Australia Climate – June 2026 Update
Top 5 Cities: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide
This month in numbers
Australia recorded an average temperature of 14.81°C in June 2026, which was 0.2°C cooler than the 1961–1990 baseline. This ranked as the 59th warmest June in 86 years of records. Globally, June 2026 was the 3rd warmest June on record for land temperatures, with an anomaly of +1°C above the 1961–1990 baseline.
What changed
The three-month period from April to June 2026 saw an average temperature of 18.63°C, 0.2°C above the baseline, ranking as the 37th warmest such period on record. Australia's latest monthly anomaly places it as the 218th coolest out of 234 regions globally, indicating a relatively cooler month compared to many other parts of the world. The country's three-month anomaly also places it among the cooler regions, at 227th out of 234.
What’s driving change?
The current climate in Australia is significantly influenced by a weak El Niño event, which has been officially declared and is expected to persist into the summer months of 2026-27. El Niño typically brings warmer and drier conditions to eastern Australia, increasing the risk of drought, heatwaves, and bushfires. Indeed, Australia has experienced a notable concentration of wildfire events recently, with 18 recorded between 24 June and 9 July 2026, representing 100% of the annual total for the past 12 months, an unusual concentration for the season. This aligns with the typical impacts of El Niño, which can amplify the risk of bushfires. You can track active extreme weather events at Extreme Weather tracker and the ongoing ENSO state at ENSO.
Looking ahead
Forecasts for July to September suggest that rainfall is likely to be below average across parts of southern and eastern Australia, while temperatures are likely to be above average in most areas, except for parts of the north.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
At a Glance
Temperature – Average
Year-on-Year Trends
The 4byo Climate Helix – Australia
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (rainfall: World Bank CCKP / CRU TS 4.08). Baseline: first 30 yrs on record. Recent: last 10 yrs on record.
Australia – Monthly Temperature – All Years
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (rainfall: World Bank CCKP / CRU TS 4.08). Baseline: first 30 yrs on record. Recent: last 10 yrs on record.
Records – Australia
Our World in Data / NOAA - Anomalies vs 1901-2000 mean
Shifting Seasons
Warm/cold + wet/dryKöppen BSh · AridAustralia has both a clear warm/cold cycle (±6.8°C) and a wet/dry cycle (4× wet:dry ratio). Both sides of the annual rhythm are shown below.
Monthly rainfall climatology. A “wet month” exceeds the baseline monthly mean (dashed gold line). Biggest month-to-month shift: Jan (+10 mm, +14%).
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (rainfall: World Bank CCKP / CRU TS 4.08). Baseline: first 30 yrs on record. Recent: last 10 yrs on record.
Rainfall & Precipitation
Rainfall & Rain Days – Totals
Baseline: 1961–1990 mean. Anomaly: difference from that baseline. Rank: position in the full record (1st = highest ever). Record: highest (or lowest) value on record with its year.
Climate Systems
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Emissions & Energy
Explore
Explore Climate Data
Data Sources
Data Sources for Australia
Every figure on this page is sourced from official, openly published climate datasets. Anomalies are calculated against the 1961–1990 baseline (temperature) and 1991–2020 (rainfall, sunshine, frost) - see the Methodology & Sources page for the complete dataset list and update calendar.
FAQs
FAQs
How is the climate in Australia changing?
Australia is warming in line with the rest of the world. The page above shows the latest monthly temperature anomaly versus the 1961-1990 baseline, the long-term annual trend, and the region's rank in the historical record. The headline panel also shows the long-term trend rate per decade and the warmest and coolest years on file.
Where does the climate data for Australia come from?
Climate data for Australia comes from Our World in Data, sourcing Copernicus ERA5 and HadCRUT5 (national temperature anomaly) and the Global Carbon Project via Our World in Data (CO₂ emissions), refreshed every month, when the upstream temperature and rainfall data are refreshed.
What is the climate baseline used on this page?
Anomalies on this page are calculated against the 1961-1990 climatological baseline, which is the standard reference period used by the Met Office, NOAA, IPCC and most national climate services. Some panels also show the source-native 1901-2000 (NOAA) or 1991-2020 (WMO) baselines for verification. See Methodology & Sources for the full reference.
Which areas does the Australia climate data cover?
The Australia climate profile covers Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and surrounding areas. Bushfires, reef bleaching and record temperatures
How often is the Australia climate update refreshed?
The Australia climate update is refreshed monthly, typically a few days after the previous month closes and the upstream provider (Met Office HadUK-Grid, NOAA Climate at a Glance, Copernicus ERA5 or the Global Carbon Project) publishes its update. See the Climate Rankings for cross-region comparisons.