Australia Climate
Top 5 Cities: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide
This month in numbers
Australia experienced its 4th warmest February–April on record, with an average temperature of 26.32°C, an anomaly of +1.3°C above the 1961–1990 baseline. April 2026 itself was 32nd warmest on record at 22.61°C, an anomaly of +0.3°C. Globally, April 2026 was the 2nd warmest April for land temperatures on record, with a +1.1°C anomaly, and the February–April period was also the 2nd warmest for global land temperatures, with a +1.2°C anomaly.
What changed
The warmer-than-average conditions seen over the past three months in Australia contrast with the country's position as 224th out of 234 regions for the single-month anomaly in April, indicating a relatively cooler April compared to many other parts of the world. However, Australia's 3-month anomaly still places it 149th globally, suggesting a sustained period of elevated temperatures. The country's latest full-year average temperature in 2025 was 22.79°C, making it the 3rd warmest year on record.
What’s driving change?
The current climate patterns are influenced by a shift towards El Niño conditions, with the NOAA CPC forecasting an 82% chance of El Niño developing by May–July and a 98% chance by August–October. El Niño typically brings warmer and drier conditions to Eastern Australia, increasing the risk of drought, heatwaves, and severe bushfire seasons. This aligns with the 36 wildfire events recorded in Australia between May 4 and May 21, representing 100% of the annual total and indicating an unusual concentration of activity. Additionally, a drought event has been active since February 21, 2026, and heavy rainfall in mid-May led to a flood event in southeast Queensland, causing emergency rescues and disruptions. More information on these events can be found at Extreme Weather tracker, and further details on ENSO can be tracked at ENSO tracker.
Looking ahead
The Bureau of Meteorology predicts unusually warm and drier conditions across most of Australia through winter, with a high likelihood of above-average maximum and minimum temperatures, particularly in southern regions.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
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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 trend rate is shown as °C per decade in the headline panel; you can also see 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.