Thursday 1 October 2026 - Monthly Climate Summary for Northern Territory - Product code IDCKGC12R0

Northern Territory in September 2026

Rainfall

  • Rainfall totals in September were above to very much above average for the north-eastern and south-western Northern Territory, and below average for large areas of the northern, central and south-eastern Northern Territory.
  • The Northern Territory's area-averaged rainfall total in September was 4.3 mm, 39% below the 1961–1990 average.
  • Port Keats Airport recorded its highest total September rainfall on record.

Temperature

  • Mean maximum temperatures in September were above to very much above average across most of the Northern Territory.
  • The Northern Territory's area-averaged mean maximum temperature was 34.1 °C, 2.69 °C above the 1961–1990 average, the third-warmest on record for all Septembers since 1910.
  • Maningrida Airport recorded its lowest September mean maximum temperature on record.
  • Mean minimum temperatures in September were above average for most of the Northern Territory including highest on record for parts of the south, and average to below average across much of the Top End and parts of the western Northern Territory.
  • The Northern Territory's area-averaged mean minimum temperature was 18.1 °C, 2.15 °C above the 1961–1990 average.
  • Watarrka recorded its warmest September night (highest daily minimum temperature) on record on the 28th.
  • Yulara Airport and Walungurru Airport had their highest September mean minimum temperature on record.
  • The Northern Territory's area-averaged mean temperature was 26.1 °C, 2.42 °C above the 1961–1990 average, the sixth-warmest on record for all Septembers since 1910.

Events

Darwin Airport

  • Total rainfall for Darwin Airport was 8.0 mm, which is 48% of the long-term average of 16.8 mm.
  • The mean daily maximum temperature for Darwin Airport was 33.8 °C, which is 1.1 °C above the long-term average of 32.7 °C.
  • The warmest day was 36.0 °C on the 16th, and the coolest day was on the 2nd when the temperature reached 31.8 °C.
  • The mean daily minimum temperature for Darwin Airport was 23.2 °C, which is 0.2 °C above the long-term average of 23.0 °C.
  • The coldest morning was 21.6 °C on the 18th, and the warmest morning was on the 27th when the minimum temperature was 25.1 °C.

Alice Springs Airport

  • Total rainfall for Alice Springs Airport was 0.8 mm, which is 9% of the long-term average of 8.8 mm.
  • The mean daily maximum temperature for Alice Springs Airport was 30.7 °C, which is 3.2 °C above the long-term average of 27.5 °C.
  • The warmest day was 35.0 °C on the 30th, and the coolest day was on the 10th when the temperature reached 19.6 °C.
  • The mean daily minimum temperature for Alice Springs Airport was 11.8 °C, which is 1.5 °C above the long-term average of 10.3 °C.
  • The coldest morning was 3.5 °C on the 18th, and the warmest morning was on the 4th when the minimum temperature was 20.4 °C.

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

Extremes in September 2026
Hottest day 39.8 °C at Bradshaw - Angallari Valley (Defence) on the 9th
Warmest days on average 37.4 °C at Bradshaw - Angallari Valley (Defence)
Coolest days on average 28.5 °C at McCluer Island
Coldest day 17.8 °C at Watarrka on the 10th
Coldest night 3.5 °C at Alice Springs Airport on the 18th
Coolest nights on average 11.8 °C at Alice Springs Airport
Warmest nights on average 25.3 °C at McCluer Island
Warmest night 27.5 °C at Bradshaw - Angallari Valley (Defence) on the 15th
>
Warmest on average overall 30.2 °C at Bradshaw - Angallari Valley (Defence)
Coolest on average overall 21.3 °C at Alice Springs Airport
Wettest overall 68.2 mm at Port Keats Airport
Wettest day 19.4 mm at Port Keats Airport on the 30th
Strongest wind gust 70.0 km/h at Centre Island on the 25th

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 September total rainfall
New record
(mm)		 Old
record		 Years of
record		 Average for
September
Port Keats Airport 68.2 49.4 in 2020 27 8.3


Record lowest September mean maximum temperature
New record
(°C)		 Old
record		 Years of
record		 Average for
September
Maningrida Airport 31.5 31.6 in 2004 23 32.4


Record highest September daily minimum temperature
New record
(°C)		 Old
record		 Years of
record		 Average for
September
Watarrka 29.0 on the 28th 24.4 on 26 Sep 1999 36 13.1


Record highest September mean minimum temperature
New record
(°C)		 Old
record		 Years of
record		 Average for
September
Yulara Airport 14.8 13.7 in 2024 39 10.9
Walungurru Airport 19.8 19.3 in 2020 24 16.9


Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

Summary statistics for September 2026
Maximum temperatures
(°C)		 Minimum temperatures
(°C)		 Rainfall
(millimetres)
Mean for
September
2026		 Diff
from
average		 Highest for
September
2026		 Mean for
September
2026		 Diff
from
average		 Lowest for
September
2026		 Total for
September
2026		 Average
for
September		 Rank of
September
2026		 Fraction of
September
average
Darwin-Daly (district 14GA)
Batchelor Airport 36.0 -0.1 37.1 11th 20.9 +0.3 18.2 2nd 2.2 11.3 average 20%
Central Arnhem Plateau 33.6 -0.4 35.4 8th 18.9 -0.4 16.5 25th 0.0 5.8 lowest 0%
Channel Point 34.1 +2.8 36.5 27th 21.6 -0.1 16.5 15th 0.4 11.2 average 4%
Charles Point 30.5 -0.6 34.4 16th 24.0 +0.1 21.9 24th 38.4 27.1 average 142%
Croker Island Airport 31.9 -0.6 33.5 6th 23.5 +0.4 20.9 9th 0.0 1.9 lowest 0%
Darwin Airport 33.8 +1.1 36.0 16th 23.2 +0.2 21.6 18th 8.0 16.8 average 48%
Delamere Weapons Range 35.1 -0.7 37.1 8th 20.5 -0.3 17.5 2nd 0.0 4.0 lowest 0%
Douglas River Research Farm 37.0 +0.1 38.7 24th 19.9 +1.1 16.5 1st 13.4 7.1 high 189%
Dum In Mirrie Airstrip 33.2 +1.1 36.9 17th 22.2 -0.7 19.8 19th 23.0 18.7 high 123%
East Point 32.8 35.8 17th 23.1 21.8 18th 27.0
Jabiru Airport 36.3 -0.1 37.9 8th 21.8 +0.1 19.1 9th 0.0 12.7 lowest 0%
Kangaroo Flats (Defence) 36.4 37.9 9th 22.4 20.3 18th 0.8
Knuckey Lagoon 34.3 36.5 14th 20.8 18.3 18th 8.0
McCluer Island 28.5 -0.7 30.5 7th 25.3 +0.4 23.5 9th 0.0 2.0 lowest 0%
Middle Point 36.5 0.0 38.5 8th 19.6 +0.3 15.9 19th 0.4 18.1 low 2%
Mount Bundey North (Defence) 36.5 37.7 8th 22.2 20.5 19th 2.4
Mount Bundey South (Defence) 36.6 38.2 8th 20.8 17.2 19th 2.2
Murganella Airstrip 32.0 -1.1 34.4 8th 20.4 +0.7 17.1 18th 0.0 21.1 lowest 0%
Noonamah Airstrip 36.4 +0.1 38.0 8th 21.4 +0.2 18.3 18th 0.4 23.6 low 2%
Oenpelli Airport 36.7 -0.2 37.8 25th 20.5 -0.2 19.0 17th 0.0 19.4 lowest 0%
Pirlangimpi Airport 33.6 0.0 35.4 25th 21.8 +0.4 19.5 1st 1.8 27.9 low 6%
Point Stuart 32.7 -0.8 34.3 29th 22.2 +0.4 19.1 18th 0.0 10.9 lowest 0%
Port Keats Airport 32.8 -0.8 35.4 19th 21.7 +0.6 19.1 1st 68.2 8.3 highest 822%
Tindal RAAF 35.6 -0.4 37.8 8th 19.7 -0.3 16.4 17th 0.0 8.2 lowest 0%
Arnhem (district 14BC)
Gove Airport 30.2 31.7 8th 19.5 17.6 6th 4.0
Groote Eylandt Airport 31.6 -1.0 33.7 6th 16.7 -1.4 14.5 21st 5.2 7.3 high 71%
Maningrida Airport 31.5 -0.9 32.8 16th 20.2 -0.4 16.8 17th 0.0 7.0 lowest 0%
Milingimbi Airport 31.7 -0.4 33.4 8th 21.0 -0.5 18.1 17th 8.2 7.2 high 114%
Ngayawili 31.6 -0.4 32.9 29th 20.4 -0.4 18.0 14th 1.2 5.4 high 22%
Warruwi Airport 30.4 -0.6 32.8 8th 23.8 +0.1 21.1 8th 0.0 2.6 lowest 0%
Roper-Mcarthur (district 14DE)
Borroloola Airport 34.4 -0.8 38.1 7th 17.8 +0.2 14.8 3rd 6.4 3.3 high 194%
Bulman 35.6 -0.8 38.1 8th 17.3 -1.0 14.5 17th 0.0 11.9 lowest 0%
Centre Island 30.9 +0.2 33.8 8th 22.9 +0.6 21.6 3rd 17.4 2.0 high 870%
Daly Waters Airstrip 35.7 +0.7 38.6 8th 14.8 -2.0 11.8 22nd 0.2 2.2 average 9%
McArthur River Mine Airport 35.7 +0.1 38.0 7th 17.6 +0.1 13.9 20th 4.4 4.3 high 102%
Ngukurr Airport 35.6 -0.8 38.4 9th 19.1 +0.1 16.8 18th 1.0 5.3 high 19%
Victoria (district 14F)
Bradshaw 37.2 -0.3 39.4 10th 22.1 0.0 18.5 1st 0.0 4.1 lowest 0%
Bradshaw - Angallari Valley (Defence) 37.4 39.8 9th 23.0 19.6 1st 0.0
Bradshaw - Koolendong Valley (Defence) 37.2 39.3 10th 18.1 12.8 1st 0.0
Lajamanu Airport 35.5 +0.8 37.6 9th 18.1 +1.3 12.5 1st 0.0 5.6 lowest 0%
Victoria River Downs 36.8 +1.0 38.5 8th 18.8 +0.5 14.1 2nd 0.0 4.7 lowest 0%
Barkly (district 15A)
Elliott 36.1 +0.8 38.5 8th 17.8 +0.2 14.2 1st 0.0 5.4 lowest 0%
Tennant Creek Airport 33.6 +1.8 35.7 30th 19.8 +1.3 16.3 3rd 1.2 7.9 average 15%
Alice Springs (district 15B)
Alice Springs Airport 30.7 +3.2 35.0 30th 11.8 +1.5 3.5 18th 0.8 8.8 average 9%
Arltunga 30.5 +2.6 32.6 21st 10.3 +0.1 4.5 27th 0.0 7.7 lowest 0%
Curtin Springs 31.0 +3.0 35.6 29th 12.9 +2.7 5.9 18th 14.6 10.3 high 142%
Jervois 32.6 +2.8 36.0 30th 13.0 +1.5 5.9 18th 0.0 10.5 lowest 0%
Rabbit Flat 35.8 +1.3 37.6 30th 14.7 +0.6 8.4 2nd 1.4 6.7 average 21%
Territory Grape Farm 31.9 +1.5 33.9 14th 12.9 +1.0 8.0 18th 0.0 10.9 lowest 0%
Walungurru Airport 33.7 +1.9 36.6 29th 19.8 +2.9 14.7 10th 24.0 8.1 high 296%
Watarrka 28.4 -1.1 35.0 30th 17.4 +4.3 13.0 9th 16.1 9.9 high 163%
Yulara Airport 30.1 +1.3 35.4 29th 14.8 +3.9 8.8 18th 10.8 9.4 high 115%

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 Thursday 1 October 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

Climate