Monday, 1 October 2018 - Seasonal Climate Summary for Northern Territory - Product code IDCKGCC2R0

Northern Territory in May to September 2018: Warm days, cool nights. Lowest dry season rainfall since 1976

Throughout the dry season months of May to September in the NT this year, there was a recurring pattern of above average daytime temperatures, cooler than usual overnight temperatures and below average rainfall.

Seventh-lowest dry season rainfall on record

• Averaged across the Territory, rainfall in the May to September period was only 10% of the usual amount. It was the 7th-lowest dry season rainfall total on record and the lowest since 1976.
• There were sites in nearly all NT districts that received nil rainfall for the 5 months ending September 2018; from Batchelor in the north to Yuendumu in the south
• Several sites had their lowest total May to September rainfall on record, while others, including Alice Springs Airport, had their lowest total May to September rainfall in over 50 years

Warm days throughout, cold nights in south

• Territory-wide, the mean maximum temperature for the 2018 dry season was 1.11 °C above the long-term average
• The Top End had its 3rd-highest mean maximum temperature on record, behind only 2016 and 2017; south of the Top End daytime temperatures were relatively milder but still above average
• The mean minimum temperature across the NT was 0.24 °C below average; it was generally below average in all districts in the southern half of the Territory, while near-average in the north
• Territory Grape Farm, north of Alice Springs, had its lowest May to September mean daily minimum temperature for at least 20 years

Darwin Airport

• Total rainfall for Darwin Airport was 33.2 mm, which is 75% of the long-term average of 44.5 mm
• The mean daily maximum temperature for Darwin Airport was 32.4 °C, which is 0.9 °C above the long-term average of 31.5 °C. The warmest day was 36.0 °C on 23 September, and the coolest day was on 5 June when the temperature reached 29.5 °C
• The mean daily minimum temperature for Darwin Airport was 21.0 °C, which is 0.1 °C above the long-term average of 20.9 °C. The coldest morning was 15.3 °C on 23 July, and the warmest morning was on 3 May when the minimum temperature was 25.7 °C
• Darwin Airport had 47 dry season days when the daily minimum temperature dropped to below 20 °C; this is slightly below the average of 51

Alice Springs Airport

• Total rainfall for Alice Springs Airport was 1.2 mm, which is 2% of the long-term average of 62.4 mm
• The mean daily maximum temperature for Alice Springs Airport was 23.8 °C, which is 1.2 °C above the long-term average of 22.6 °C. The warmest day was 35.2 °C on 28 September
• The mean daily minimum temperature for Alice Springs Airport was 4.9 °C, which is 1.8 °C below the long-term average of 6.7 °C. The coldest morning was -3.8 °C on 13 July. The last time Alice Springs had a mean mimnimum temperature this low was in 2012.
• Alice Springs Airport had a string of 161 consecutive days when nil rainfall fell, from 14 April 2018 to 21 September 2018; this is the longest such dry spell at this location.

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

Monthly maps
	Rainfall rank	Maximum temperature rank	Minimum temperature rank
May 2018
June 2018
July 2018
August 2018
September 2018

Click on a map to show it full size in a pop-up window

* note: there are gaps in the historical record at this site, so it is possible a lower value has gone unreported

* note: there are gaps in the historical record at this site, so it is possible a lower value has gone unreported

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top