Friday 30 October 2009

MEDIA RELEASE - NT REGIONAL OFFICE

Warmest month on record in Darwin

Darwin has just experienced its warmest month on record, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.

Darwin has recorded the hottest ever month of daytime temperatures at the official observing site at Darwin Airport. Darwin Airport has been recording weather observations since 1941.

“ The average maximum temperature in October was 34.8°C” , Darwin climatologist Dr Shaik Hakeem said.

"This is the highest mean maximum temperature recorded in any month for Darwin. The previous record for the month of October and for any month of the year was 34.4°C, most recently in October 2008.  This October, the daily maximum temperature during the month reached 35.0°C on 13 days, the highest on record for any month, and there were another 4 days with 34.9°C.”

The 38.0°C recorded on the 18th was the second highest daily maximum temperature on record at Darwin Airport, while the 37.8°C the previous day ranks equal third. The highest maximum temperature ever recorded at Darwin Airport occurred on the 18th October 1982 when the mercury reached 38.9°C. 

It wasn’t all bad news; humidities were down, making it a drier build-up month than usual.  “We had an unseasonably dry east to southeast air flow combined with almost cloudless skies. The 3 pm relative humidities remained lower than the long-term mean”, Dr Shaik said. “The relative humidity on the 18th was 6 per cent , the lowest ever reported relative humidity for the month of October and the second lowest for any month .” 

 

Daily weather Observations found at : http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/dwo/index.shtml

Further information:

Dr. Shaik Hakeem NT Regional Office, tel: (08) 8920 3814, e-mail: climate.nt@BoM.GOV.AU
Dr. Andrew Tupper RD, Regional Office ; tel: 08 89203801