Katherine's weather is going to turn cold by the end of the week.

Cold in terms of early dry season temperatures that is with a maximum temperature of 22 degrees forecast on Friday, five degrees colder than Darwin.

The cold snap is expected to continue into the weekend with temperatures to fall to 11 degrees on Sunday night.

And there is expected to be rain, but the way rain has been going lately that hardly seems likely.

The experts at the Bureau of Meteorology are excited about the potential rain totals for Katherine however.

"The heaviest rain is likely between Katherine and Tennant Creek with 3-day rainfall totals of 20-40mm expected, with higher falls of 40-60mm possible," a bureau spokesman said today.

May's rain average is 2.3mm for Katherine but maximum temperatures are supposed to stay at 33.4 degrees as well, not 22.

The Bureau of Meteorology said a cloud band over the Gregory and Tanami Districts will spread into the southern Top End, Barkly and Carpentaria Districts from tomorrow and will quickly move east towards Queensland by Saturday.

Areas of rain are expected to develop with the cloud band.

Lighter rainfall is possible as far south as Barrow Creek and as far north as Darwin.

More reading: A wet season in name only.

Rainfall during this period is likely to be widespread and steady rather than the isolated heavy falls typical of the wet season, with Thursday as the peak rainfall day.

The cloud band will coincide with cool and windy southeasterly winds leading to cold to very cold daytime temperatures.

Temperatures in the central and southern NT will drop from Wednesday, with temperatures around 2-6°C below average.

Daytime temperatures become colder during Thursday with widespread areas of maximum temperatures 8-14°C below average across the Barkly (particularly the north), Gregory, western Carpentaria and southern Daly Districts.

Friday is the peak of the cold temperatures with maximums at least 8-12C below average north of Barrow Creek, falling to as much as 14-16C below average in northern central districts (slightly less cold in the Top End coastal fringe).

Temperatures will warm over the weekend but are likely to stay below average into at least next week.

Particularly during Thursday to Saturday moderate to fresh southeasterly winds will cause the apparent temperatures (or feels like) to fall significantly.

This will be most strongly felt in the northern central districts and southern Top End.

Darwin is forecast to drop below 20°C for the first time this Dry Season from Saturday.

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