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Darwin Weather and Climate

To enjoy living in Darwin weather and climatic conditions, take a long look at Northern Territory weather patterns and adjust your climatic controls accordingly.

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Warm sunny days are the rule here, even in the wet season the rain usually comes in short, hard bursts and the sun is never far away.

Darwin itself rarely goes above 34C or below 30C during the day because it is on the coast. However as you move inland, daytime maximums increase and night time minimums fall sharply.

Rainfall also decreases from around 1600+mm (66in) annually on the coast to close to zero in Alice Springs near the very centre of Australia. Most of the rain usually falls between December and March while late April to sometime in October can be virtually rain free.

Of course because Darwin was virtually destroyed by Cyclone Tracy in 1974, everyone seems to think we have cyclones here all the time. In reality more cyclones occur either side of Darwin, travelling down the WA coast or into the Gulf of Carpentaria.

Cyclone Helen visited in 2008 resulting in relatively minor damage

So we have no "winter" here - the dry season is the definition of perfect weather while the cooling rains of the wet season make an enjoyable change.

When the Dragonflies appear, we know the wet season is over and look forward to months of dry season weather.

An informal, relaxed lifestyle reflects these conditions. Nothing beats an evening meal on the wharf or overlooking the sea on the Nightcliff foreshore.

November Storms on radar

Rainfalla and Temperature monthly averages

The graph on the right shows the Darwin average rainfall and temperatures.

For full details check the Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology here.

Most locals divide the year into three periods; "the dry" from around May to early September, "the build up" from the first signs of humidity in September to when the rains really kick in sometime in December, and bring "the wet season" which lasts untill April.

The Jawoyn people recognise six seasons:

Jiorrk, January to February - the wet season Bungarung,
March to mid-April - the end of the rains Jungalk,
mid-April to the end of May - the hot start of the dry period
Malaparr, June to the end of August - the cooler, middle part of the dry
Worrwopmi, September to the end of October - the humid time
Wakaringding, November until the end of December - the humid time with the first rains

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