Top End Dry Season 2024

35.6c at 1.00pm then the sea breeze has come in dropped the temp to 31c in half an hour. And raised dp's into the low 20c's

Looks like August heat records have fallen today at Batchelor, Noonamah, Oenpelli and an equal record for Middle Point.

The first day of the last dry season month:

And some early Sept heat in the forecast:

Very 'build up' like sky at dawn this morning... even a coupla spots of rain, nothing in the gauge.

Bad fires today out along the Cox Peninsular, s w of Darwin....

34c at noon:

The first 10 days of September running at record levels for mean max temps, anomaly +2c !

Without looking at the database, generally max temps reach about 37c once or twice a year at the Darwin Airport.... and this is way more frequent in the 21st century than in the last century

Ok, had a quick look:  since 2000, there have been 101 days with max temps +36c.... of those days only 20 days +37c.

Notes/- ( from some research I did a few years ago, updated the figures to 2024 ):
Days exceeding 37.78c ( 100f ) at Darwin Post Office.
1886 - 2
1887 - 1
1888 - 1
1889 - 1
1890 - 1
1894 - 4
1893 - 2
1895 - 1
1901 - 1
1905 - 2
1906 - 1
1913 - 1
1924 - 1
1926 - 1
1931 - 1
21 days in 56 years and on 4 occasions between 1910-1941 ( the BoM era )

Days exceeding 37.78c ( 100f ) at the Airport.
1982 - 1
1991 - 1
2009 - 2
2019 - 1
2021 - 2
2023 - 1
Total 8 since 1941, and all since 1982.

Now the 37c days at both sites ( PO and Airport ):
Post Office 1884-1910 - 90 days +37c
Post Office 1910-1941 - 16 days +37c
Total 106 days at or above 37c

Airport site-1941-2000 - 14 days +37c
Airport site- 2000-2024 - 20 days +37c
Total 34 days at or above 37c

And the +36c days at the PO and Airport:
Post Office 1884-1910 - 468 days +36 ( not a typo ! ) ( pre BoM era )
Post Office 1910-1941 - 151 days +36c
Total 626 days at or above 36c.

Airport 1941- 2000 - 98 days +36c
Airport 2000-2024 - 101 days +36c
Total 199 days at or above 36c.

So there is the data....The Post Office was a hotter site considerably both by means and extremes.

Now I'm a skeptic as to the veracity and accuracy of pre 1910 readings at the Post Office, but I have no supporting evidence, and 'feelings' ain't 'facts'....... early photos do show what looks like a Stevenson Screen in the back yard of the post office in the 1890's.....the siting does look a bit suss.

Today:

The last 7 days: