29.2 °C.
  • The mean daily minimum temperature for Alice Springs Airport was 22.0 °C, which is 1.7 °C above the long-term average of 20.3 °C.
  • The coldest morning was 15.7 °C on the 24th, and the warmest morning was on the 17th when the minimum temperature was 28.6 °C.

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

Extremes in December 2024
Hottest day 45.9 °C at Jervois on the 16th
Warmest days on average 40.5 °C at Jervois
Coolest days on average 32.6 °C at Charles Point
Coldest day 27.0 °C at Ngayawili on the 6th
Coldest night 13.9 °C at Watarrka on the 9th
Coolest nights on average 21.7 °C at Watarrka
Warmest nights on average 28.0 °C at Centre Island
Warmest night 30.9 °C at Jervois on the 17th
Warmest on average overall 32.9 °C at Victoria River Downs
Coolest on average overall 28.9 °C at Central Arnhem Plateau
Wettest overall 472.2 mm at Wandie Creek
Wettest day 347.0 mm at Geriatric Park on the 31st
Strongest wind gust 100.0 km/h at Bradshaw on the 17th

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

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

Record highest December total rainfall
New record
(mm)		 Old
record		 Years of
record		 Average for
December
Wandie Creek 472.2 417.2 in 2008 30 216.3


Record highest December temperature
New record
(°C)		 Old
record		 Years of
record		 Average for
December
Maningrida Airport 38.5 on the 16th =38.5 on 02 Dec 2007 22 33.5


Record lowest December daily maximum temperature
New record
(°C)		 Old
record		 Years of
record		 Average for
December
Ngayawili 27.0 on the 6th 27.3 on 23 Dec 2011 26 32.9


Highest December mean minimum temperature for at least 20 years
Observed
(°C)		 Most recent
higher		 Average for
December
Jervois 24.2 24.6 in 2003 21.6
Curtin Springs 22.8 22.9 in 2003 20.7

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 December mean temperature
New record
(°C)		 Old
record		 Years of
record		 Average for
December
Jervois 32.4 =32.4 in 2019 57 29.7


Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

Summary statistics for December 2024
Maximum temperatures
(°C)		 Minimum temperatures
(°C)		 Rainfall
(millimetres)
Mean for
December
2024		 Diff
from
average		 Highest for
December
2024		 Mean for
December
2024		 Diff
from
average		 Lowest for
December
2024		 Total for
December
2024		 Average
for
December		 Rank of
December
2024		 Fraction of
December
average
Darwin-Daly (district 14GA)
Batchelor Airport 34.5 +0.5 36.1 15th 24.3 +0.1 22.1 19th 343.2 267.3 high 128%
Central Arnhem Plateau 34.0 +0.6 36.6 4th 23.8 +0.2 20.9 25th 277.6 247.6 average 112%
Channel Point 33.5 +1.1 35.0 28th 25.5 +0.3 23.5 19th 432.8 319.7 average 135%
Charles Point 32.6 +0.1 34.0 16th 26.3 -0.1 22.9 19th 176.8 279.6 low 63%
Croker Island Airport 33.1 -0.3 34.9 28th 26.5 +0.1 24.5 25th 191.8 205.3 average 93%
Darwin Airport 33.7 +1.0 35.9 4th 25.5 +0.1 23.1 19th 224.2 255.3 average 88%
Delamere Weapons Range 37.6 +1.4 41.8 17th 24.9 +0.2 21.9 21st 76.0 168.9 low 45%
Douglas River Research Farm 35.7 +0.6 37.6 15th 24.6 +0.7 22.3 19th 282.6 215.6 high 131%
Dum In Mirrie Airstrip 33.8 +1.0 35.4 30th 26.0 -0.2 22.7 19th 203.8 284.0 average 72%
East Point 33.1 34.7 16th 25.9 23.7 31st 185.0
Jabiru Airport 36.0 +0.8 38.1 17th 25.5 +0.5 22.8 3rd 219.4 230.1 average 95%
Kangaroo Flats (Defence) 35.4 37.9 27th 24.9 22.2 19th 291.2
Knuckey Lagoon 33.8 35.7 16th 25.1 23.0 19th 341.4
McCluer Island 32.6 +0.4 35.4 16th 27.8 +0.5 24.0 19th 120.6 195.7 average 62%
Middle Point 34.9 -0.1 37.5 16th 24.9 +0.7 22.9 19th 111.4 236.6 low 47%
Mount Bundey North (Defence) 35.5 37.8 16th 25.0 22.6 21st 122.2
Mount Bundey South (Defence) 35.8 38.4 16th 25.1 22.9 19th 161.8
Murganella Airstrip 34.6 +0.2 37.6 4th 25.1 +0.8 23.7 17th 229.2 254.9 average 90%
Noonamah Airstrip 34.8 +0.2 36.5 16th 25.1 +0.1 23.1 19th 302.0 265.3 average 114%
Oenpelli Airport 35.4 -0.5 38.0 4th 25.5 +0.3 23.9 21st 219.4 235.1 average 93%
Pirlangimpi Airport 33.8 +0.8 36.1 28th 25.3 +0.5 22.3 16th 325.2 342.5 average 95%
Point Stuart 34.3 +0.3 36.3 4th 25.9 +0.7 23.6 19th 317.6 233.6 average 136%
Port Keats Airport 34.2 +0.5 37.0 28th 25.9 +0.4 23.4 24th 49.8 202.5 low 25%
Tindal RAAF 36.4 +0.5 39.4 14th 24.6 -0.3 21.7 21st 199.0 205.4 average 97%
Arnhem (district 14BC)
Gove Airport 33.3 35.2 23rd 25.8 23.7 9th 206.6
Groote Eylandt Airport 34.7 +0.2 37.1 14th 26.1 +1.0 23.7 8th 260.2 181.0 high 144%
Maningrida Airport 33.8 +0.3 38.5 16th 25.6 +0.2 22.9 23rd 148.6 176.6 average 84%
Milingimbi Airport 34.2 +0.3 37.7 16th 26.1 +0.1 23.8 18th 186.8 183.6 average 102%
Ngayawili 32.7 -0.2 34.4 28th 26.5 +0.6 23.7 15th 131.0 231.0 average 57%
Warruwi Airport 33.8 +0.6 36.4 4th 26.8 +0.5 23.6 3rd 234.4 197.6 average 119%
Roper-Mcarthur (district 14DE)
Borroloola Airport 37.8 +1.0 40.5 25th 25.4 +0.2 22.5 23rd 93.8 133.9 average 70%
Bulman 37.0 -0.3 39.3 16th 24.6 -0.2 22.5 21st 309.8 192.7 high 161%
Centre Island 34.9 +0.1 37.0 13th 28.0 +0.6 22.6 21st 208.4 138.0 high 151%
Daly Waters Airstrip 38.7 +1.2 42.4 17th 23.5 -0.7 18.8 14th 51.4 116.8 low 44%
McArthur River Mine Airport 38.0 +0.2 40.9 14th 25.4 +0.3 23.0 19th 130.0 125.5 average 104%
Ngukurr Airport 38.0 -1.0 40.3 14th 26.1 0.0 22.8 12th 88.8 123.1 average 72%
Victoria (district 14F)
Bradshaw 37.3 +0.4 41.3 17th 25.6 0.0 22.7 29th 173.8 197.7 average 88%
Bradshaw - Angallari Valley (Defence) 38.3 41.6 17th 25.6 22.4 24th 199.6
Bradshaw - Koolendong Valley (Defence) 37.3 40.6 17th 25.2 23.0 3rd 136.2
Lajamanu Airport 39.5 +1.0 42.3 15th 25.7 +1.2 21.1 3rd 76.0 82.5 average 92%
Victoria River Downs 39.9 +2.0 43.8 17th 25.9 +0.7 22.1 3rd 88.2 120.0 average 74%
Barkly (district 15A)
Elliott 39.5 +0.9 43.6 17th 24.9 +0.3 21.0 14th 22.4 103.0 low 22%
Tennant Creek Airport 38.5 +1.2 43.3 17th 25.7 +0.7 21.4 2nd 27.8 77.8 low 36%
Alice Springs (district 15B)
Alice Springs Airport 38.0 +2.5 42.5 15th 22.0 +1.7 15.7 24th 18.2 38.4 average 47%
Arltunga 36.8 +1.9 41.7 17th 21.9 +1.5 16.2 15th 61.2 42.2 high 145%
Curtin Springs 37.1 +0.6 42.2 25th 22.8 +2.1 18.3 20th 116.2 31.0 high 375%
Jervois 40.5 +2.7 45.9 16th 24.2 +2.6 17.1 25th 11.4 40.1 low 28%
Rabbit Flat 40.4 +1.4 42.8 20th 24.8 +1.1 19.9 21st 84.4 81.0 average 104%
Territory Grape Farm 37.6 +1.0 41.5 15th 22.4 +1.1 18.2 22nd 56.2 61.4 average 92%
Walungurru Airport 39.1 +0.5 41.8 25th 25.6 +0.5 22.8 2nd 76.4 54.9 high 139%
Watarrka 37.0 +0.4 41.4 25th 21.7 -0.3 13.9 9th 67.3 36.6 high 184%
Yulara Airport 37.5 +0.8 42.7 25th 23.4 +2.4 18.8 28th 36.4 41.5 average 88%

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 on Friday 3 January 2025. 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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