Friday, 1 May 2015 - Monthly Climate Summary for Northern Territory - Product code IDCKGC12R0
Northern Territory in April 2015: Hot start to an overall cool month
The month began with record high temperatures around the north coast and Gulf of Carpentaria region. Mid-month a southwesterly surge of cool, dry air replaced the hot air in the north. Alice Springs Airport recorded five nights below 5 °C and on the 27th Darwin Airport experienced its first night of the year below 21 °C. Overall, the mean temperature for the Northern Territory was 25.1 °C, which is 0.4 °C below the long-term average for April.
While no rainfall records were brokern this month, a quarter of the Territory experienced below average rainfall with an areal averaged rainfall total of 7.6 mm, more than 70% less than the Territory-wide mean of 27.9 mm. There were two notable rainfall events during the month: the first was on the 16th when a cloudband traversed the Alice Springs region bringing up to15 mm to some locations across the Red Centre; the second was from a line of thunderstorms that move westward from the Gulf of Carpentaria, and brought heavy rainfall to the Gove Peninsula on the 22nd.
- Lowest rainfall since 2008
- Coolest April since 2012
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 April 2015 | |
|---|---|
| Hottest day |
41.5 °C at Borroloola Airport on the 6th |
| Warmest days on average |
36.6 °C at Borroloola Airport |
| Coolest days on average | 25.2 °C at Arltunga |
| Coldest day | 17.8 °C at Arltunga on the 20th |
| Coldest night | 1.5 °C at Kulgera on the 30th |
| Coolest nights on average | 11.1 °C at Alice Springs Airport |
| Warmest nights on average | 26.5 °C at McCluer Island |
| Warmest night | 29.1 °C at Centre Island on the 3rd |
| Warmest on average overall |
29.6 °C at Jabiru Airport 29.6 °C at Oenpelli Airport |
| Coolest on average overall |
18.6 °C at Alice Springs Airport 18.6 °C at Arltunga |
| Wettest overall | 186.0 mm at Yirrkala Tropical Gardens |
| Wettest day | 97.0 mm at Yirrkala Tropical Gardens on the 22nd |
| Strongest wind gust | 93 km/h at Douglas River on the 4th |
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
| Record highest April temperature | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
New record (°C) |
Old record |
Years of record |
Average for April |
|||
| Brunette Downs | 39.8 | on the 2nd | 39.1 | on the 22nd in 2013 | 50 | 33.5 |
| Wave Hill | 40.5 | on the 5th | 39.9 | on the 13th in 1990 | 42 | 34.3 |
| Centre Island | 37.9 | on the 6th | 36.5 | on the 10th in 2014 | 41 | 32.0 |
| McArthur River Mine Airport | 40.0 | on the 6th | 39.1 | on the 4th in 2009 | 37 | 34.7 |
| Wollogorang | 40.5 | on the 5th | 39.5 | on the 4th in 1978 | 32 | 33.7 |
| Black Point | 34.1 | on the 10th | 34.0 | on the 1st in 2014 | 23 | 31.6 |
| Borroloola Airport | 41.5 | on the 6th | 38.8 | on the 22nd in 2010 | 21 | 33.8 |
| Record highest April mean daily maximum temperature | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
New record (°C) |
Old record |
Years of record |
Average for April |
||
| Wollogorang | 35.6 | 35.5 | in 1990 | 31 | 33.7 |
| Borroloola Airport | 36.6 | 36.4 | in 2002 | 20 | 33.8 |
| Highest April mean daily maximum temperature for at least 20 years | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Observed (°C) |
Most recent higher | Years since higher |
Average for April |
||
| Gove Airport | 31.8 | 32.0 | in 1990 | 25 | 30.9 |
| Record highest April daily minimum temperature | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
New record (°C) |
Old record |
Years of record |
Average for April |
|||
| Centre Island | 29.1 | on the 3rd | 29.0 | on the 12th in 2014 | 41 | 25.3 |
| McArthur River Mine Airport | 27.3 | on the 3rd | = 27.3 | on the 6th in 1986 | 37 | 20.7 |
| Wollogorang | 27.1 | on the 2nd | 26.5 | on the 2nd in 1988 | 32 | 19.7 |
| Borroloola Airport | 26.2 | on the 3rd | 26.1 | on the 15th in 1996 | 21 | 20.3 |
| Record lowest April temperature | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
New record (°C) |
Old record |
Years of record |
Average for April |
|||
| Kulgera | 1.5 | on the 30th | 2.5 | on the 30th in 1986 | 34 | 13.9 |
Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top
| Summary statistics for April 2015 | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum temperatures (°C) |
Minimum temperatures (°C) |
Rainfall (millimetres) |
||||||||||
| Mean for April 2015 |
Diff from average |
Highest for April 2015 |
Mean for April 2015 |
Diff from average |
Lowest for April 2015 |
Total for April 2015 |
Average for April |
Rank of April 2015 |
Fraction of April average |
|||
| Darwin-Daly (district 14GA) | ||||||||||||
| Batchelor Airport | 33.7 | -0.1 | 35.0 | 1st | 21.3 | -0.4 | 14.8 | 30th | 31.4 | 96.2 | average | 33% |
| Black Point | 32.6 | +1.0 | 34.1 | 10th | 25.6 | +0.7 | 23.4 | 26th | 30.8 | 107.7 | low | 29% |
| Central Arnhem Plateau | 32.8 | 35.7 | 6th | 21.5 | 14.8 | 30th | 1.4 | 62.1 | v low | 2% | ||
| Channel Point | 32.6 | +0.2 | 34.9 | 19th | 22.7 | -0.8 | 17.5 | 30th | 57.8 | 111.6 | average | 52% |
| Charles Point | 32.6 | 33.6 | 8th | 24.2 | 21.3 | 30th | 81.8 | |||||
| Darwin Airport | 33.2 | +0.5 | 34.5 | 19th | 24.2 | +0.2 | 20.4 | 30th | 20.4 | 101.1 | low | 20% |
| Delamere Weapons Range | 33.7 | -0.3 | 37.3 | 5th | 20.5 | -0.5 | 13.6 | 30th | 4.4 | 18.9 | average | 23% |
| Douglas River | 35.2 | +0.7 | 37.6 | 17th | 20.2 | -0.3 | 11.4 | 30th | 14.2 | 50.6 | average | 28% |
| Dum In Mirrie Airstrip | 33.3 | +0.4 | 35.2 | 10th | 24.3 | -0.1 | 20.4 | 27th | 54.4 | 95.6 | average | 57% |
| Jabiru Airport | 35.2 | +0.7 | 37.1 | 19th | 24.0 | +0.5 | 20.0 | 30th | 40.6 | 87.3 | average | 47% |
| Katherine Country Club | 34.6 | 36.8 | 14th | 20.1 | 11.0 | 30th | 0 | |||||
| Mango Farm | 35.0 | +0.7 | 37.1 | 7th | 20.7 | -0.9 | 12.2 | 30th | 21.2 | 68.4 | average | 31% |
| McCluer Island | 30.9 | +0.1 | 32.9 | 6th | 26.5 | +0.5 | 23.4 | 7th | 112.0 | 146.6 | average | 76% |
| Middle Point | 34.7 | +0.6 | 36.7 | 6th | 21.7 | -0.7 | 12.7 | 30th | 41.8 | 103.6 | average | 40% |
| Murganella Airstrip | 34.2 | 37.5 | 7th | 22.8 | 17.9 | 26th | 33.4 | |||||
| Noonamah Airstrip | 34.5 | 36.0 | 19th | 23.0 | 16.2 | 30th | 46.6 | |||||
| Oenpelli Airport | 35.4 | 37.7 | 19th | 23.8 | 18.5 | 30th | 40.6 | |||||
| Pirlangimpi Airport | 34.5 | +1.7 | 37.1 | 3rd | 23.6 | +0.5 | 18.6 | 30th | 70.4 | 153.7 | low | 46% |
| Point Fawcett | 33.0 | +0.8 | 34.4 | 10th | 23.1 | -0.5 | 17.6 | 30th | ||||
| Point Stuart | 32.8 | 34.9 | 19th | 23.8 | 17.5 | 30th | 64.4 | 135.3 | average | 48% | ||
| Port Keats Airport | 34.5 | +0.2 | 38.0 | 29th | 22.0 | -0.4 | 16.3 | 30th | 11.4 | 83.4 | low | 14% |
| Tindal RAAF | 34.5 | +0.6 | 36.7 | 14th | 19.7 | -0.9 | 11.7 | 30th | 0.6 | 40.4 | average | 1% |
| Arnhem (district 14BC) | ||||||||||||
| Cape Wessel | 32.0 | 33.2 | 3rd | 26.4 | 24.0 | 20th | 58.2 | 156.7 | average | 37% | ||
| Gove Airport | 31.8 | +0.9 | 33.5 | 7th | 23.1 | -0.1 | 17.9 | 25th | 158.2 | 226.2 | average | 70% |
| Groote Eylandt Airport | 32.7 | +0.4 | 35.9 | 6th | 21.4 | -0.3 | 15.7 | 29th | 35.2 | 154.2 | low | 23% |
| Maningrida Airport | 33.2 | +0.8 | 34.8 | 8th | 23.2 | -0.1 | 18.6 | 27th | 55.0 | 130.6 | low | 42% |
| Milingimbi Airport | 33.1 | +0.9 | 34.9 | 19th | 24.3 | +0.5 | 21.5 | 26th | 61.8 | 116.1 | average | 53% |
| Ngayawili | 33.0 | +1.3 | 34.6 | 9th | 24.2 | +0.6 | 19.4 | 25th | 20.4 | 155.2 | v low | 13% |
| Warruwi Airport | 31.8 | +0.2 | 33.8 | 7th | 25.2 | +0.2 | 23.5 | 25th | 70.4 | 117.7 | average | 60% |
| Roper-Mcarthur (district 14DE) | ||||||||||||
| Borroloola Airport | 36.6 | +2.8 | 41.5 | 6th | 20.2 | -0.1 | 12.7 | 27th | 3.6 | 70.1 | low | 5% |
| Bulman | 34.6 | 38.4 | 6th | 20.5 | 14.0 | 30th | 15.2 | 65.5 | low | 23% | ||
| Centre Island | 33.1 | +1.1 | 37.9 | 6th | 25.2 | -0.1 | 21.1 | 28th | 41.8 | 98.0 | average | 43% |
| Daly Waters Airstrip | 34.9 | +1.1 | 39.2 | 6th | 18.0 | -1.7 | 11.7 | 29th | 0 | 22.0 | lowest | 0% |
| McArthur River Mine Airport | 36.1 | +1.4 | 40.0 | 6th | 20.6 | -0.1 | 11.8 | 28th | 0.2 | 32.4 | low | 1% |
| Ngukurr Airport | 35.9 | 39.8 | 6th | 20.6 | 12.4 | 30th | 2.0 | |||||
| Wollogorang | 35.6 | +1.9 | 40.5 | 5th | 18.8 | -0.9 | 10.4 | 28th | 4.5 | 44.0 | average | 10% |
| Victoria (district 14F) | ||||||||||||
| Lajamanu Airport | 33.4 | -0.1 | 38.9 | 5th | 17.4 | -0.6 | 11.2 | 26th | 10.8 | 15.8 | average | 68% |
| Victoria River Downs | 35.9 | +1.4 | 39.9 | 4th | 18.9 | -0.9 | 9.5 | 27th | 0 | 22.7 | lowest | 0% |
| Wave Hill | 34.8 | +0.5 | 40.5 | 5th | 18.9 | +0.1 | 10.5 | 27th | 0 | 18.8 | lowest | 0% |
| Barkly (district 15A) | ||||||||||||
| Brunette Downs | 33.4 | -0.1 | 39.8 | 2nd | 18.0 | -1.2 | 11.0 | 28th | 0 | 15.1 | lowest | 0% |
| Elliott | 34.0 | -0.4 | 39.7 | 6th | 19.0 | -0.6 | 12.5 | 26th | 0 | 22.5 | lowest | 0% |
| Tennant Creek Airport | 31.1 | -0.6 | 37.3 | 14th | 19.2 | -1.2 | 12.7 | 30th | 3.0 | 17.4 | average | 17% |
| Alice Springs (district 15B) | ||||||||||||
| Alice Springs Airport | 26.1 | -2.1 | 38.3 | 15th | 11.1 | -1.5 | 1.7 | 30th | 7.4 | 17.2 | average | 43% |
| Arltunga | 25.2 | -3.6 | 37.2 | 15th | 11.9 | -1.6 | 6.2 | 11th | 15.4 | 16.3 | high | 94% |
| Curtin Springs | 27.5 | -1.7 | 38.6 | 15th | 13.1 | -0.4 | 5.2 | 30th | 1.4 | 15.6 | average | 9% |
| Jervois | 27.9 | -2.6 | 37.8 | 15th | 14.0 | -0.4 | 7.9 | 26th | 15.0 | 17.2 | high | 87% |
| Kulgera | 26.1 | -1.8 | 37.5 | 14th | 12.5 | -1.4 | 1.5 | 30th | 0 | 14.4 | lowest | 0% |
| Rabbit Flat | 32.3 | -1.6 | 39.5 | 5th | 15.2 | -1.6 | 7.6 | 30th | 9.8 | 23.5 | average | 42% |
| Territory Grape Farm | 28.2 | -2.3 | 37.1 | 15th | 13.1 | -1.5 | 5.6 | 29th | 18.6 | 18.0 | high | 103% |
| Walungurru Airport | 30.4 | -2.8 | 38.4 | 15th | 18.2 | -2.5 | 12.0 | 26th | 0 | 11.2 | v low | 0% |
| Yulara Airport | 27.6 | -2.3 | 37.8 | 15th | 13.1 | -1.3 | 4.4 | 25th | 1.2 | 15.3 | average | 8% |
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 Friday 1 May 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
