Tuesday 1 September 2026 - Monthly Climate Summary for Northern Territory - Product code IDCKGC12R0

Northern Territory in August 2026

Rainfall

Temperature

  • Mean maximum temperatures in August were above to very much above average for most of the northern, eastern and parts of the western Northern Territory.
  • The Northern Territory's area-averaged mean maximum temperature was 29.2 °C, 1.36 °C above the 1961–1990 average.
  • Mean minimum temperatures in August were above to very much above average for most of the Northern Territory, including highest on record for part of the south west.
  • The Northern Territory's area-averaged mean minimum temperature was 14.3 °C, 1.74 °C above the 1961–1990 average.
  • Elliott and Borroloola Airport recorded their highest August mean minimum temperature on record.
  • Lajamanu Airport recorded its highest August mean minimum temperature for at least 20 years.
  • The Northern Territory's area-averaged mean temperature was 21.8 °C, 1.55 °C above the 1961–1990 average.

Events

Darwin Airport

  • Total rainfall for Darwin Airport was 0.0 mm, which is 0% of the long-term average of 4.5 mm.
  • The mean daily maximum temperature for Darwin Airport was 32.6 °C, which is 1.1 °C above the long-term average of 31.5 °C.
  • The warmest day was 34.8 °C on the 27th, and the coolest day was on the 11th when the temperature reached 30.8 °C.
  • The mean daily minimum temperature for Darwin Airport was 21.3 °C, which is 1.0 °C above the long-term average of 20.3 °C.
  • The coldest morning was 17.9 °C on the 3rd, and the warmest morning was on the 16th when the minimum temperature was 22.8 °C.

Alice Springs Airport

  • Total rainfall for Alice Springs Airport was 41.0 mm, which is 512% of the long-term average of 8.0 mm.
  • The mean daily maximum temperature for Alice Springs Airport was 22.9 °C, which equalled the long-term average of 22.9 °C.
  • The warmest day was 29.7 °C on the 20th, and the coolest day was on the 22nd when the temperature reached 15.0 °C.
  • The mean daily minimum temperature for Alice Springs Airport was 6.6 °C, which is 0.7 °C above the long-term average of 5.9 °C.
  • The coldest morning was -1.6 °C on the 1st, and the warmest morning was on the 21st when the minimum temperature was 14.1 °C.

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

Extremes in August 2026
Hottest day 37.2 °C at Middle Point on the 29th
Warmest days on average 35.2 °C at Oenpelli Airport
Coolest days on average 22.9 °C at Alice Springs Airport
Coldest day 15.0 °C at Alice Springs Airport on the 22nd
Coldest night -2.0 °C at Watarrka on the 10th
Coolest nights on average 6.6 °C at Alice Springs Airport
Warmest nights on average 24.2 °C at McCluer Island
Warmest night 25.4 °C at McCluer Island on the 29th
Warmest on average overall 27.5 °C at Jabiru Airport
Coolest on average overall 14.8 °C at Alice Springs Airport
Wettest overall 63.6 mm at Allambi
Wettest day 22.0 mm at Allambi on the 24th
Strongest wind gust 72.0 km/h at Alice Springs Airport on the 23rd

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 August daily rainfall
New record
(mm)		 Old
record		 Years of
record		 Average for
August
Pine Hill 15.0 on the 24th 11.4 on 16 Aug 1993 41 2.9
Maranboy Hill 0.2 on the 16th =0.2 on 20 Aug 2024 20 0.0


Record highest August total rainfall
New record
(mm)		 Old
record		 Years of
record		 Average for
August
Allambi 63.6 45.4 in 1973 56 4.5
Pine Hill 36.5 21.0 in 2016 40 2.9
Territory Grape Farm 43.0 39.4 in 2010 39 3.5


Highest August total rainfall for at least 20 years
Observed
(mm)		 Most recent
higher		 Average for
August
Todd River 37.0 68.3 in 1966 6.4
The Garden 41.2 50.8 in 1973 7.7
Alice Springs Airport 41.0 59.0 in 1973 8.4
Hermannsburg 48.6 84.1 in 1973 8.2

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 August mean minimum temperature
New record
(°C)		 Old
record		 Years of
record		 Average for
August
Elliott 15.6 =15.6 in 2024 45 13.3
Borroloola Airport 16.4 15.6 in 2003 33 13.6


Highest August mean minimum temperature for at least 20 years
Observed
(°C)		 Most recent
higher		 Average for
August
Lajamanu Airport 14.5 14.8 in 1972 11.3

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



Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

Summary statistics for August 2026
Maximum temperatures
(°C)		 Minimum temperatures
(°C)		 Rainfall
(millimetres)
Mean for
August
2026		 Diff
from
average		 Highest for
August
2026		 Mean for
August
2026		 Diff
from
average		 Lowest for
August
2026		 Total for
August
2026		 Average
for
August		 Rank of
August
2026		 Fraction of
August
average
Darwin-Daly (district 14GA)
Batchelor Airport 34.0 +0.4 36.0 29th 18.8 +1.6 15.8 2nd 0.0 1.8 lowest 0%
Central Arnhem Plateau 31.6 +0.7 33.2 24th 17.3 +1.2 14.8 22nd 0.0 0.7 lowest 0%
Channel Point 33.0 +3.2 35.0 31st 22.4 +4.2 20.5 12th 0.0 3.2 lowest 0%
Charles Point 29.5 -0.7 33.7 31st 22.0 +0.8 18.8 3rd 8.8 0.8 highest 1100%
Croker Island Airport 30.9 -0.3 32.7 29th 22.1 +0.9 19.5 9th 0.0 0.3 lowest 0%
Darwin Airport 32.6 +1.1 34.8 27th 21.3 +1.0 17.9 3rd 0.0 4.5 lowest 0%
Delamere Weapons Range 32.4 +0.4 34.3 12th 17.5 +1.4 13.5 2nd 0.0 0.2 lowest 0%
Douglas River Research Farm 34.9 +1.1 36.7 26th 16.3 +2.1 11.0 3rd 0.0 1.1 lowest 0%
Dum In Mirrie Airstrip 32.2 +1.2 34.8 31st 19.9 +0.8 15.8 3rd 0.2 2.7 average 7%
East Point 31.8 35.4 27th 21.5 18.5 3rd 5.6
Jabiru Airport 34.7 +0.7 36.3 29th 20.3 +1.0 17.3 8th 0.0 2.2 lowest 0%
Kangaroo Flats (Defence) 34.4 36.5 29th 20.2 17.4 3rd 0.0
Knuckey Lagoon 33.0 35.2 27th 18.5 15.1 3rd 0.0
McCluer Island 27.9 0.0 29.2 29th 24.2 +0.6 22.3 9th 0.0 0.4 lowest 0%
Middle Point 34.7 +0.3 37.2 29th 17.1 +1.9 13.2 3rd 0.0 1.8 lowest 0%
Mount Bundey North (Defence) 34.4 36.3 29th 20.4 18.7 3rd 0.0
Mount Bundey South (Defence) 34.5 36.6 29th 17.9 13.4 2nd 0.0
Murganella Airstrip 31.3 -0.5 33.0 27th 18.7 +2.0 15.7 28th 0.0 0.0 lowest 0%
Noonamah Airstrip 34.8 +0.3 37.1 29th 18.8 +1.6 14.7 3rd 0.0 0.8 lowest 0%
Oenpelli Airport 35.2 +0.4 37.1 29th 18.9 +0.2 16.3 8th 0.0 0.1 lowest 0%
Pirlangimpi Airport 32.4 0.0 34.9 29th 20.4 +1.2 18.6 7th 0.0 6.1 lowest 0%
Point Stuart 31.8 -0.5 34.3 28th 20.3 +1.6 18.4 24th 2.2 8.3 average 26%
Port Keats Airport 32.0 -0.2 35.6 28th 18.4 +0.9 15.0 7th 0.4 1.0 average 40%
Tindal RAAF 33.3 +0.8 35.0 25th 16.5 +1.5 11.8 2nd 0.0 0.9 lowest 0%
Arnhem (district 14BC)
Gove Airport 29.4 31.0 27th 19.3 17.4 31st 12.8
Groote Eylandt Airport 30.9 +0.7 32.4 28th 16.2 +0.8 14.2 22nd 0.6 1.1 average 54%
Maningrida Airport 31.3 -0.2 33.9 27th 19.1 +0.9 17.4 19th 0.0 1.6 lowest 0%
Milingimbi Airport 31.3 +0.2 34.9 27th 19.8 +0.5 18.4 6th 0.0 1.6 lowest 0%
Ngayawili 30.9 +0.2 33.1 29th 20.0 +0.4 17.9 25th 0.6 0.8 average 75%
Warruwi Airport 29.4 0.0 31.4 12th 22.4 +0.6 19.9 9th 0.4 0.6 high 67%
Roper-Mcarthur (district 14DE)
Borroloola Airport 33.2 +0.9 35.3 29th 16.4 +2.8 10.7 2nd 0.0 0.6 lowest 0%
Bulman 33.8 +0.9 35.7 29th 15.7 +1.1 12.3 6th 0.0 0.7 lowest 0%
Centre Island 29.2 +1.3 31.1 29th 21.3 +1.7 18.8 2nd 1.4 1.5 average 93%
Daly Waters Airstrip 33.2 +1.8 35.3 12th 12.4 -0.2 7.2 2nd 0.0 0.3 lowest 0%
McArthur River Mine Airport 33.8 +1.5 36.2 29th 15.5 +2.0 9.8 2nd 0.0 0.3 lowest 0%
Ngukurr Airport 33.8 +0.8 36.5 10th 17.9 +2.8 13.7 6th 0.0 0.1 lowest 0%
Victoria (district 14F)
Bradshaw 34.6 +0.7 36.5 25th 18.0 +1.2 13.3 3rd 0.0 0.0 lowest 0%
Bradshaw - Angallari Valley (Defence) 34.8 36.5 25th 19.2 15.6 3rd 0.0
Bradshaw - Koolendong Valley (Defence) 34.7 36.4 15th 14.2 8.4 3rd 0.0
Lajamanu Airport 31.2 +1.1 33.9 21st 14.5 +3.2 7.1 3rd 0.0 0.9 lowest 0%
Victoria River Downs 34.0 +1.9 35.8 25th 14.9 +1.8 9.0 3rd 0.0 0.9 lowest 0%
Barkly (district 15A)
Elliott 32.8 +1.6 35.3 24th 15.6 +2.3 10.9 7th 0.0 0.9 lowest 0%
Tennant Creek Airport 28.8 +1.1 32.1 9th 16.2 +1.8 12.5 1st 5.4 2.4 high 225%
Alice Springs (district 15B)
Alice Springs Airport 22.9 0.0 29.7 20th 6.6 +0.7 -1.6 1st 41.0 8.0 high 512%
Curtin Springs 22.7 -0.7 28.4 7th 6.0 +0.2 -0.3 10th 4.0 7.6 average 53%
Jervois 25.3 +0.1 31.0 20th 9.3 +2.1 1.9 1st 6.8 6.5 high 105%
Rabbit Flat 29.5 -0.1 33.4 8th 11.0 +2.6 3.5 1st 1.8 2.3 high 78%
Territory Grape Farm 24.7 -0.8 29.7 20th 8.7 +1.8 -0.2 10th 43.0 3.5 highest 1229%
Walungurru Airport 26.9 0.0 33.9 20th 13.8 +1.1 6.5 10th 10.2 4.4 high 232%
Watarrka 23.6 -1.1 31.0 20th 6.5 -1.7 -2.0 10th 16.1 5.6 high 288%
Yulara Airport 23.1 -0.8 29.7 19th 8.4 +2.3 0.0 11th 12.2 4.7 high 260%

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 Tuesday 1 September 2026. 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, excluding the current year. The length of record can vary widely from site to site. Averages are not shown for sites with fewer 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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