Troughton Island is an island located off the Kimberley coast of Western Australia, about 80 kilometres (50 mi) north-west of Kalumburu and 45 kilometres (28 mi) north-west of the Mungalalu Truscott Airbase. Troughton Island is used as a helicopter base for the Timor Sea oil rigs approximately 500 kilometres (300 mi) west of Darwin.

Troughton Island
Western Australia
Troughton Island is located in Western Australia
Troughton Island
Troughton Island
Coordinates13°45′S 126°08′E / 13.750°S 126.133°E / -13.750; 126.133
Elevation27 m (89 ft)
Area0.93 km2 (0.4 sq mi)
Time zoneAWST (UTC+8)
Location
State electorate(s)Kimberley
Federal division(s)Durack
Mean max temp Mean min temp Annual rainfall
31.2 °C
88 °F
25.5 °C
78 °F
812.0 mm
32 in

History

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The island was found and named in 1819 by Phillip Parker King. The Sir Graham Moore Islands Airline company ShoreAir Pty Ltd has opened and operated an airport on the island since the 1960s.[1] It is a reference point for hydrographic surveys.[2]

Climate

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Under the Köppen climate classification, Troughton Island has a hot semi-arid climate (BSh), bordering on a tropical savanna climate, with a sweltering and oppressively humid wet season from December to March and a hot dry season from April to November.

Climate data for Troughton Island, elevation 6 m (20 ft), (1996–2020 normals, extremes 1957–present)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 36.3
(97.3)
35.2
(95.4)
35.4
(95.7)
36.3
(97.3)
35.4
(95.7)
33.9
(93.0)
32.0
(89.6)
35.6
(96.1)
34.4
(93.9)
35.6
(96.1)
35.6
(96.1)
36.4
(97.5)
36.4
(97.5)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 31.9
(89.4)
31.8
(89.2)
32.3
(90.1)
33.0
(91.4)
31.5
(88.7)
29.4
(84.9)
28.7
(83.7)
29.2
(84.6)
30.7
(87.3)
32.2
(90.0)
33.4
(92.1)
33.0
(91.4)
31.4
(88.6)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 26.6
(79.9)
26.6
(79.9)
26.9
(80.4)
27.2
(81.0)
25.7
(78.3)
23.6
(74.5)
22.5
(72.5)
22.7
(72.9)
24.8
(76.6)
26.7
(80.1)
27.9
(82.2)
27.5
(81.5)
25.7
(78.3)
Record low °C (°F) 20.0
(68.0)
20.0
(68.0)
21.1
(70.0)
22.3
(72.1)
17.2
(63.0)
15.5
(59.9)
15.0
(59.0)
18.2
(64.8)
20.5
(68.9)
18.4
(65.1)
22.2
(72.0)
20.6
(69.1)
15.0
(59.0)
Average rainfall mm (inches) 274.8
(10.82)
159.3
(6.27)
110.1
(4.33)
40.5
(1.59)
29.6
(1.17)
4.7
(0.19)
1.0
(0.04)
0.7
(0.03)
0.3
(0.01)
3.6
(0.14)
13.6
(0.54)
187.3
(7.37)
825.5
(32.5)
Average rainy days (≥ 1.0 mm) 12.1 8.2 6.9 2.6 1.7 0.4 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.5 1.6 7.0 41.2
Source: Australian Bureau of Meteorology (rain 2000-2020)[3]

References

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  1. ^ "LIFE ON A TROPICAL ISLAND". The Australian Women's Weekly. 13 December 1967. p. 85. Retrieved 16 January 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
  2. ^ Australia. Royal Australian Navy. Hydrographic Service (1969), Lesueur Island to Troughton Island, Australia – north-west coast, Western Australia (Provisional [ed.] ed.), Australian Hydrographic Service, retrieved 16 January 2016
  3. ^ "Climate statistics for Australian locations: TROUGHTON ISLAND". 9 April 2024.