31/05/2011: Darwin and other parts of the Top End have just had their coldest May on record, according to weatherzone.com.au.

And this comes after the coldest April in five years, so it's been cooling down rather quickly since March, which was warmer than normal.

This May was more than two degrees colder than average by night and more than a degree colder than average by day.

Overnight minimums averaged 19.9 degrees, which equals the record low for May, equal to May 1999.

Daytime maximum temperatures averaged just under 31 degrees, the lowest in May since 1968.

Combining overnight and daytime temperatures it turned out to be the equal coldest May on record, averaging just 25.3 degrees, almost two degrees colder than the long-term norm.

May 2011 was equally as cold as May 1960.

Elsewhere in the Top End, Katherine has had its coldest May in more than 20 years. Katherine's overnight minimums averaged just 14 degrees, about two-and-a-half degrees colder than the long-term average of 16.7. Katherine's daytime maximums averaged just under 30 degrees, more than two degrees colder than the long-term average.

"The cold has affected every district in the Northern Territory due to persistent southeasterly winds which have been very dry, a result of three major cold fronts across southeastern Australia in the last three weeks," Weatherzone meteorologist Brett Dutschke said.

Alyangula on Groote Eylandt and Wollogorang have both had their coldest May nights in 29 years of records. Brunette Downs has had its coldest May days in 45 years of records and Tennant Creek its coldest May nights in 42 years of records.

"The southeasterlies for most of the month have given us quite a wind chill as well, especially in the Alice, where they've had a record run of frosty mornings," Dutschke said.

This morning was the fifth consecutive morning of sub-zero temperatures in Alice Springs, a new May record. The previous record May run was four mornings, in 1976.

"This would even be unusual for June, it's more typical of July."

Overall this month it has been the coldest May in 11 years for Alice Springs, in terms of nighttime and daytime temperatures combined.

"Looking ahead, we'll only see gradual warming over the interior in the next few days as southeasterly winds ease but another burst of southeasterlies from Monday will bring us some more chilly weather through to the following weekend," Dutschke said.

Media Inquiries:

Brett Dutschke
media@weatherzone.com.au
02 9965 9269

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