MEDIA RELEASE - Friday, 1 May 2009
Northern Territory Wet Season 2008/09
The Top End of the Northern Territory saw a torrid build-up, with hotter than normal temperatures and below average rainfall between October and the middle of December. Australia’s northwest monsoon then set in over northern parts earlier than usual around the middle of December, when Tropical Cyclone Billy developed in the Joseph Boneparte Gulf southwest of Darwin. The monsoon trough remained south of the north coast for most of the time from then untill the middle of February. The Barkly District saw associated widespread flooding rains in early January. More widespread rainfall events, with more of a focus around the southwest of the Top End, occurred during the second half of January. The monsoon trough remained about the base of the Top End for the first half of February, and once again flooding rain was a feature around the eastern Barkly region. The trough retreated to the north coast of the Top End around the middle of February, and made its final retreat offshore late February, resulting in an earlier than usual withdrawal of the monsoon from the Northern Territory. March and April were consequently drier and hotter than usual over most of the Territory. A surge of southeasterly winds progressed to the north coast by the end of April, heralding the end of the wet season and the start of the “The Dry”, which officially begins on May 1.
In southern parts, while the Top End was sweltering in November, a long-running dry spell was broken in dramatic fashion. Alice Springs Airport recorded its wettest November on record, seeing the Todd River flow and a spate of severe thunderstorm events. This was the most significant rainfall period for the season though, without much subsequent follow-up. Central parts of the Territory consequently recorded a hotter than average season.
Darwin
The Darwin wet season total rainfall of 1583.2 mm was close to the long-term average of 1662 mm but almost 300 mm less than the 2007/08 wet season total. Maximum and minimum temperatures were both above average.
Rainfall
Over the Territory as a whole, the area-averaged rainfall was 565.2 mm, which is 58.3 mm above the long-term average. There was a band centred along a line from the southwest corner of the Top End and through the northern Barkly district, coinciding with where the monsoon trough persisted for much of January and early February, that saw above average rainfall for the season. The far northeast corner, and parts of the southern Alice Springs region also saw above average falls. Elsewhere rainfall was near to below average.
The wettest overall was 1894.2 mm at Bradshaw AWS, followed by 1760.4 mm at Dum In Mirrie AWS, followed by 1735.8 mm at Channel Island.
The driest overall was 110.0 mm at Anzac Oval, followed by 110.8 mm at Walungurru AWS, followed by 142.4 mm at Yulara Aero AWS.
Some sites had their highest total Wet Season rainfall on record.
Some sites had their lowest total Wet Season rainfall on record.
The wettest single day was 286.0 mm at Roper River Mataranka on 30 Dec, followed by 262.5 mm at Roper River Mataranka on 29 Dec, followed by 240.0 mm at Claravale on 24 Dec.
Some sites had their highest Wet Season daily rainfall on record.
Maximum temperature
The area-averaged maximum temperature over the Northern Territory was 35.3°C, which is 0.3°C above the long-term average. Cool anomalies were seen in the Victoria River region, as well as northern and eastern parts of the Barkly District, coinciding with the region where the persistent monsoon trough produced above average rainfall. The largest warm anomalies were in northwestern parts of the Alice Springs District.
The hottest day was 45.2°C at Wave Hill on 13 Nov, followed by 45.0°C at Elliott on 22 and 23 Nov, followed by 44.5°C at Elliott on 21 Nov.
The warmest days on average were 38.3°C at Rabbit Flat, followed by 37.1°C at Lajamanu AWS, followed by 36.9°C at Elliott.
The coolest days on average were 31.3°C at McCluer Island AWS, followed by 32.0°C at Gove Airport, followed by 32.3°C at Black Point and Ngayawili AWS.
The coldest day was 19.6°C at Rabbit Flat on 7 Oct, followed by 19.7°C at Arltunga on 8 Nov, followed by 20.5°C at Kulgera on 1 Nov 2008.
Some sites had their highest Wet Season temperature on record.
Some sites had their highest Wet Season mean daily maximum temperature on record.
Minimum temperature
The area-averaged minimum temperature over the Northern Territory was 22.6°C, which is 0.5°C above the long-term average. The pattern of minimum temperatures was similar to the maximums, with below average night-time temperatures over a central band where the monsoon was persistently active, and above average temperatures elsewhere.
The coldest night was 6.1°C at Arltunga on 25 Apr, followed by 6.4°C at Watarrka on 26 Apr, followed by 6.9°C at Arltunga on 13 Oct.
The coolest nights on average were 19.1°C at Alice Springs Airport, followed by 19.7°C at Curtin Springs, followed by 20.0°C at Territory Grape Farm AWS and Yulara Aero AWS.
The warmest nights on average were 26.4°C at Centre Island AWS.
The warmest night was 31.5°C at Yulara Aero AWS on 25 Jan, followed by 30.7°C at Elliott on 23 Nov and Walungurru AWS on 26 Feb, followed by 30.5°C at Port Keats Aero on 26 Nov.
Some sites had their highest Wet Season mean daily minimum temperature on record.
Wind
The strongest wind gust was 102 km/h at Darwin Airport on 15 Oct, followed by 100 km/h at Darwin Airport on 17 Mar, followed by 98 km/h at Yulara Aero AWS on 18 Nov 2008.
Extremes
| Hottest day Highest temperature |
45.2°C at Wave Hill on 13 Nov |
|---|---|
| Warmest days on average Highest mean daily maximum temperature | 38.3°C at Rabbit Flat |
| Coolest days on average Lowest mean daily maximum temperature |
31.3°C at McCluer Island AWS |
| Coldest day Lowest daily maximum temperature |
19.6°C at Rabbit Flat on 7 Oct |
| Coldest night Lowest temperature | 6.1°C at Arltunga on 25 Apr |
| Coolest nights on average Lowest mean daily minimum temperature | 19.1°C at Alice Springs Airport |
| Warmest nights on average Highest mean daily minimum temperature |
26.4°C at Centre Island AWS |
| Warmest night Highest daily minimum temperature |
31.5°C at Yulara Aero AWS on 25 Jan |
| Wettest overall Highest total rainfall |
1894.2 mm at Bradshaw AWS |
| Wettest day Highest daily rainfall |
286.0 mm at Roper River Mataranka on 30 Dec |
| Highest wind gust |
102 km/h at Darwin Airport on 15 Oct |
Jump to: Extremes Records Summaries Notes the top
Records
| Record highest Wet Season daily rainfall | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Highest daily rainfall Wet Season 2008−09 (mm) |
Previous highest | Years of record |
||||
| Bullita | 214.0 | on 25 Dec 2008 | 165.1 | on 28 Dec 1929 | 23 | |
| Daly Waters AWS | 156.8 | on 30 Jan 2009 | 147.1 | on 15 Mar 1944 | 28 | |
| Mataranka Station | 176.0 | on 24 Dec 2008 | 175.3 | on 15 Apr 1963 | 19 | |
| Record highest total Wet Season rainfall | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Total rainfall Wet Season 2008−09 (mm) |
Previous highest | Years of record |
|||
| Kidman Springs | 1374.0 | 1330.2 | in 05−06 | 34 | |
| Record lowest total Wet Season rainfall | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Total rainfall Wet Season 2008−09 (mm) |
Previous lowest | Years of record |
|||
| Delamere Weapons Range AWS | 494.6 | 558.2 | in 2006 | 11 | |
| Record highest Wet Season temperature | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Highest temperature Wet Season 2008−09 (°C) |
Previous highest | Years of record |
||||
| Pirlangimpi AWS | 37.7 | on 22 Oct 2008 | = 37.7 | on 18 Oct 1982 | 21 | |
| Black Point | 36.1 | on 22 Oct 2008 | 35.5 | on 19 Dec 2006 | 13 | |
| Record highest Wet Season mean daily maximum temperature | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Mean daily maximum temperature Wet Season 2008−09 (°C) |
Previous highest | Years of record |
|||
| Black Point | 32.3 | 32.2 | in 2001−02 | 13 | |
| Record highest Wet Season mean daily minimum temperature | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Mean daily minimum temperature Wet Season 2008−09 (°C) |
Previous highest | Years of record |
|||
| Black Point | 25.9 | = 25.9 | in 2005−06 | 13 | |
Jump to: Extremes Records Summaries Notes the top
Summaries
This table is very wide and may not fit if printed.
| Summary statistics for Wet Season 2008−09 | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum temperatures (°C) |
Minimum temperatures (°C) |
Rainfall (millimetres) |
||||||||||
| Mean | Diff from average |
Highest | Mean | Diff from average |
Lowest | Total | Rank | Fraction of average |
||||
| Darwin-Daly (district 14GA) | ||||||||||||
| Batchelor Aero AWS | 34.3 | 39.5 | 14 Oct 2008 | 23.5 | 14.7 | 30 Apr 2009 | 1236.4 | |||||
| Black Point | 32.3 | +0.4 | 36.1 | 22 Oct 2008 | 25.9 | +0.5 | 22.3 | 30 Mar 2009 | 983.2 | low | 81% | |
| Bradshaw AWS | 36.5 | 41.5 | 23 Nov 2008 | 24.6 | 14.6 | 30 Apr 2009 | 1894.2 | |||||
| Darwin Airport | 33.0 | +0.6 | 37.5 | 22 Oct 2008 | 25.2 | +0.4 | 20.6 | 16 Oct 2008 | 1583.2 | average | 96% | |
| Douglas River | 35.4 | +0.4 | 41.4 | 22 Oct 2008 | 23.2 | +0.2 | 14.0 | 29 Apr 2009 | ||||
| Dum In Mirrie AWS | 32.4 | 37.7 | 23 Oct 2008 | 25.7 | 19.2 | 30 Apr 2009 | 1760.4 | |||||
| Jabiru Airport AWS | 35.4 | +0.5 | 40.1 | 13 Oct 2008 | 24.8 | +0.4 | 21.7 | 30 Apr 2009 | 1185.2 | low | 79% | |
| Katherine Aviation Museum | 35.4 | 0.0 | 40.3 | 21 Nov 2008 | 23.1 | −0.6 | 12.9 | 30 Apr 2009 | 1214.8 | average | 111% | |
| Mango Farm | 35.0 | +0.2 | 40.5 | 13 Oct 2008 | 23.2 | 0.0 | 17.5 | 30 Apr 2009 | 1597.7 | high | 119% | |
| McCluer Island AWS | 31.3 | 34.9 | 9 Dec 2008 | 26.7 | 22.7 | 30 Mar 2009 | 951.6 | average | 83% | |||
| Pine Creek Council | 34.7 | 39.3 | 12 Oct 2008 | 23.8 | 18.6 | 29 Apr 2009 | 1557.4 | |||||
| Tindal RAAF AWS | 35.5 | +0.4 | 40.7 | 31 Oct 2008 | 23.5 | −0.2 | 13.9 | 30 Apr 2009 | 1085.0 | average | 101% | |
| Arnhem (district 14BC) | ||||||||||||
| Alyangula Police | 32.5 | −0.4 | 36.8 | 21 Nov 2008 | 25.0 | +0.2 | 20.7 | 22 Oct 2008 | 1398.0 | high | 123% | |
| Gove Airport | 32.0 | +0.1 | 36.4 | 28 Nov 2008 | 24.1 | +0.4 | 19.7 | 27 Oct 2008 | 1289.2 | average | 100% | |
| Groote Eylandt Airport AWS | 33.6 | 39.3 | 21 Nov 2008 | 23.6 | 17.7 | 28 Apr 2009 | 1656.2 | |||||
| Maningrida Aero AWS | 32.8 | 36.4 | 10 Nov 2008 | 24.7 | 20.1 | 28 Apr 2009 | 876.0 | |||||
| Ngayawili AWS | 32.3 | 36.6 | 10 Nov 2008 | 24.8 | 21.3 | 29 Oct 2008 | 1521.0 | |||||
| Roper-Mcarthur (district 14DE) | ||||||||||||
| Borroloola AWS | 35.4 | +0.3 | 42.6 | 22 Nov 2008 | 23.1 | −0.4 | 13.0 | 29 Apr 2009 | 419.8 | low | 45% | |
| Centre Island AWS | 33.7 | +0.3 | 38.3 | 16 Dec 2008 | 26.4 | +0.2 | 22.6 | 8 Jan 2009 | 715.4 | low | 71% | |
| Daly Waters AWS | 36.1 | +0.1 | 42.5 | 21 Nov 2008 | 21.9 | −0.9 | 14.3 | 18 Mar 2009 | 1154.8 | very high | 186% | |
| Larrimah | 35.5 | −0.3 | 40.6 | 25 Nov 2008 | 22.4 | −0.7 | 10.5 | 29 Apr 2009 | 1202.4 | high | 145% | |
| McArthur River Mine | 36.6 | 0.0 | 42.2 | 22 Nov 2008 | 24.0 | +0.6 | 14.2 | 29 Apr 2009 | 946.4 | high | 128% | |
| Ngukurr | 36.0 | −0.2 | 42.1 | 25 Nov 2008 | 18.0 | 29 Apr 2009 | 671.2 | average | 92% | |||
| Wollogorang | 35.2 | −0.4 | 41.5 | 7 Nov 2008 | 22.5 | −0.1 | 13.0 | 28 Apr 2009 | 1161.7 | high | 126% | |
| Victoria (district 14F) | ||||||||||||
| Kidman Springs | 36.6 | −0.1 | 41.6 | 4 Nov 2008 | 23.6 | −0.4 | 11.5 | 30 Apr 2009 | 1374.0 | highest | 191% | |
| Lajamanu AWS | 37.1 | +0.7 | 42.8 | 1 Nov 2008 | 22.3 | 0.0 | 11.0 | 29 Apr 2009 | 382.8 | average | 80% | |
| Timber Creek | 36.6 | +0.1 | 42.0 | 25 Nov 2008 | 23.4 | −0.8 | 12.9 | 29 Apr 2009 | 1279.3 | very high | 138% | |
| Victoria River Downs | 36.6 | +0.2 | 43.1 | 21 Nov 2008 | 23.2 | −0.3 | 11.1 | 30 Apr 2009 | 929.7 | very high | 148% | |
| Wave Hill | 36.4 | −0.4 | 45.2 | 13 Nov 2008 | 22.5 | −0.2 | 10.1 | 30 Apr 2009 | 848.8 | high | 128% | |
| Barkly (district 15A) | ||||||||||||
| Elliott | 36.9 | −0.3 | 45.0 | 23 Nov 2008 | 22.6 | −0.1 | 14.5 | 29 Apr 2009 | 756.1 | high | 131% | |
| Tennant Creek Airport | 35.4 | +0.2 | 42.0 | 22 Nov 2008 | 23.5 | +0.1 | 15.5 | 29 Apr 2009 | 497.0 | average | 115% | |
| Alice Springs (district 15B) | ||||||||||||
| Alice Springs Airport | 33.8 | +0.7 | 41.3 | 6 Feb 2009 | 19.1 | +1.2 | 7.6 | 29 Apr 2009 | 236.8 | high | 110% | |
| Curtin Springs | 35.0 | +0.8 | 44.0 | 6 Feb 2009 | 19.7 | +1.4 | 7.0 | 25 Apr 2009 | 156.1 | average | 93% | |
| Jervois | 35.6 | +0.3 | 43.4 | 4 Dec 2008 | 20.8 | +1.7 | 8.8 | 28 Apr 2009 | 205.8 | average | 88% | |
| Papunya | 35.9 | 42.1 | 13 Nov 2008 | 20.5 | 11.0 | 29 Apr 2009 | 174.4 | average | 85% | |||
| Rabbit Flat | 38.3 | +1.2 | 43.7 | 12 Jan 2009 | 21.7 | +0.1 | 9.8 | 25 Oct 2008 | 232.8 | low | 47% | |
| Territory Grape Farm AWS | 35.2 | +0.6 | 41.3 | 14 Nov 2008 | 20.0 | +1.0 | 9.6 | 30 Apr 2009 | 154.4 | low | 58% | |
| Watarrka | 34.9 | −0.1 | 42.5 | 6 Feb 2009 | 6.4 | 26 Apr 2009 | 273.3 | high | 117% | |||
| Yulara Aero AWS | 35.0 | +0.3 | 44.2 | 6 Feb 2009 | 20.0 | +1.2 | 7.2 | 24 Apr 2009 | 142.4 | average | 66% | |
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Further information
NT Climate Services CentreBureau of Meteorology
Phone (08) 8920 3813
Email climate.nt@bom.gov.au