Information on Shire

Climate

There are two seasons in the Carpentaria Shire region; The 'Dry' season and the 'Wet' season.

The 'Dry' season (or Winter), between the months of April to September, is characterised by little to no rainfall with mild to warm conditions.

Average temperatures: Maximum of 29°C / Minimum of 15°C

Humidity levels are lower during the 'Dry' season with averages of 45% to 55%.

The 'Wet' season (or Summer), between the months of October to March, is characterised by heavy rainfall, particularly from January onwards with an average monthly rainfall of 250mm in January.

Average temperatures: Maximum of 36°C / Minimum of 25°C

Humidity Levels average between 55% and 65%

A peculiar, yet beautiful cloud formation, 'The Morning Glory', can be seen in the 'Wet' season, late in September to early November. The Morning Glory is a series of long cigar shaped cloud formations that roll out of the Gulf in lines of three or four, usually in the early hours of the morning before daylight.

Occurring in only two places in the world, the Gulf of Mexico and the Gulf of Carpentaria, these multiple formations follow behind each other, accompanied by an intense wind called a 'shock wave'. The cloud itself does not travel much further than 60km inland but the wind has been registered as far south as Alice Springs. The emergence of these cloud formations is a powerful proclamation of the unstable and variable weather of the build-up to the 'Wet'.

Shire Size

Carpentaria Shire covers over 64 000 sq kilometres and comprises just two towns; Normanton and Karumba.  Access to the Gulf is via the Savannah Way from Cairns or the Matilda Highway from Cloncurry.

Population

Total: 3500
Normanton: 2300
Karumba: 800
Rural: 400

Distance to Major Centres

Normanton   Karumba
Mount Isa: 484km  Mount Isa: 556 km
Cairns: 707km   Cairns: 779 km
Townsville: 938km  Townsville: 1010 km