Monday, 2 March 2015 - Monthly Climate Summary for Northern Territory - Product code IDCKGC12R0
Northern Territory in February 2015: tropical cyclone brings heavy rain to northeast, dry elsewhere
After an extended break in monsoon conditions, tropical cyclone Lam brought heavy rainfall to eastern Arnhem Land. Gove Airport and the Alcan Minesite both reported more than 500 mm of rainfall for the month, mostly associated with severe tropical cyclone Lam. On the 18th, as tropical cyclone Lam was over the Gulf of Carpentaria, three sites, including Nhulunbuy, set new daily rainfall records as outer rainbands of the cyclone pushed over the land.
Average to below average rainfall was recorded across the rest of the Territory. Alice Springs Airport reported no rainfall for what is usually the wettest month of the year in Alice Springs. Darwin Airport ended the month with 283.8 mm, 90 mm below average for February.
- Tropical cyclone Lam the first cyclone for the NT this season
- Lowest area-averaged February rainfall since 2005
- Highest maximum temperatures since 2005
- Near average minimum temperatures
Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top
Further information
- Media
- media@bom.gov.au (03) 9669 4057
- Enquiries
- helpdesk.climate@bom.gov.au
| Extremes in February 2015 | |
|---|---|
| Hottest day | 42.8 °C at Curtin Springs on the 10th |
| Warmest days on average | 39.9 °C at Walungurru Airport |
| Coolest days on average | 31.2 °C at Ngayawili |
| Coldest day | 25.3 °C at Central Arnhem Plateau on the 20th |
| Coldest night | 12.6 °C at Alice Springs Airport on the 3rd |
| Coolest nights on average | 20.0 °C at Alice Springs Airport |
| Warmest nights on average | 27.4 °C at Centre Island |
| Warmest night | 29.7 °C at Walungurru Airport on the 10th |
| Warmest on average overall | 33.2 °C at Walungurru Airport |
| Coolest on average overall | 27.8 °C at Ngayawili |
| Wettest overall | 558.1 mm at Alcan Minesite |
| Driest overall |
0 mm at Alice Springs Airport 0 mm at Kulgera 0 mm at Territory Grape Farm |
| Wettest day | 191.8 mm at Cape Wessel on the 18th |
| Strongest wind gust | 174 km/h at Ngayawili on the 19th |
Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top
| Maps | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Observed | Anomaly | Decile rank | |
| Total rainfall |
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| Mean daily maximum temperatures |
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| Mean daily minimum temperatures |
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| Record highest February daily rainfall | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
New record (mm) |
Old record |
Years of record |
||||
| Mataranka Homestead Resort | 136.2 | on the 21st | 121.0 | on the 14th in 2002 | 73 | |
| Alcan Minesite | 137.6 | on the 18th | 118.0 | on the 12th in 1995 | 41 | |
| Nhulunbuy | 153.0 | on the 18th | 126.0 | on the 9th in 1992 | 39 | |
| Yirrkala Tropical Gardens | 178.0 | on the 18th | 147.0 | on the 12th in 1995 | 34 | |
| Record highest February total rainfall | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
New record (mm) |
Old record |
Years of record |
Average for February |
||
| Alcan Minesite | 558.1 | 536.5 | in 2004 | 39 | 278.8 |
| Highest February total rainfall for at least 20 years | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Observed (mm) |
Most recent higher | Years since higher |
Average for February |
||
| Yirrkala Tropical Gardens | 431.0 | 518.1 | in 1987* | 23 | 235.7 |
* note: there are gaps in the historical record at this site, so it is possible a higher value has gone unreported.
| Record lowest February total rainfall | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
New record (mm) |
Old record |
Years of record |
Average for February |
||
| Wollogorang | 65.2 | 68.1 | in 2012 | 40 | 243.0 |
| Keep River Rangers | 13.9 | 57.4 | in 2005 | 33 | 207.6 |
| Mary River Rangers | 50.0 | 133.0 | in 1989 | 27 | 313.5 |
| Labelle Downs | 164.0 | 169.1 | in 1989 | 24 | 363.7 |
| Ban Ban Springs | 50.7 | 134.6 | in 1990 | 21 | 287.8 |
| Lowest February total rainfall for at least 20 years | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Observed (mm) |
Most recent lower | Years since lower |
Average for February |
||
| Rosewood | 32.2 | 16.3 | in 1965* | 48 | 153.7 |
| Elliott | 9.8 | 6.9 | in 1971* | 43 | 161.1 |
| Eva Downs | 30.0 | 16.8 | in 1958* | 35 | 132.5 |
| Auvergne | 28.0 | 23.4 | in 1983 | 32 | 220.1 |
| Waterloo | 42.2 | 0.0 | in 1985* | 28 | 168.9 |
* note: there are gaps in the historical record at this site, so it is possible a lower value has gone unreported.
| Record highest February daily minimum temperature | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
New record (°C) |
Old record |
Years of record |
Average for February |
|||
| Wollogorang | 29.0 | on the 9th | 28.6 | on the 14th in 1992 | 31 | 24.0 |
| Record lowest February temperature | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
New record (°C) |
Old record |
Years of record |
Average for February |
|||
| Brunette Downs | 15.3 | on the 4th | 16.1 | on the 7th in 1962 | 51 | 24.1 |
| McArthur River Mine Airport | 17.0 | on the 4th | 17.5 | on the 3rd in 1990 | 38 | 24.7 |
| Wollogorang | 15.2 | on the 4th | 15.5 | on the 3rd in 2013 | 31 | 24.0 |
| Tindal RAAF | 16.3 | on the 5th | 18.3 | on the 10th in 2012 | 28 | 24.1 |
| Douglas River | 18.6 | on the 5th | 19.5 | on the 2nd in 1977 | 25 | 23.7 |
| Record highest February mean daily minimum temperature | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
New record (°C) |
Old record |
Years of record |
Average for February |
||
| Watarrka | 24.9 | 24.7 | in 2007 | 22 | 23.0 |
| Record highest February mean temperature | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
New record (°C) |
Old record |
Years of record |
Average for February |
||
| Mango Farm | 29.5 | 29.4 | in 1988 | 34 | 28.4 |
Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top
| Summary statistics for February 2015 | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum temperatures (°C) |
Minimum temperatures (°C) |
Rainfall (millimetres) |
||||||||||
| Mean for February 2015 |
Diff from average |
Highest for February 2015 |
Mean for February 2015 |
Diff from average |
Lowest for February 2015 |
Total for February 2015 |
Average for February |
Rank of February 2015 |
Fraction of February average |
|||
| Darwin-Daly (district 14GA) | ||||||||||||
| Batchelor Airport | 33.5 | +1.2 | 36.2 | 2nd | 23.7 | -0.1 | 21.7 | 6th | 219.8 | 355.5 | low | 62% |
| Black Point | 31.6 | +0.5 | 33.2 | 13th | 25.4 | -0.3 | 22.2 | 20th | 298.8 | 279.2 | average | 107% |
| Central Arnhem Plateau | 33.0 | +1.4 | 35.9 | 14th | 23.0 | 0.0 | 18.9 | 5th | 13.8 | 281.6 | v low | 5% |
| Channel Point | 32.3 | +0.8 | 33.5 | 4th | 25.2 | +0.2 | 22.5 | 13th | 232.8 | 399.3 | low | 58% |
| Charles Point | 31.8 | 33.1 | 8th | 25.4 | 21.9 | 28th | 244.8 | |||||
| Darwin Airport | 32.6 | +1.2 | 34.3 | 19th | 24.9 | +0.2 | 22.0 | 20th | 354.2 | 374.3 | average | 95% |
| Delamere Weapons Range | 36.2 | +2.0 | 40.1 | 17th | 23.9 | 0.0 | 19.7 | 5th | 154.6 | 220.6 | average | 70% |
| Douglas River | 34.4 | +1.2 | 37.0 | 3rd | 23.5 | -0.2 | 18.6 | 5th | 118.2 | 291.0 | v low | 41% |
| Dum In Mirrie Airstrip | 32.1 | +0.8 | 33.6 | 18th | 25.7 | +0.3 | 23.2 | 15th | 274.0 | 408.5 | low | 67% |
| Jabiru Airport | 34.7 | +1.5 | 36.9 | 12th | 24.4 | -0.1 | 21.5 | 5th | 186.4 | 359.2 | low | 52% |
| Katherine Country Club | 36.4 | 38.7 | 19th | 23.7 | 16.5 | 5th | 107.4 | |||||
| Mango Farm | 35.4 | +2.3 | 37.6 | 3rd | 23.6 | -0.1 | 21.4 | 6th | 173.0 | 332.3 | low | 52% |
| McCluer Island | 31.3 | +0.3 | 33.4 | 8th | 26.0 | -0.2 | 22.1 | 18th | 249.8 | 238.2 | average | 105% |
| Middle Point | 35.1 | +1.9 | 37.7 | 6th | 23.7 | -0.3 | 20.6 | 6th | 291.6 | 303.4 | average | 96% |
| Murganella Airstrip | 32.6 | 35.0 | 5th | 23.7 | 21.7 | 5th | 276.6 | |||||
| Noonamah Airstrip | 33.8 | 36.7 | 8th | 24.4 | 22.5 | 3rd | 276.8 | |||||
| Oenpelli Airport | 33.3 | 35.3 | 7th | 24.5 | 21.6 | 3rd | 275.2 | |||||
| Pirlangimpi Airport | 32.7 | +1.2 | 35.0 | 13th | 24.5 | +0.1 | 21.8 | 13th | 335.8 | 387.3 | average | 87% |
| Point Fawcett | 32.0 | +0.5 | 33.1 | 3rd | 25.3 | -0.3 | 22.6 | 21st | ||||
| Point Stuart | 32.9 | 35.1 | 19th | 24.5 | 20.8 | 20th | 215.4 | 278.5 | v low | 77% | ||
| Port Keats Airport | 33.5 | +0.9 | 35.8 | 2nd | 24.6 | -0.2 | 21.6 | 13th | 179.8 | 304.9 | low | 59% |
| Tindal RAAF | 35.5 | +1.7 | 38.1 | 19th | 23.6 | -0.5 | 16.3 | 5th | 100.0 | 235.1 | low | 43% |
| Arnhem (district 14BC) | ||||||||||||
| Cape Wessel | 31.8 | 34.1 | 4th | 25.3 | 21.4 | 17th | 488.8 | 260.2 | high | 188% | ||
| Gove Airport | 31.7 | +0.2 | 34.4 | 3rd | 24.1 | -0.4 | 20.2 | 7th | 526.6 | 283.4 | v high | 186% |
| Groote Eylandt Airport | 33.0 | +0.1 | 37.2 | 5th | 24.2 | -0.7 | 18.8 | 5th | 212.6 | 240.5 | average | 88% |
| Milingimbi Airport | 32.3 | -0.2 | 35.6 | 4th | 24.5 | -0.7 | 20.5 | 3rd | 219.2 | 226.6 | average | 97% |
| Ngayawili | 31.2 | -0.2 | 33.1 | 6th | 24.7 | -0.9 | 21.8 | 17th | 285.2 | 314.7 | average | 91% |
| Warruwi Airport | 32.3 | +0.8 | 34.8 | 5th | 25.2 | -0.1 | 21.3 | 19th | 173.8 | 234.4 | average | 74% |
| Roper-Mcarthur (district 14DE) | ||||||||||||
| Bulman | 34.8 | +0.5 | 38.0 | 1st | 23.5 | -0.5 | 16.9 | 5th | 304.2 | 216.8 | high | 140% |
| Centre Island | 34.8 | +1.8 | 39.9 | 1st | 27.4 | +0.8 | 23.7 | 9th | 52.4 | 267.4 | low | 20% |
| Daly Waters Airstrip | 36.2 | +1.4 | 39.5 | 17th | 22.1 | -1.4 | 14.2 | 4th | 36.4 | 180.5 | v low | 20% |
| McArthur River Mine Airport | 37.7 | +2.5 | 42.0 | 1st | 24.7 | 0.0 | 17.0 | 4th | 88.4 | 181.3 | low | 49% |
| Ngukurr Airport | 35.9 | 38.6 | 1st | 24.7 | 18.7 | 5th | 71.2 | |||||
| Victoria (district 14F) | ||||||||||||
| Lajamanu Airport | 38.1 | +2.1 | 42.1 | 18th | 22.6 | -0.9 | 17.1 | 4th | 79.4 | 149.0 | average | 53% |
| Victoria River Downs | 37.3 | +1.9 | 41.4 | 18th | 24.3 | -0.1 | 18.2 | 5th | 108.6 | 162.1 | average | 67% |
| Wave Hill | 38.0 | 1st | 23.1 | -0.7 | 17.5 | 5th | 102.0 | 173.7 | average | 59% | ||
| Barkly (district 15A) | ||||||||||||
| Brunette Downs | 37.7 | +1.5 | 40.0 | 17th | 23.4 | -0.7 | 15.3 | 4th | 13.4 | 101.4 | low | 13% |
| Elliott | 36.2 | -0.4 | 38.9 | 16th | 23.1 | -0.6 | 16.5 | 4th | 9.8 | 161.1 | v low | 6% |
| Tennant Creek Airport | 37.1 | +1.5 | 40.1 | 17th | 24.8 | +0.4 | 19.0 | 4th | 17.4 | 123.7 | low | 14% |
| Alice Springs (district 15B) | ||||||||||||
| Alice Springs Airport | 37.4 | +2.4 | 41.3 | 28th | 20.0 | -0.7 | 12.6 | 3rd | 0 | 43.3 | lowest | 0% |
| Arltunga | 36.6 | +2.4 | 41.1 | 28th | 21.6 | +0.6 | 12.7 | 3rd | 10.4 | 43.6 | average | 24% |
| Curtin Springs | 39.7 | +3.3 | 42.8 | 10th | 22.4 | +0.8 | 16.2 | 3rd | 5.6 | 26.5 | average | 21% |
| Jervois | 39.5 | +2.7 | 42.7 | 28th | 23.8 | +1.7 | 17.1 | 3rd | 14.4 | 57.3 | average | 25% |
| Kulgera | 37.3 | +1.8 | 40.2 | 10th | 22.8 | +1.4 | 13.9 | 3rd | 0 | 35.3 | lowest | 0% |
| Rabbit Flat | 38.9 | +1.8 | 42.7 | 17th | 21.9 | -1.5 | 13.6 | 4th | 46.8 | 93.1 | average | 50% |
| Territory Grape Farm | 38.0 | +1.9 | 42.0 | 28th | 21.9 | +0.3 | 15.2 | 3rd | 0 | 65.8 | lowest | 0% |
| Walungurru Airport | 39.9 | +1.4 | 42.5 | 11th | 26.6 | +0.9 | 20.6 | 23rd | 15.4 | 35.8 | average | 43% |
| Watarrka | 39.0 | +2.4 | 42.0 | 28th | 24.9 | +1.9 | 18.3 | 4th | 31.6 | 46.4 | average | 68% |
| Yulara Airport | 39.8 | +3.0 | 42.7 | 10th | 22.8 | +0.7 | 17.9 | 3rd | 5.4 | 38.4 | average | 14% |
Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top
Notes
A Monthly Climate Summary is prepared to list 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. Later information, including data that has had greater opportunity for quality control, will be presented in the Monthly Weather Review, usually published in the fourth week of the month.
A Climate Summary is generally published on the first working day of each month.
This statement has been prepared based on information available at 11 am on Monday 2 March 2015. Some checks have been made on the data, but it is possible that results will change as new information becomes available.
Averages for individual sites are long-term means based on observations from
all available years of record, which vary widely from site to site.
They are not shown for sites with less 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.
The ACORN-SAT dataset is used for temperature area averages.
Further information
- Media
- media@bom.gov.au (03) 9669 4057
- Enquiries
- helpdesk.climate@bom.gov.au
Unless otherwise noted, all maps, graphs and diagrams in this page are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence
