Australia in November 2023

In brief

• Nationally-averaged November total rainfall for Australia was 37.8% above the 1961–1990 average for November.

• Rainfall in November was above average for much of the mainland, but below average for Tasmania.

• Australia's national area-average mean temperature for November was 1.58 °C above the 1961–1990 average, the ninth-warmest on record (since 1910).

• The national area-average mean maximum temperature  was 1.58 °C above average. The national area-average mean minimum temperature was also 1.58 °C above average, the sixth-warmest on record.

• Mean maximum temperatures for November were above average for Tasmania and large parts of the mainland and below average in south-eastern Western Australia, the adjacent parts of south-western South Australia and some areas in Queensland.

• Mean minimum temperatures were above average for much of Australia and below average for smaller areas scattered across south-eastern South Australia and the tropical north.

Further information and tables of records for each state and the Northern Territory can be found in the individual regional climate summaries, published on 5 December 2023.

Temperatures

Australia's national area-average mean temperature for November was 1.58 °C above the 1961–1990 average, the ninth-warmest on record (since 1910).

For Western Australia it was the third-warmest November on record, for Tasmania the seventh-warmest, while for Queensland it was the equal tenth-warmest November on record.

 The nationally-averaged mean maximum temperature for November was 1.58 °C above the 1961-1990 average. Mean maximum temperatures for November were above average for Tasmania, most of Victoria, large parts of Western Australia, South Australia and New South Wales, the Top End and much of southern Northern Territory, and parts of the Queensland's south-west and the Cape York Peninsula. Daytime temperatures were very much above average (in the highest 10% of Novembers since 1910) for northern Tasmania, the north-eastern quarter of South Australia and adjacent areas of Queensland and New South Wales, and large parts of Western Australia, the Northern Territory western Top End and Cape York Peninsula in Queensland. Mean maximum temperatures were the highest on record for parts of the South West Land Division and Gascoyne districts of Western Australia. Many sites in Western Australia had their record highest mean maximum temperature for November.

Mean maximum temperatures were below average in south-eastern Western Australia, the adjacent parts of south-western South Australia and some areas in Queensland.

The national mean minimum temperature was 1.58 °C above average, the sixth-warmest on record.

For Western Australia, the November statewide mean minimum temperature was 1.60 °C above average, the third-warmest November nights on record. For Queensland, the statewide mean minimum temperature was the seventh-warmest on record.

Mean minimum temperatures were above average for Tasmania, most od Western Australia and much of South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland and the Northern Territory. Mean minimum temperatures were very much above average (in the highest 10% of Novembers since 1910) for much of Western Australia and Tasmania, northern and western South Australia, southern parts of Queensland and Victoria and parts of New South Wales and the Northern Territory. Mean minimum temperatures were the warmest on record for large parts in the south-west of Western Australia and many stations there had their record highest mean minimum temperature for November.

Mean minimum temperatures were below average for smaller areas scattered across south-eastern South Australia and the tropical north.

Rank ranges from 1 (lowest) to 114 (highest). A rank marked with ’=‘ indicates the value is tied for that rank. Anomaly is the departure from the long-term (1961–1990) average.

Rainfall

For Australia as a whole, November rainfall was 37.8% above the 1961–1990 average. 

Rainfall was above average for all states and territories except Tasmania.

November rainfall was above average for most of the Northern Territory, Queensland and New South Wales, large areas in Victoria, south-eastern and north-western South Australia and southern and eastern Western Australia. Rainfall was very much above average (in the highest 10% of Novembers since 1900) for large parts of central Queensland extending through parts of central New South Wales, parts of eastern and north-western Victoria and south-eastern New South Wales, and pockets of north-western South Australia and the Northern Territory.

Rainfall was below average or very much below average for Tasmania, parts of Gascoyne and South West Land Division districts (Western Australia), West Coast, Eyre Peninsula and North West Pastoral districts (South Australia), Victoria's South West district, western Top End in the Northern Territory and Peninsula and North Tropical Coast (Queensland).

Significant weather and records

Warm with dangerous fire weather conditions across Australia's west and north

In the first week of November, a low pressure system that developed off Western Australia's west coast combined with a heat low  over north-western Australia, brought hot and dry  conditions to Western Australia and the Northern Territory. Parts of south-western Western Australia had daily maximum temperatures up to 10 °C above the November average, while a Severe Heatwave Warning was current for much of the Top End (Northern Territory) and Kimberley (Western Australia) during this period.

Hot, dry and windy weather resulted in High Fire Dangers across large parts of northern and western Australia. Between 3 and 6 November, Fire Weather Warnings for Extreme fire Dangers were issued for several fire weather districts in Western Australia's Central West and Lower West and Barkley district in the Northern Territory. This added to the risk from ongoing bushfires in parts of the Northern Territory and Western Australia, including around Perth.

Very warm in the south

Heat that built up over southern Western Australia extended eastwards reaching South Australia, Victoria, Tasmania and New South Wales on 7 and 8 November. Heat further intensified due to a northerly airflow ahead of a cold front that crossed south-eastern Australia on the 11th. Daytime temperatures were up to 8 °C above the November average, peaking on the 10th and 11th at up to 15 °C above average. Some sites in south-eastern South Australia and New South Wales had early season maximum temperature records. Nights were also warm with minimum temperatures 6 to 10 °C above average. Hot and dry weather with strong, gusty winds ahead of the cold front resulted in extreme fire danger conditions for some districts in south-eastern South Australia, north-western Victoria and eastern New South Wales.

The south-westerly airflow that followed in the wake of a cold front brought cooler weather to the south-east of the country and daytime temperatures several degrees below average.

Thunderstorms across large parts of Australia 

Increased humidity with showers and thunderstorms persisted across large parts of Australia during most of November. Early in the month, severe thunderstorms triggered by low pressure troughs impacted parts of Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania. Thunderstorms were initially focused over coastal areas, becoming more widespread between the 4th and 11th, contracting to south-eastern Queensland and north-eastern New South Wales. Storms produced pockets of moderate to heavy rainfall with daily totals generally between 40 and 60 mm, but locally higher falls. On the 5th, daily totals greater than 100 mm were recorded along the South Coast of New South Wales, with the highest daily total (to 9 am on the 5th) of 154.8 mm at Bellambi.

Most of the rain from thunderstorms generally fell in a short period of time, typically one hour. Localised flash flooding was reported at many places including Jeeralang (Victoria) which had 44.6 mm of rain in 30 min and Lightning Ridge Airport (New South Wales) which had 40 mm in 30 minutes, both on the 8th. Coolah (New South Wales) had 37 mm in 30 minutes on the 9th when a line of thunderstorms crossed parts of New South Wales, including Sydney, bringing heavy rain, strong and gusty winds, and thousands of lightning strikes.

There were reports of hail in Roma (Queensland) on the 4th, parts of Victoria and Tasmania including Melbourne and Hobart on the 8th and Laidley and Blenheim (Queensland) on the 11th.  In Victoria, hundreds of people were hospitalised and a Thunderstorm Asthma Warning was issued on the 8th.

From 11 November, widespread showers and thunderstorms impacted Western Australia, the Northern Territory, northern South Australia and western Queensland as tropical moisture was advected across the continent by a series of low pressure troughs. Daily rainfall totals were mostly 10-20 mm but isolated higher totals were recorded in northern Western Australia and parts of the Northern Territory. On the 15th, thunderstorms moved over central Australia bringing lightning, strong winds and rain. Coober Pedy Airport (South Australia) recorded a maximum daily wind gust of 119 km/h, the site's strongest wind gust on record in November. On the same day, hail brought by a thunderstorm destroyed crops in Western Australia's Wheatbelt.  Widespread thunderstorms impacted central Australia between the 16th and 18th and Alice Springs (Northern Territory) had a three-day rainfall total of 57.2 mm, more than its average November rainfall.

Thunderstorms and showers become more widespread across eastern and northern Australia again from 19 November, due to multiple slow moving surface low pressure troughs and humid, unstable atmosphere. Showers and thunderstorms initially developed across Queensland, New South Wales, Northern Territory and parts of northern Western Australia and later extended to South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania, enhanced by a low pressure system that developed over South Australia. Thunderstorms brought daily rainfall totals between 20 and 60 mm to some areas, with isolated much higher falls. Some of the highest daily rainfall totals recorded were 141.8 mm at Georgetown Airport (Queensland) in the 24 hours to 9 am on the 23rd and 138.6 mm at Bollon (Queensland) to 9 am on the 24th. Naracoorte Aerodrome in south-eastern South Australia recorded 71.4 mm in the 24 hours to 9 am on the 25th, more than double its November average, while golf ball sized hail was reported in Kaniva and Foster (Victoria) on the 24th and 25th respectively.  Widespread showers continued in the following days across Australia's north and east. Moisture advected to the south-east of the continent resulted in heavy rainfall, damaging winds and flash flooding across South Australia's Eyre Peninsula,  York Peninsula and Greater Adelaide on the 28th and north-western Victoria on the 29th. A low pressure system that started to develop over New South Wales on the 28th and moved eastwards brought heavy and locally intense rainfall to the area, extending to parts of Gippsland and the Otway ranges in Victoria. The highest rainfall totals in the 24 hours to 9 am on the 29^th were recorded in the Illawarra and South Coast (New South Wales) where 226.8 mm was recorded at Jervis Bay (Point Perpendicular AWS), 225.0 mm at Moruya and 196.4 mm at Ulladulla AWS. To 9 am on the 30th some stations in eastern Victoria had daily rainfall totals of more than 100 mm. Many sites in New South Wales and Victoria had their record highest November daily rainfall totals on these days.  

Prolonged moderate to heavy rainfall in southern Queensland resulted in minor to major flooding for some rivers and creeks in south-western Queensland.  Heavy rainfall close to the end of the month resulted in riverine flooding in south-eastern New South Wales and parts of Victoria's Gippsland.

Heatwave conditions in south-western Westren Australia

A near-stationary surface low pressure trough close to the Western Australia's coast directed heat from the interior of the continent towards the west coast between 20 and 27 November. Maximum and minimum temperatures were 8 to 14 degC above average, particularly along the west coast of Western Australia including Greater Perth. Some sites set new maximum and minimum temperature records for November. A low to severe intensity heatwave developed from the southern parts of Pilbara to Cape Leeuwin. Severe heatwave conditions peaked on the 23rd and persisted over parts of Western Australia's  Lower West and South West during the following days, before easing from the 27th.  Heatwave Warnings were current for Central West, Lower West and South West districts on all days during the period.

Perth had 10 consecutive days with temperatures equal or above 30.0 degC, which is a new record. A number of other stations in south-western Western Australia also set November records for consecutive days above threshold.

Hot, dry conditions and strong winds across Western Australia resulted in high to extreme fire dangers. Fire Weather Warnings for parts of western and south-western Western Australia were current between the 21st and 26th. At least 10 homes were lost after a bushfire tore through a swathe of northern Perth suburbs on the 23rd.

A Special Climate Statement on the heatwave conditions is in preparation and will be published in due course.

Rank ranges from 1 (lowest) to 124 (highest). A rank marked with ’=‘ indicates the value is tied for that rank. Departure from mean is relative to the long-term (1961–1990) average.