Northern Territory, Australia Weather and Climate

Geography and general

Short for NT by abbreviationfinder, the Northern Territory in Australia extends from the border with South Australia to the uppermost north of the Timor Sea.

The least populated state on the whole continent includes Darwin (in the top end) as the most important cities and Alice Springs in the center as the gateway to the Australian outback.

Colloquially, the entire Northern Territory is often referred to as Outback Australia, but this does a little injustice to the tropical green national parks in the north – above all Litchfield and Kakadu National Park.

Popular travel routes through the Northern Territory lead from the top end by rental car or camper to the Red Center and thus include all the important sights of the region up to Kings Canyon and the world-famous Ayer’s Rock (Uluṟu).

Alternatively, the Uluṟu-Kata-Tjuṯa National Park in the Red Center can also be reached directly by plane via its own Connellan Airport near Yulara. Connections exist mainly via Cairns, Melbourne and Sydney.

Climate in the Northern Territory

The Australian Northern Territory can basically be divided into two very different climatic zones. The center of the country around the popular area at Ayer’s Rock is dominated by a typical desert climate. The summer months are extremely hot, but in winter it can be quite cold.

Both in Alice Springs and deeper in the Red Center, the daytime and nighttime values ​​are usually around 15 ° C. Even hot days bring a corresponding cooling after sunset. There is no real rainy season in the Red Center, please also note the exact amount of precipitation in our diagrams:

While in Alice Springs in the wettest month of December If an average of 40.8 mm of rain falls, Darwin and the Top End easily achieve ten times that amount. The entire tropical north is hit by a very pronounced rainy season. Especially between mid-December and the end of March there is a risk of heavy monsoon rains every year.

When is the best time to visit the Northern Territory?

Since there is no real rainy season in the center, the world-famous Ayer’s Rock (Uluṟu) can theoretically be visited all year round. However, the extreme heat during the Australian summer makes a visitor to the outback very strenuous and exhausting.

Between November and March the 40 degree mark is often cracked even in the shade. At the same time, heavy monsoon rains pour over the tropical north, making many roads and national parks impassable. Fortunately, these two weather extremes coincide with almost the same period.

We consequently recommend the period from mid- April to early November as the best travel time for the Northern Territory and Outback. In particular the Australian winter months of June,July, August and September are perfect for round trips. Those who like it a little warmer will find very good conditions in May and October.

Optimal travel time for the regions

In the following overview you can see the best travel time depending on the region (Northern Territory).

Temperatures, precipitation, sunshine in Alice Springs (Northern Territory)

Temperatures

The annual average temperature in Alice Springs is 21 ° C. For comparison: Munich reaches an average of 8.6 ° C, in Berlin it is 9.6 ° C. The warmest month is January (29 ° C), coldest month of July with averages of 11.9 ° C.

Precipitation

The annual precipitation is 285 mm on 45 days with precipitation. For comparison: In Munich, 967 mm, in Berlin 570 mm, precipitation is measured annually. There is no rainy season, i.e. months with more than 175 mm of precipitation. During the months of June and July snowfall is possible.

Sunshine

As our climate table shows, October is the sunniest month with an average of 10.1 hours of sunshine per day. On average over the year the sun shines an average of 9.6 hours per day. For comparison: In Munich and Berlin, the sun shines an average of 4.7 hours per day throughout the year.

Sights and highlights

The Northern Territory is often simply summarized as Australia’s Outback. This means above all regions far away from civilization with partly untouched nature and endless expanses. This is true on the one hand, but neglects the indescribable diversity of the Northern Territory’s landscape.

We definitely recommend going on a round trip to soak up the many different aspects of this region with all your senses.

The most popular attractions in the Northern Territory include The Kangaroo Sanctuary in Alice Springs, Mindil Beach in Darwin, Kakadu National Park with the sacred Ubirr, the imposing Kings Canyon, Litchfield National Park and Katherine Gorge as well as the classics Uluru and Kata Tjuta (Olgas).

Northern Territory weather in March, April and May

Average daily temperatures between 23 ° C and 34 ° C can be expected over the next three months. It gets warmest in March in Ayers Rock – Uluru, while May is noticeably cooler in Alice Springs. The temperatures in Alice Springs are between 23 and 33 ° C, in Ayers Rock – Uluru between 24 and 34 ° C and in Darwin between 32 and 33 ° C.

Do you want to go on a beach holiday? The water temperatures are in March, April and May at about 28 ° C. This is great weather for a great time on the beach and in the water.

In March it rains for 3 (Alice Springs) to 17 days (Darwin), in April for 2 (Alice Springs) to 7 days (Darwin) and in May for 2 (Darwin) to 3 days (Alice Springs), depending on the region.

In the period from March to May , the sun shines on average between 0 and 10 hours a day. The sunniest weather is in March in Alice Springs, but with less sun you will have to make do with Ayers Rock – Uluru in March.