Weather in Northern Territory

Who knows mate have a look at the headlines from last Dec & Jan. The way the whole country is you need to make plans and hope the best for the weather to play its part thats what I do.

Try this link to start with. Site Link

I did it a few years ago. Very hot and humid all night right up the top around Darwin. You have a shower and 10 minutes later you need another one. You can't swim at the beaches because of the stingers/jellyfish/crocodiles. It rains frequently to keep the sauna effect going. South near Alice its just hot, 40+ a lot of the time but not so humid.
A lot of the attractions are closed as well (eg the Bungle Bungles).
Thats the down side.
The upside is that its a nice place to visit because of its natural beauty. My opinion only :-)

Mike

Fabrizio

Temperatures in the north will be between 35 and 40° C and the humidity mostly around 90%

It does rain at that time of year but the main rains come in February so you should not have too many problems. This year friends of mine were stuck in a town in Queensland for 9 days, cut off my floodwaters in January, so you have to be aware of this possibility.

For information just pick a place on the map and then Google it

Cheers

Hi Fabrizio,

Click on the 'Articles' tab at the top of this page then go to 'Weather', click on that, select a town, click on it, scroll down the page to get the average temperatures.
That should give you some of the information you need.

Cheers,
Dennis

Hi Fabry

After living up in Darwin for years most mexicans just die when the arrive in Darwin especially at that time of year. My cousin came up in May and within a day he learnt a knew word - 'whew' - because he said it every time he stepped outside.

I loved it at that time of year - well I loved it all year round for different reasons. At that time of year the mangoes are in season. Many street verge trees are mangoes in Darwin and it is common to drive over mangoes as you go to work. And none of those small ones you get down south for mexicans. The good ones are the size of rockmellons - R2D2 mangoes.

The lightening storms around this time are stunning. I thought I had seen lightening storms down south - no way - Darwin has the most lightening activity in the whole of the planet Earth. Even after years up there the lightening is still stunning.

If you go up there be prepared to camp next to the swimming pool in every caravan park and just stay in the pool. It is that hot. Be prepared to change your clothes two or three times a day. Be prepared to drink well over 10 litres of water per day - and that is if you are doing nothing. If you don't drink at least that much water you will come down with the most almighty heat headache.

Darwin was good at that time of year - no tourists. Of course the barra fishing was off. The water gets too hot and they just won't bite. You will still get the odd one out on coastal reefs but none up in the rivers and billabongs. There is very little flowing water unless the wet has kicked in then there is too much.

When it rains it is just a sight. I sat at the lights at an intersection and could barely see the cars on the other side because it was raining that hard and on my side it was bone dry.

Most tourist spots are closed once the wet kicks in as you just cannot go off the bitumen. Just pulling over onto the gravel shoulder will get you bogged. Once some army 6 wheel drives Unimogs tried to do a U turn on the Arnhem hwy and ended up stuck for days. Both of them. Every year a couple of cars or a truck get washed off the crossings - especially Cahill crossing.

You will be able to drive up the Stuart hwy (providing roads are not under water) and get to Darwin but if the wet is there most spots are closed. A lot of the touristy things are shut for the wet like the Mindal beach markets. If the wet is raining the Stuart hwy is often flooded just north of Katherine for up to a week and again just south of Darwin for at least a couple of days. (even with the new bridge just south of the Arnhem turn off.)

Not say don't do it just that Darwin can be a lot different to what tourist expect at that time of year. Many people from Darwin get out of town and visit mexican relatives at that time of year.

We lived in an elevated house and when the wet rained our yard would just flood with up to 4inches of water. We where at the top of the rise in our street so it flowed away fast enough.The pool just over flowed and no point in trying to keep up with any salt. Just enjoy the fresh rainwater swim.

David


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Fabrizio
People live here, and we survive, most tourists come to the Top End of the NT in the dry season, when every thing is dry, you see dry grass, then they all flock South before the Wet season begins, back to a bloody hot summer with raging bushfires ......and dry grass, Hey C'mon up and enjoy the wet season, when everything comes alive, ..... with green grass, wonderful storm shows, and it's a little cooler then than what it is now, every day is around 32 to 34 , no 48s here, and don't let the thought of a cyclone put you off, 'people live here' and if one does develop all you have to do is head a few Ks South,


.

Well if people are chucking photos of topend wet season - I found this one on a calender.


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So everybody are saying that is not really good idea to travel in the north during the wet.

this is really bad news for me!!

What can i do to stay more quiet during the exploration of noth?

Anyone has some suggestions?

Many thanks guy!!

Fabry, my husband and I have been travelling for nearly 5 months and we are now in Darwin until March 2010. Yes it's hot, but if you like that, great. I love living in a sarong! You drink lots of water, beer and whatever else you can get your hands on. You swim a lot, you relax a lot and all the tourists have left so you have no trouble getting a place to stay. It rained pretty heavily last night, and is starting to rain again now, but that doesn't stop you from doing what you want to do, as it's still hot. I can't wait to experience some storms, can't wait to see the Top End during and after the Wet, and we'll just have to take each day as it comes for where we can go and what we can do. Just ask lots of questions as you travel, don't be in a hurry and keep flexible with your plans and enjoy this awesome country.