Palmerston weather in October

In October, Palmerston sees average daytime highs of 35°C and overnight lows near 24°C, with 58 mm of rain across 9.3 wet days and about 12.3 hours of daylight. It is the 1st-warmest and 7th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 35°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 44% of the time in October, and the air most often feels oppressive.

Daylight stretches from about 12 h 06 min at the start of October to 12 h 24 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, October is Palmerston's 6th-clearest and 11th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Palmerston's year-round climate.

Daytime high
35°
1st warmest
Overnight low
24°
7th coldest
Rainfall
58 mm
9.3 wet days
Daylight
12 h 18 min
6:23 AM – 6:40 PM
Cloud cover
47%
6th clearest
Wind
7 km/h
11th windiest
Solar energy
6.88 kWh/m²
Travel score
2.4
out of 10

Palmerston is planned satellite city of Darwin, in the Northern Territory, Australia.

Air quality
Good
PM2.5 9.8 µg/m³ · 2019
Density
637/km²
people per km²

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in October

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 35°C through the month.

A typical October day in Palmerston reaches about 35°C in the afternoon and slips back to 24°C overnight — a 11°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 33°C and 37°C. Set against its neighbours, October runs on par with September and about 1°C warmer than November.

20°25°30°35°40°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
13523
23523
33523
43623
53624
63624
73624
83624
93624
103624
113624
123624
133624
143524
153524
163524
173524
183524
193524
203524
213524
223524
233524
243524
253524
263524
273525
283525
293525
303525
313525

How October really feels in Palmerston

Once humidity and wind are folded in, October averages 31 days that feel above 32°C and 0 that feel at or below 0°C — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 32°C
31
24 feel dangerously hot (≥ 39°C)
Days feeling ≤ C
0
wind chill below the day's low

The story in October is heat — humidity pushes the afternoon "feels like" well above the raw temperature.

Palmerston weather by month

How October compares with the rest of the year at a glance. October is the 1st-warmest and 7th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan32° / 25°43928.312.72.2
Feb32° / 25°39325.912.42.3
Mar33° / 25°30423.712.12.5
Apr33° / 23°1009.511.73.3
May33° / 21°152.611.44.3
Jun32° / 19°20.411.35.3
Jul32° / 18°10.211.35.3
Aug33° / 19°10.211.64.5
Sep35° / 22°122.711.93.1
Oct35° / 24°589.312.32.4
Nov35° / 25°17519.312.62.1
Dec33° / 25°33225.312.72.2

Cloud cover in October

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 44% of the time in October.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 28% of October, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 29%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
17129
27129
37129
47228
57228
67228
77228
87327
97327
107228
117228
127327
137228
147228
157327
167228
177228
187228
197228
207129
217129
227129
237129
247030
257129
267129
277030
286931
296931
306832
316832

Chance of precipitation in October

Any precipitation

Palmerston gets around 58 mm of rain over 9.3 wet days in October. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 30% and peaks near 43% on the wettest days. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
115
216
317
418
519
621
722
823
925
1026
1127
1228
1329
1430
1531
1632
1732
1833
1934
2035
2135
2236
2336
2437
2537
2638
2739
2840
2941
3042
3143

Humidity in October

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of October feels oppressive — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, October lands in the oppressive band about 53% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 92% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)Miserable (%)
111446390
211444401
311343421
411242431
511241451
611140461
711139472
811039482
911038492
101937493
111937503
121837504
131836514
141836514
151736515
161736515
171735516
181635526
191634536
201634527
211533547
221532557
231531567
241430587
251428598
261427608
270325648
280324658
290222679
300220699
3102187010

Wind in October

Winds average 7 km/h in October.

Across October, daily wind ranges from about 7 km/h on the calmest days to 7 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
17calm
27calm
37calm
47calm
57calm
67calm
77calm
87calm
97calm
107calm
117calm
127calm
137calm
147calm
157calm
167calm
177calm
187calm
197calm
207calm
217calm
227calm
237calm
247calm
257calm
267calm
277calm
287calm
297calm
307calm
317calm

Sunrise & sunset in October

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 12 h 06 min at the start of October to 12 h 24 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 18 minutes over October. Sunrise moves from 6:32 AM to 6:16 AM, and sunset from 6:38 PM to 6:43 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.16:326:38
212.16:316:38
312.16:306:38
412.16:306:38
512.26:296:39
612.26:286:39
712.26:286:39
812.26:276:39
912.26:276:39
1012.26:266:39
1112.26:256:39
1212.26:256:39
1312.26:246:39
1412.36:246:39
1512.36:236:39
1612.36:236:40
1712.36:226:40
1812.36:226:40
1912.36:216:40
2012.36:216:40
2112.36:206:40
2212.36:206:41
2312.46:196:41
2412.46:196:41
2512.46:186:41
2612.46:186:42
2712.46:186:42
2812.46:176:42
2912.46:176:42
3012.46:176:43
3112.46:166:43

Solar energy in October

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in October, about 6.88 kWh/m² — the sunniest month for solar.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 5.31 kWh/m² to a high of 6.88 kWh/m² in October across the year — October's 6.88 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
16.8Intense
26.8Intense
36.8Intense
46.8Intense
56.8Intense
66.8Intense
76.8Intense
86.8Intense
96.8Intense
106.8Intense
116.8Intense
126.8Intense
136.8Intense
146.8Intense
156.9Intense
166.9Intense
176.9Intense
186.9Intense
196.9Intense
206.9Intense
216.9Intense
226.9Intense
236.9Intense
246.9Intense
256.9Intense
266.9Intense
276.9Intense
286.9Intense
296.9Intense
306.9Intense
316.9Intense
Planning a trip in October

Hazard calendar for Palmerston

In seasonPeak

None of Palmerston's seasonal hazards are active in October. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do peak.

Palmerston sits in the South Indian Ocean cyclone belt; the season peaks January–March.

Palmerston's monsoon runs December–March, when most of the year's rain falls.

Cyclone
Monsoon
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is October a good time to visit Palmerston?

Our two travel scores rate October for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).

2.4
Sightseeing
8th-best month of the year
5.4
Beach & pool
7th-best month of the year

October is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Palmerston.

What to pack for Palmerston in October

From October's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.

In October, Palmerston sees daytime highs around 35°C and nights near 24°C. Pack light clothes and sun protection. Worth having: rain gear. About 9 days see rain.

light clothessun protectionrain gear

Sea temperature near Palmerston in October

The nearest coast averages about 30°C in October — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea at the nearest coast (about 17 km away) is warmest in December at about 31°C and coldest in July near 26°C.

The water stays above 20°C all year — warm enough for a swim any month.

24°26°28°30°32°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan30Tropical
Feb30Tropical
Mar30Tropical
Apr30Tropical
May29Tropical
Jun27Warm
Jul26Warm
Aug26Warm
Sep28Warm
Oct30Tropical
Nov31Tropical
Dec31Tropical

UV index in Palmerston in October

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in October peaks around 14 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Palmerston peaks around February 20 at about 16 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 18 at about 9 (very high).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — every month of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highExtremeFeb 20UV 16Jun 18UV 9
UV index (midday)Level
Jan15Extreme
Feb16Extreme
Mar16Extreme
Apr13Extreme
May10Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug11Extreme
Sep13Extreme
Oct14Extreme
Nov12Extreme
Dec13Extreme

Air quality in Palmerston in October

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where October falls, not just the annual average.

Air quality in Palmerston is worst in May — around 19 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 3.3× the cleanest month (March, 6 µg/m³).

Seasonal pattern from CAMS reanalysis, scaled to Palmerston's WHO annual average of 9.8 µg/m³.

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodMay 1918 µg/m³Mar 126 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan6Good
Feb6Good
Mar6Good
Apr8Good
May19Moderate
Jun14Moderate
Jul15Moderate
Aug15Moderate
Sep9Good
Oct7Good
Nov7Good
Dec6Good
Location & terrain

Where is Palmerston?

Palmerston sits at 12.5°S, 131.0°E, 36 m above sea level, in Australia. The nearest listed city is Darwin, 16 km away.

SuaiAileuAtsabe

Topography around Palmerston

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Palmerston.

Within 3 km, the terrain around Palmerston has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 47 m around an average of 25 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 57 m; within 80 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 229 m.

The land around Palmerston is covered by trees (47%) and artificial surfaces (35%) within 3 km, trees (49%) within 16 km, and trees (40%) and water (39%) within 80 km.

3 km
47 m
16 km
57 m
80 km
229 m
treesgrasslandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetlandmangroves
October weather nearby: Darwin 16 km · Lospalos 620 km · Venilale 660 km · Baucau 666 km · Suai 718 km · Aileu 725 km · Atsabe 727 km · Dili 735 km

Australia travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 1
Exercise Normal Precautions
Power plugs
Type I
230 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 90% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$65,130
2025
Happiness
6.9 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Homicide rate
0.9
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
4.9
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
Religion
none 38%Roman Catholic 20%Protestant 18%other Christian 4%

Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.

Data sources

Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Palmerston (-12.486°, 130.9833°, elevation 36 m), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google. Tropical-cyclone seasons are the published climatological basin seasons (NOAA National Hurricane Center / regional warning centres). Sea temperatures are the NOAA OISST v2.1 1991–2020 monthly climatology (public domain), sampled at the nearest ocean point. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Monthly air-quality (PM2.5) seasonality is from the CAMS EAC4 reanalysis (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service), scaled to the WHO annual mean where available. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).