Australia in March 2024

In brief

• The national area-averaged March rainfall total was 86.1% above the 1961–1990 average, the third-wettest March on record since the national dataset began in 1900.

• Rainfall in March was above average for most of Australia apart from south-eastern and far south-western parts of the country.

• It was the second-wettest March on record for the Northern Territory, and fourth-wettest March on record for Western Australia.

• Australia's national area-averaged mean temperature was 1.11 °C above the 1961–1990 average, the equal-tenth-warmest March on record since 1910.

• It was the warmest March on record for South Australia, with the area-averaged mean temperature 2.86 °C above average.
• Australia's area-averaged mean maximum temperature for March was 0.43 °C above the 1961-1990 average. Australia's area-averaged mean minimum temperature was 1.79 °C above average, the equal-second-warmest on record for March since 1910.
• Mean maximum temperatures were above average for south-eastern Australia and areas in Western Australia and Queensland. Mean maximum temperatures were below average for most of Western Australia, the Northern Territory and western Queensland.

• Mean minimum temperatures were above average for most of Australia.

Further information and tables of records for each state and the Northern Territory can be found in the individual regional climate summaries, published on 4 April 2024.

Temperatures

Australia's national area-averaged mean temperature was 1.11 °C above the 1961–1990 average, the equal-tenth-warmest March on record since 1910.

For South Australia this was the warmest March on record, with the area-averaged mean temperature 2.86 °C above average. For New South Wales this was the fifth-warmest, for Victoria the eighth-warmest and for Queensland the ninth-warmest March on record.

Australia's area-averaged mean maximum temperature for March was 0.43 °C above the 1961–1990 average. New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia had statewide mean maximum temperatures in the top ten warmest on record.

Mean maximum temperatures were above average to very much above average (in the highest 10% of all Marchs since 1910) for Tasmania, Victoria, most of New South Wales and South Australia and parts of Western Australia and Queensland. March daytime temperatures were the highest on record for the far north-western part of Gascoyne (Western Australia).

Mean maximum temperatures were below average to very much below average (in the lowest 10% of all Marchs since 1910) for most of Western Australia, the Northern Territory and areas in western Queensland.

Australia's area-averaged mean minimum temperature for March was 1.79 °C above average, the equal-second-warmest on record since 1910. For Queensland and South Australia, the statewide mean minimum temperatures were the warmest on record. For the Northern Territory, the area-averaged mean minimum temperature was the equal-third-warmest on record and for New South Wales it was the tenth-warmest on record.

Mean minimum temperatures were above average to very much above average (in the highest 10% of all Marchs since 1910) for most of Australia. March minimum temperatures were the highest on record for parts of the Top End of the Northern Territory, northern Queensland, and the north-eastern quarter of South Australia extending into north-western New South Wales, south-western Queensland and southern Northern Territory. Many stations in these areas had their highest mean minimum temperature records for March.

Rank ranges from 1 (lowest) to 115 (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, area-averaged rainfall total for March was 86.1% above the 1961–1990 average, the third-wettest March on record since the national dataset began in 1900.

Western Australia had its fourth-wettest March on record, with area-averaged rainfall 166.8% above average, the wettest March since 2007. For the Northern Territory as a whole, it was the second-wettest March on record, at 155.5% above average, behind only the record in 2011.

Rainfall was above average to very much above average (in the highest 10% of Marchs since 1900) for most of Western Australia and Northern Territory, and parts of South Australia, Queensland and north-western New South Wales. March rainfall was the highest on record for parts of Interior, Goldfields and South East Coastal districts in Western Australia and Carpentaria, Gregory and Barkly districts in the Northern Territory. Many stations in these areas had their highest rainfall total records for March (since 1900).

Rainfall was below average to very much below average (in the lowest 10% of Marchs since 1900) for Tasmania, most of Victoria, south-eastern South Australia and parts of eastern New South Wales  and south-western Western Australia. March rainfall was the lowest on record for parts of Victoria's South West and Central districts.

Victoria had its seventh-driest March on record, with area-averaged rainfall 78.0% below average, and the driest March since 1986. For Tasmania, it was the driest March since 2005.

Significant weather and records

First cold outbreak in the south-east this autumn

A cold front moved across Tasmania on 3 March, bringing showers, damaging winds and a first significant outburst of cold weather to south-eastern parts of the country. Daily maximum temperatures were up to 6 °C below average in southern Voctoria, Tasmania and coastal parts of New South Wales. On the 3rd, many Tasmanian stations recorded wind gusts above 80 km/h. Maatsuyker Island and kunanyi (Mount Wellington Pinnacle), both in southern Tasmania, recorded wind gust of 139 km/h and 133 km/h respectively.

Widespread rainfall across much of Australia

During the first week of March, a series of troughs moved across Western Australia, Queensland, the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales, generating widespread showers and some isolated thunderstorms across much of the mainland. Severe thunderstorms were observed through parts of Western Australia's Kimberley and interior, Top End in the Northern Territory, central Queensland and along the North Tropical Coast.

On 5 March, severe thunderstorms developed over parts of Western Australia and in the 24 hours to 9 am on the 6th some sites in Gascoyne and Southern Interior districts had rainfall totals generally between 30 and 50 mm, with isolated higher totals. The average March rainfall for these areas is between 25 and 50 mm.

Heatwave in south-eatern Australia

From 8 March, a slow-moving high pressure system centred over the Tasman Sea directed hot air from central parts of the mainland towards South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales and Tasmania. Daytime temperatures peaked on the 9th, with temperatures 10 to 16 °C above the March average through south-eastern South Australia, western and southern Victoria and southern Tasmania. Extreme fire dangers were forecast for the 9th and a total fire ban was in place for parts of south-eastern South Australia and central and south-western Victoria. Night-time temperatures peaked on the 10^th, at 10 to 12 °C above average. Some stations set March or late season maximum and minimum temperature records. The highest daily maximum temperature during this event was 42.8 °C at North Shields (Port Lincoln AWS) on the 9th and the highest daily minimum temperature was 29.3 °C at Cleve Aerodrome also on the 9th. Several inland stations had record number of consecutive days with daily maximum or minimum temperature above threshold.

Low to severe intensity heatwave conditions persisted between 8 and 11 March over most of southern South Australia, all of Victoria including Melbourne, all of Tasmania and parts of the New South Wales. Heatwave warnings were issued for large parts of South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania. Many events, including Melbourne's Moomba parade, were cancelled.

A cool change which crossed the south-eastern Australia on the 11th and 12th brought lower temperatures to areas south of the Divide, but in areas north of the Divide above average temperatures persisted for several more days.

Wet in central and eastern Western Australia

In a second week of the month, a near-stationary low pressure trough across central and eastern Western Australia interacted with tropical moisture that was advected from the Timor Sea, resulting in frequent showers, heavy rain and thunderstorms mainly over south-eastern Western Australia. Four-day rainfall totals ending at 9 am on 12 March were two to five times the March average (which is 20 to 30 mm) across a large area in the Western Australia's interior. Eyre, on the Nullarbor coast, received 325.4 mm of rainfall in the 4 days to 9 am on the 12th, exceeding its annual average rainfall of 314.9 mm. This triggered significant flooding through parts of southern and south-eastern Western Australia, resulting in extended closure of the Transcontinental Rail Line and Eyre Highway. After multiple days of heavy rain through parts of southern and south-eastern Western Australia, wet conditions started to ease on 14 March.

Monsoon trough

Monsoonal westerly airflow over the eastern Indian Ocean and the Timor and Arafura seas brought favourable conditions for the development of tropical systems along the monsoon trough that redeveloped on 10 March. From 12 March, three tropical lows (U08, U09 and U10) formed within the Australian Area of Responsibility.

A monsoon trough that redeveloped across the Top End (Northern Territory) and the far north Queensland on the 11th resulted in areas with rain, widespread showers and thunderstorms over parts of northern Australia. Heavy rainfall impacted especially Queensland's North Tropical Coast where many stations recording daily rainfall totals above 100.0 mm on multiple days. Daily rainfall totals of 100 mm to 150 mm were reported near the Top End coast during the passage of tropical low 09U before it developed into Tropical Cyclone Megan. Heavy rainfall resulted in flash and riverine flooding and road closures across parts of northern Queensland, the Northern Territory and northern Western Australia. A strong monsoonal flow persisted until about 20 March.

Tropical low 09U / Severe Tropical Cyclone Megan

A tropical low formed within the monsoon trough over the Timor Sea north of the Kimberley (Western Australia) coast on 12 March. It moved to the east-southeast and crossed the western Top End (Northern Territory) as a tropical low moving over to Gulf of Carpentaria waters where it continued to strengthen. Showers and thunderstorms impacted parts of the eastern Top End and Groote Eylandt (Northern Territory) and Groote Eylandt Airport recorded 249.4 mm in the 24 hours to 9 am on the 16th. In the afternoon on the 16th, tropical low 09U developed into Tropical Cyclone (TC) Megan. This brought heavy rainfall to parts of the eastern Arnhem district (Northern Territory), and Groote Eylandt Airport received 431.0 mm in the 24 hours to 9 am on the 17th (the annual highest daily rainfall record for this station). TC Megan rapidly intensified over the warm waters and reached Severe Tropical Cyclone strength (category 3) in the afternoon of the 17th, while moving slowly towards the coast. It made landfall on the 18th around 4 pm AEST on the south-western Gulf of Carpentaria coast, south-east of Port McArthur. Severe TC Megan brought heavy rainfall and strong winds to coastal regions of the Northern Territory and Queensland and to several nearby islands. To 9am on the 19th, Borroloola Airport and McArthur River Mine Airport (both in the Northern Territory) had daily rainfall totals of 256.6 mm and 274.4 mm respectively, their highest daily rainfall for any month, while Centre Island (Northern Territory) recorded 289.0 mm, the third highest March daily rainfall total for this station. The strongest wind gust during the event, 170 km/h, was recorded on Centre Island on the 18th, the second-strongest wind gust in the station's 42-years long observations. After landfall, Severe TC Megan gradually weakened while slowly moving inland and was downgraded to a tropical low in the morning of the 19th. Severe TC Megan was the fifth Tropical Cyclone of the 2023-24 season, and the fourth to cross the Australian mainland.

Ex-TC Megan continued to move westwards across the Northern Territory towards the Kimberley in Western Australia, bringing gale force winds and heavy rainfall to areas near its path. To 9 am on the 20th, Tennant Creek Airport and Helen Springs (both in the Northern Territory) recorded 103.0 mm and 161.0 mm respectively, their highest and second-highest March daily rainfall, while Rabbit Flat had 128.0 mm to 9 am on the 22nd. In the following days, ex-TC Megan weakened further, but moisture which was advected across northern Australia in its wake contributed to widespread showers and thunderstorms across northern Queensland, the Northern Territory and the Kimberley.

Some of the impacts from Severe TC Megan include power outages at Groote Eylandt, the closure of many roads due to flooding and significant damage to ports and moored boats along the Gulf coast. Major flooding occurred along the McArthur River at Borroloola, which exceeded the record flood level of 15.0 m from 2001.

Cold in south-eastern Australia

A strong cold front crossed south-eastern Australia on 19 and 20 March, bringing gusty winds and daily maximum and minimum temperatures up to 10 °C below average. Associated clouds and embedded thunderstorms resulted in, mostly moderate, rain and showers for much of eastern Victoria, Tasmania, eastern New South Wales and south-eastern Queensland. On the 19th, many stations in Victoria and Tasmania recorded wind gusts of more than 80 km/h in a northerly airflow preceding the approaching cold front. The passage of the front was followed by gusty south-westerly winds with Wilsons Promontory Lighthouse and Hogan Island (both in Victoria) recording on the 20th wind gusts of 120 km/h and 122 km/h respectively. Many stations across south-eastern South Australia, Victoria, southern New South Wales and Tasmania observed low minimum temperatures on the 21st. Cleve (South Australia) had 6.8 °C, the lowest daily minimum temperature record for March at this station which has 67 years of data, Thredbo AWS (New South Wales) recorded -4.4 °C, its lowest minimum temperature in March since 2001 and Falls Creek (Victoria) had -2.7 °C, its ninth-lowest March minimum temperature. A dusting of snow was observed over some elevated areas of Tasmania on the 20th.

Thunderstorms in central and eastern Australia

From 23 to 26 March, showers and thunderstorms impacted parts of central and southern Northern Territory, western and southern Queensland and north-western New South Wales as a low pressure trough advected moisture that was left by the ex-Tropical Cyclone Megan.

Alice Springs Airport had a three-day rainfall total (ending the 25 March) of 153.8 mm, nearly five times its March average of 30.9 mm. Some other sites in southern Northern Territory also recorded high three-day rainfall totals: Newhaven had 177.4 mm, Walungurru Airport had 93.6 mm and Arltunga received 179.4 mm. Heavy rainfall resulted in the closure of transport routes including major highways and some airstrips across the Northern Territory. Cloud cover and rainfall led to low daily maximum temperatures especially in southern parts of the Northern Territory. Several stations had their lowest daily maximum temperature records for March and Alice Springs had maximum temperature below 18 °C on two consecutive days (the 22nd and 23rd), which has not occured in March since 2001.

On the 24th and 25th, many stations in Queensland had daily rainfall totals between 30 and 80 mm and locally much higher. Mount Isa Mine and Hughenden Airport had their highest daily rainfall record for March on the 25^th, 124.0 and 103.8 mm respectively. As thick cloud covered much of Queensland on the 24th, some stations had their lowest daily maximum temperature on record for March, including Brisbane Aero which recorded 21.1 °C.

Rank ranges from 1 (lowest) to 125 (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.