Monday, 3 October 2022 - Seasonal Climate Summary for Northern Territory - Product code IDCKGCC2R0

Northern Territory in May to September 2022: warm across the Top End and relatively wet

Dry season (May to September) temperatures were very much above average across the Top End, with cool conditions prevailing only during July. Temperatures across the southern districts of the Northern Territory were generally close to average. Cloud bands crossed the Northern Territory from June to September, resulting in relatively wet conditions for many areas, particularly the Barkly, but parts of the Top End and around Alice Springs had close to average rainfall for the season.

Relatively wet

• The dry season period (May to September) was wetter than usual for much of the Northern Territory.
• For the Northern Territory as a whole, dry season rainfall was 8% above the 1961–1990 average, making it the wettest dry season since 2016.
• Cloud bands crossed the Northern Territory in each month from June to September, bringing widespread moderate falls of rain.
• Areas of the Barkly District received 50 to 100 mm overall, more than double the average for the dry season.
• Humidity started to rise at the end of September and a south-easterly surge generated showers and storms across the northern Top End.
• Some sites had their highest May to September daily rainfall on record from storms at the end of September.
• A few sites had their highest total May to September rainfall on record or for at least 20 years

Warm across the Top End

• Mean maximum and minimum temperatures across the Top End were above to very much above average (warmest 10% on record since 1910), but were generally close to average in southern districts.
• For the Northern Territory as a whole the mean maximum and minimum temperatures were 0.67 °C and 0.64 °C respectively above the 1961–1990 average.
• Across the Top End, temperatures were above average or very much above average in all months except July.
• Bradshaw recorded 37.8 °C on 5 June, 0.1 °C below the Australian record June temperature, recorded at Bradshaw on 7 June 2016.
• The July mean minimum temperature was 1.99 °C below average and the fifth-coolest on record, while the July mean maximum temperature was the coolest since 1997.
• The daily minimum temperature at Darwin Airport was below 20 °C for all of July, only the third such occurrence after June 2011 and July 1965, while Alice Springs Airport had 15 consecutive nights (3 to 17 July) with a minimum temperature below 0 °C, a site record.
• There was prolonged heat across the Top End in the second half of September.
• A number of sites in the Top End had their highest May to September temperature on record or warmest May to September night on record during the second half of September.
• The highest temperature recorded was 41.8 °C at Bradshaw – Angallari Valley on 17 September, 0.2 °C below the Northern Territory dry season record.
• Victoria River Downs had 14 consecutive days above 39.0 °C from 14 to 27 September, exceeding the previous September record of 6 days in 1971.
• A warmer than average dry season for the Top End is typical during negative Indian Ocean Dipole events and is also occurring against the background of a warmer climate.

Darwin Airport

• Total rainfall for Darwin Airport was 18.2 mm, which is 41% 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 37.4 °C on 14 September, and the coolest day was on 29 June when the temperature reached 25.3 °C.
• The 37.4 °C on the 14 September was the fourth-warmest September day on record at Darwin Airport.
• The mean daily minimum temperature for Darwin Airport was 21.6 °C, which is 0.6 °C above the long-term average of 21.0 °C.
• The coldest morning was 14.1 °C on 24 July, and the warmest morning was on 25 September when the minimum temperature was 27.4 °C.
• The minimum temperature of 27.4 °C on the 25 September is a new dry season record for Darwin Airport.

Alice Springs Airport

• Total rainfall for Alice Springs Airport was 46.4 mm, which is 75% of the long-term average of 61.6 mm.
• The mean daily maximum temperature for Alice Springs Airport was 22.7 °C, which is 0.1 °C above the long-term average of 22.6 °C.
• The warmest day was 35.7 °C on 20 September, and the coolest day was on 1 September when the temperature reached 13.5 °C.
• The mean daily minimum temperature for Alice Springs Airport was 5.8 °C, which is 0.9 °C below the long-term average of 6.7 °C.
• The coldest morning was −4.0 °C on 15 July, and the warmest morning was on 20 September when the minimum temperature was 21.8 °C.

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

Maps
	Observed	Anomaly	Decile rank
Total rainfall
Mean daily maximum temperatures
Mean daily minimum temperatures

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 higher value has gone unreported

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top