Storms near Northern Territory
The record holds 240 tropical cyclones whose tracks passed within 50 km of Northern Territory, Australia between 1897 and 2026. The busiest month is January, with 57 of them. The strongest, measured where each came closest to the place, reached category 5 strength. 93 of the storms have no wind speed in the record.
- 240storms within 50 km
- 9major (category 3 to 5) near here
- 20at category 1 strength or more
A storm counts once, however many times it came close. The category is the storm's strongest point within 50 km, which can be weaker than its peak elsewhere.
How strong were the storms near Northern Territory?
| Category near here | Storms | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Tropical depression | 55 | 23% |
| Tropical storm | 72 | 30% |
| Category 1 | 7 | 3% |
| Category 2 | 4 | 2% |
| Category 3 | 4 | 2% |
| Category 4 | 4 | 2% |
| Category 5 | 1 | <1% |
| Unknown intensity | 93 | 39% |
The agency behind most of the intensity figures here is the US Joint Typhoon Warning Center (southern hemisphere).
Northern Territory storms over time
The 2020s only run to 2026, so that bar is for a shorter period. This place's record starts in 1897, and records before the satellite era (about the 1960s) are far less complete.
Show the numbers
| Period | Count |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 3 |
| 1900s | 3 |
| 1910s | 15 |
| 1920s | 11 |
| 1930s | 9 |
| 1940s | 8 |
| 1950s | 20 |
| 1960s | 22 |
| 1970s | 26 |
| 1980s | 27 |
| 1990s | 26 |
| 2000s | 26 |
| 2010s | 27 |
| 2020s | 17 |
Earlier decades hold fewer storms partly because they were harder to see. Before weather satellites (about the 1960s) many storms that stayed at sea went unrecorded, so compare decades with care.
Show the numbers
| Period | Count |
|---|---|
| Jan | 57 |
| Feb | 52 |
| Mar | 57 |
| Apr | 22 |
| May | 3 |
| Jun | 1 |
| Jul | 2 |
| Aug | 0 |
| Sep | 0 |
| Oct | 0 |
| Nov | 7 |
| Dec | 39 |
Strongest storms near Northern Territory
- Monica (2006)16 April 2006 to 27 April 2006, peak Category 5 (155 kt), 916 hPa
- Ingrid (2005)4 March 2005 to 17 March 2005, peak Category 4 (135 kt), 924 hPa
- Kathy (1984)16 March 1984 to 24 March 1984, peak Category 4 (125 kt), 939 hPa
- Thelma (1999)1 December 1998 to 15 December 1998, peak Category 4 (135 kt), 920 hPa
- Sandy (1985)19 March 1985 to 3 April 1985, peak Category 4 (120 kt), 953 hPa
Most recent storms near Northern Territory
- Narelle (2026)15 March 2026 to 28 March 2026, Category 1 (80 kt) near here, peak Category 4 (124 kt), 931 hPa, provisional
- Mitchell (2026)29 January 2026 to 10 February 2026, Tropical depression (23 kt) near here, peak Category 1 (80 kt), 963 hPa, provisional
- Hayley (2026)27 December 2025 to 1 January 2026, Tropical depression (23 kt) near here, peak Category 2 (89 kt), 953 hPa, provisional
Many of these storms killed people and destroyed homes. The figures are the official record's, and this page says nothing about their human cost.