Northern Territory in July 2026

Rainfall

Temperature

  • Mean maximum temperatures in July were above to very much above average for most of the Top End and north-eastern Northern Territory, and below average for parts of the central southern Northern Territory.
  • The Northern Territory's area-averaged mean maximum temperature was 25.6 °C, 0.52 °C above the 1961–1990 average,
  • Mean minimum temperatures in July were above to very much above average for most of the eastern, north-central and south-western Northern Territory, and below average for a small region of the southern Northern Territory.
  • The Northern Territory's area-averaged mean minimum temperature was 12.0 °C, 1.09 °C above the 1961–1990 average.
  • McCluer Island recorded its warmest July night (highest daily minimum temperature) on record on the 1st.
  • The Northern Territory's area-averaged mean temperature was 18.8 °C, 0.81 °C above the 1961–1990 average.

Events

  • Between 3 and 4 July, a cloud band brought unseasonably high showers to southern parts of the Northern Territory, with rainfall totals of up to 45 mm recorded across the two days.
  • For more details, visit the July national climate summary.

Darwin Airport

  • Total rainfall for Darwin Airport was 0.0 mm, which is 0% of the long-term average of 1.1 mm.
  • The mean daily maximum temperature for Darwin Airport was 31.7 °C, which is 1.0 °C above the long-term average of 30.7 °C.
  • The warmest day was 33.4 °C on the 31st, and the coolest day was on the 18th when the temperature reached 29.7 °C.
  • The mean daily minimum temperature for Darwin Airport was 20.2 °C, which is 0.9 °C above the long-term average of 19.3 °C.
  • The coldest morning was 16.5 °C on the 29th, and the warmest morning was on the 3rd when the minimum temperature was 23.5 °C.

Alice Springs Airport

  • Total rainfall for Alice Springs Airport was 28.2 mm, which is 204% of the long-term average of 13.8 mm.
  • The mean daily maximum temperature for Alice Springs Airport was 19.0 °C, which is 0.9 °C below the long-term average of 19.9 °C.
  • The warmest day was 25.2 °C on the 1st, and the coolest day was on the 4th when the temperature reached 12.1 °C.
  • The mean daily minimum temperature for Alice Springs Airport was 4.1 °C, which is 0.2 °C above the long-term average of 3.9 °C.
  • The coldest morning was -3.2 °C on the 26th, and the warmest morning was on the 9th when the minimum temperature was 11.6 °C.

Extremes in July 2026
Hottest day 35.6 °C at Douglas River Research Farm on the 4th
Warmest days on average 33.3 °C at Oenpelli Airport
Coolest days on average 19.0 °C at Alice Springs Airport
Coldest day 12.1 °C at Alice Springs Airport on the 4th
Coldest night -3.2 °C at Alice Springs Airport on the 26th
Coolest nights on average 4.1 °C at Alice Springs Airport
Warmest nights on average 23.6 °C at McCluer Island
Warmest night 26.2 °C at McCluer Island on the 1st
Warmest on average overall 26.1 °C at Oenpelli Airport
Coolest on average overall 11.6 °C at Alice Springs Airport
Wettest overall 56.6 mm at The Garden
Wettest day 41.8 mm at The Garden on the 4th
Strongest wind gust 65.0 km/h at McCluer Island on the 30th

Maps
ObservedAnomalyDecile rank
Total
rainfall
Map of Rainfall totals Map of Percentage of normal rainfall Map of Rainfall deciles
Mean
daily
maximum
temperatures
Map of Mean maximum temperature Map of Anomaly in mean maximum temperature Map of Decile rank of mean maximum temperature
Mean
daily
minimum
temperatures
Map of Mean minimum temperature Map of Anomaly in mean minimum temperature Map of Decile rank of mean minimum temperature

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


Record highest July daily rainfall
New record
(mm)
Old
record
Years of
record
Average for
July
Pine Hill 34.0 on the 5th 18.1 on 01 Jul 2023 41 6.0
Point Stuart 10.6 on the 9th 6.0 on 29 Jul 2003 24 0.6



Record highest July total rainfall
New record
(mm)
Old
record
Years of
record
Average for
July
Point Stuart 10.6 8.2 in 2003 23 0.6



Highest July total rainfall for at least 20 years
Observed
(mm)
Most recent
higher
Average for
July
Pine Hill 34.0 101.1 in 1978 7.0

note: there may be gaps in the historical record at some sites, so it is possible more recent higher values have gone unreported




Record highest July daily minimum temperature
New record
(°C)
Old
record
Years of
record
Average for
July
McCluer Island 26.2 on the 1st 26.0 on 31 Jul 2025 27 23.1




Summary statistics for July 2026
Maximum temperatures
(°C)
Minimum temperatures
(°C)
Rainfall
(millimetres)
Mean for
July
2026
Diff
from
average
Highest for
July
2026
Mean for
July
2026
Diff
from
average
Lowest for
July
2026
Total for
July
2026
Average
for
July
Rank of
July
2026
Fraction of
July
average
Darwin-Daly (district 14GA)
Batchelor Airport 31.4 -0.6 33.8 13th 16.9 +0.4 12.9 29th 0.0 0.8 lowest 0%
Central Arnhem Plateau 28.9 -0.3 31.9 2nd 16.6 +0.9 10.6 29th 0.0 1.8 lowest 0%
Channel Point 30.9 +1.5 32.8 5th 19.4 +2.3 17.9 8th 0.0 1.2 lowest 0%
Charles Point 30.3 +0.8 35.4 19th 20.5 +0.1 17.0 29th 0.6 0.3 high 200%
Croker Island Airport 30.0 -0.1 31.7 5th 21.1 +0.2 17.4 29th 0.0 0.3 lowest 0%
Darwin Airport 31.7 +1.0 33.4 31st 20.2 +0.9 16.5 29th 0.0 1.1 lowest 0%
Delamere Weapons Range 29.0 -0.7 32.9 3rd 15.1 +0.2 9.9 19th 0.0 1.7 lowest 0%
Douglas River Research Farm 32.0 +0.1 35.6 4th 13.8 +0.8 7.3 20th 0.0 2.8 lowest 0%
Dum In Mirrie Airstrip 31.6 +1.1 33.0 6th 17.6 -0.5 12.8 29th 4.6 1.3 high 354%
East Point 31.5 32.9 4th 20.3 17.0 18th 0.0
Jabiru Airport 32.4 +0.3 34.4 2nd 19.7 +0.9 14.8 29th 0.0 2.8 lowest 0%
Kangaroo Flats (Defence) 32.1 34.0 3rd 18.4 13.1 29th 2.8
Knuckey Lagoon 31.7 33.0 9th 17.7 13.3 22nd 0.4
McCluer Island 27.5 +0.1 29.3 2nd 23.6 +0.5 21.2 29th 0.0 0.9 lowest 0%
Middle Point 32.6 -0.2 34.0 11th 15.2 +0.6 7.8 29th 0.0 0.3 lowest 0%
Mount Bundey North (Defence) 31.9 33.9 2nd 18.7 14.6 19th 0.0
Mount Bundey South (Defence) 32.1 34.2 2nd 16.4 10.7 29th 0.0
Murganella Airstrip 30.6 -0.3 32.5 28th 17.6 +0.8 10.4 29th 0.0 0.5 lowest 0%
Noonamah Airstrip 32.9 -0.1 34.1 24th 16.7 +0.4 10.5 29th 0.2 0.1 high 200%
Oenpelli Airport 33.3 0.0 34.8 2nd 18.6 -0.2 13.1 28th 0.0 1.8 lowest 0%
Pirlangimpi Airport 31.3 -0.1 32.4 2nd 19.4 +0.8 14.8 30th 0.0 2.3 lowest 0%
Point Stuart 30.6 -0.9 32.0 30th 18.8 +0.7 13.2 29th 10.6 0.6 highest 1767%
Port Keats Airport 31.3 -0.2 33.1 4th 18.1 +1.3 12.9 23rd 0.0 1.2 lowest 0%
Tindal RAAF 30.1 -0.3 33.4 3rd 14.2 +0.6 9.4 19th 0.0 3.0 lowest 0%
Arnhem (district 14BC)
Gove Airport 28.7 29.7 4th 20.8 17.2 19th 34.6
Groote Eylandt Airport 29.0 +0.2 31.1 9th 16.3 +0.5 10.5 28th 0.6 2.4 average 25%
Maningrida Airport 31.1 +0.3 32.7 11th 19.1 +0.7 13.9 29th 0.0 0.7 lowest 0%
Milingimbi Airport 31.3 +0.7 33.0 5th 19.7 +0.4 14.7 29th 3.2 2.3 high 139%
Ngayawili 29.9 +0.2 31.1 29th 20.7 +1.0 18.5 28th 2.4 3.1 high 77%
Warruwi Airport 29.1 +0.3 30.4 25th 22.0 +0.7 18.8 29th 0.0 1.7 lowest 0%
Roper-Mcarthur (district 14DE)
Borroloola Airport 30.9 +0.4 33.3 4th 13.4 +1.3 7.6 18th 0.2 1.0 average 20%
Bulman 30.9 0.0 33.6 1st 14.7 +0.8 8.1 19th 0.0 0.9 lowest 0%
Centre Island 27.4 +1.0 29.5 9th 20.0 +1.3 17.1 27th 0.6 1.8 low 33%
McArthur River Mine Airport 30.6 +0.4 33.6 3rd 12.8 +0.5 6.2 18th 0.0 2.4 lowest 0%
Ngukurr Airport 31.0 -0.1 33.7 1st 14.8 +0.4 8.1 28th 0.2 0.5 average 40%
Victoria (district 14F)
Bradshaw 31.4 -0.7 34.9 3rd 15.1 -0.2 7.6 29th 0.0 0.5 lowest 0%
Bradshaw - Angallari Valley (Defence) 31.0 35.4 3rd 17.1 10.4 29th 0.0
Bradshaw - Koolendong Valley (Defence) 31.1 35.0 3rd 11.0 3.8 29th 0.0
Lajamanu Airport 26.7 -0.5 32.4 3rd 10.4 +0.9 2.6 28th 4.0 5.7 high 70%
Victoria River Downs 30.0 +0.5 35.1 3rd 11.8 +0.8 5.6 19th 0.0 2.8 lowest 0%
Barkly (district 15A)
Elliott 28.2 -0.1 33.0 2nd 13.2 +1.7 7.0 28th 0.0 3.5 lowest 0%
Tennant Creek Airport 24.8 0.0 30.4 3rd 13.3 +1.0 6.6 28th 0.0 6.4 lowest 0%
Alice Springs (district 15B)
Alice Springs Airport 19.0 -0.9 25.2 1st 4.1 +0.2 -3.2 26th 28.2 13.8 high 204%
Curtin Springs 18.8 -1.6 22.5 23rd 4.5 +0.7 -2.3 27th 0.0 11.8 lowest 0%
Jervois 21.1 -0.9 29.6 1st 7.6 +2.2 1.0 27th 48.6 13.0 high 374%
Rabbit Flat 25.2 -1.3 31.6 3rd 7.5 +0.7 -1.3 28th 2.6 5.4 high 48%
Territory Grape Farm 21.3 -1.5 28.0 1st 6.7 +1.6 1.3 26th 25.2 5.9 high 427%
Walungurru Airport 22.6 -1.2 25.9 2nd 10.7 0.0 6.5 27th 8.6 9.8 high 88%
Watarrka 20.3 -1.7 23.5 13th 4.9 -1.1 -0.5 27th 20.8 11.9 high 175%
Yulara Airport 19.3 -1.5 22.3 22nd 5.7 +1.3 -1.4 27th 6.6 15.0 average 44%

Notes

The Monthly climate summary, usually published in the first week of the following month, lists 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.

This statement has been prepared based on information available on Monday 3 August 2026. Some checks have been made on the data, but it is possible that results will change as new information becomes available.

In some situations, some or all of the rainfall is in the form of hail or snow. In these cases, the totals given are for the water equivalent: the depth of liquid water that results from melting any frozen precipitation. There can be significant 'undercatch' of snow in strong winds, meaning the true precipitation can be higher than that reported.

Averages for individual sites are long-term means based on observations from all available years of record, excluding the current year. The length of record can vary widely from site to site. Averages are not shown for sites with fewer 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.

Where temperature area averages are mentioned, they are derived from the ACORN-SAT dataset.

Information about Australian Indigenous seasonal calendars is available at the Indigenous Weather Knowledge website.

Creative Commons By Attribution logo Unless otherwise noted, all maps, graphs and diagrams in this page are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence

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