Australia in April 2025

In brief

• The national area-averaged mean temperature in April was 1.00 °C above the 1961–1990 average.

• For Victoria, it was the warmest April on record, with the state area-averaged mean temperature 2.37 °C above the 1961–1990 average.
• Australia's area-averaged mean maximum temperature was 0.75 °C above the 1961–1990 average. The national area-averaged mean minimum temperature was 1.24 °C above average.
• Mean maximum temperatures were above average for Tasmania, Victoria, most of New South Wales and South Australia, large parts of Western Australia and coastal parts of eastern Queensland. They were below average for most of western Queensland, parts of the Northern Territory's east, the Top End and the south-west, and areas in north-western Western Australia.
• Mean minimum temperatures were average or above average for most of Australia.
• Australia's area-averaged April rainfall total was 24% above the 1961–1990 average.
• April rainfall was average or above average for most of Australia.
• Rainfall was below average for Tasmania, most of the south-eastern mainland and areas along Australia's west coast.

Further information and tables of records for each state and Territory are available in the individual regional climate summaries, published on 5 May 2025.

Temperatures

Australia's area-averaged mean temperature in April was 1.00 °C above the 1961–1990 average. 

April area-averaged mean temperature for Victoria was the warmest on record  since national observations started in 1910. For Tasmania it was the fifth-warmest April on record and the warmest since 2016.

Australia's area-averaged mean maximum temperature was 0.75 °C above average. Mean maximum temperatures were above to very much above average (in the highest 10% of all Aprils since 1910) for Tasmania, Victoria, most of New South Wales and South Australia, large parts of Western Australia, and coastal parts of eastern Queensland. 

For Victoria, the area-averaged mean maximum temperature was the fourth-warmest on record for April, 2.74 °C above average.

Mean maximum temperatures for April were below average for most of western Queensland including areas of the Cape York Peninsula and parts of Arnhem, Carpentaria, Barkley, Simpson and Tanami districts in the Northern Territory and the Kimberley district in Western Australia.

The national area-averaged mean minimum temperature was 1.24 °C above average. Mean minimum temperatures were above to very much above average for most of Australia. Mean minimum temperatures for April were the highest on record for much of central and south-eastern Victoria and many stations had their record highest mean minimum temperatures for April, including some with more than 100 years of data.

Area-averaged mean minimum temperature for Victoria was the second-warmest on record for April, 1.99 °C above average, behind only 1974 when it was 2.13 °C above average. For Western Australia, the area-averaged mean minimum temperatures was the ninth-warmest on record.

Rank ranges from 1 (lowest) to 116 (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

The national area-averaged April rainfall total was 24% above the 1961–1990 average.

April rainfall was above to very much above average (in the highest 10% of all Aprils since 1900) for:

• most of Queensland and the Northern Territory
• large parts of eastern New South Wales and far eastern Victoria
• southern and far northern Western Australia
• areas in south-western New South Wales and northern South Australia.

Many stations had their record highest rainfall total for April, although these were mostly stations with less than 30 years of data. April rainfall was the highest on record for an area in Queensland's Gulf Country and the tip of Cape York Peninsula.

Rainfall in April was below to very much below average for Tasmania, most of Victoria and large parts of south-eastern South Australia and New South Wales. Rainfall was also below average for parts of Western Australia's Gascoyne and Central West districts and North Pastoral districts in South Australia.

It was Tasmania's driest April since 2015 with area-averaged rainfall 51% below average.  

Significant weather and records

Heavy rainfall and flooding in parts of Queensland

Between 1 and 4 April, an inland trough across Queensland's interior interacted with tropical moisture from the Northern Territory tropics, triggering slow-moving showers and thunderstorms, some severe, across parts of Queensland. Large parts of the state recorded four-day rainfall totals (ending 9 am on 4 April) in excess of 50 mm, while areas of the Gulf Country, Central Highlands and Coalfields, and Capricornia districts recorded more than 150 mm.  

Most of the rain from thunderstorms generally fell in a short period of time. On 2 April, Kirby TM recorded 66 mm in one hour, while Gladstone Radar station recorded 71 mm in 2 hours on 4 April.

Some stations had their record highest daily rainfall for April, including:

• 161.5 mm at Tambo Post Office (149 years of data) in the 24 hours to 9 am on 2 April
• 112.0 mm at Yappar River (33 years of data) to 9 am on 3 April
• 107.2  mm at Gladstone Radar (69 years of data) to 9 am on 4 April.

This rainfall worsened riverine flooding in central and western Queensland from widespread heavy rainfall in late March. As at 4 April, Major Flood Warnings were in place for the Cape, Warrego, Paroo, Bulloo, Thomson, Barcoo, Diamantina, Georgina and Flinders Rivers and Cooper Creek. Throughout April, flood waters moved slowly downstream along Cooper Creek towards Kati Thanda - Lake Eyre and the Darling River.

Showers and thunderstorms in southern Western Australia

A low pressure trough and a low pressure system near the West Australian coast triggered isolated thunderstorms and showers that affected the South West Land Division of Western Australia on 3 and 4 April. Two-day rainfall totals (ending 9 am on 5 April) across parts of the South West, Great Southern and South Coastal districts were generally 30 to 50 mm, with the highest two-day total of 67.0 mm at Bridgetown. Some stations recorded wind gusts exceeding 80 km/h on 4 April, with the strongest wind gust at Gooseberry Hill and Perth Airport of 94 km/h and 91 km/h respectively.

Between 12 and 14 April, an upper-level low pressure system combined with humid north-easterly airflow producing a cloudband which brought showers, thunderstorms and widespread rain to parts of southern Western Australia. The highest daily rainfall totals were recorded across the Central Wheat Belt and South Coastal and South East Coastal districts where some stations had their record highest daily rainfall totals for April. The highest daily total in the 24 hours to 9 am on 14 April was 119.4 mm at Munglinup West. Heavy rain led to flash flooding in some areas and 2 to 4 cm diameter hail was reported at Ardath. Showers and thunderstorms re-developed on 16 and 17 April bringing more rain to parts of Pilbara, Gascoyne, Goldfields and inland parts of the South East Coastal district.

Severe Tropical Cyclone Errol

A tropical low (29U) formed late on 9 April in the Arafura Sea. It initially moved south-westwards, remaining off the Australian coast and on 12 April was located about 400 km north-west of Darwin. On 14 April 29U started tracking westwards while intensifying. Late on 15 April it reached tropical cyclone strength and was named Tropical Cyclone (TC) Errol. TC Errol rapidly intensified reaching a Severe TC intensity (category 3 system) late on 16 April. By early morning on 17 April it was a Category 4 system with estimated sustained winds of 185 km/h, wind gusts of 260 km/h and central pressure of 945 hPa. Severe TC Errol then started to move to the east-south-east towards the west Kimberley coast, slowly weakening, and was downgraded to a tropical low on 18 April. Ex-TC Errol crossed the coast just south of Kuri Bay continuing into the inland central Kimberley, bringing heavy rainfall along its track. The highest rainfall total during this event of 160.8 mm was recorded at Kalumburu in the 24 hours to 9 am on 19 April.

Severe TC Errol was the 12th TC in the Australian Region for the 2024–25 season, and the 8th Severe TC. It was the 4th TC that made landfall (close to the long-term average) and the landfall was the latest on the mainland since TC Quang on 1 May 2015.

Tropical Low 30U

A tropical low (30U) developed on 17 April in the north-eastern Arafura Sea. It tracked to the south-east towards the Gulf of Carpentaria and on 20 April it was located close to the western coast of Cape York Peninsula. On 21 April, 30U slowly began tracking westwards, across the Gulf of Carpentaria passing close to the north-east Top End coast, before moving back into the Arafura Sea where it stayed as a very weak system until the end of the month. 30U brought increased showers and thunderstorms for the Top End in the Northern Territory and parts of Cape York Peninsula in Queensland.

Warm in the south-east of Australia

Between 10 and 18 April, southern South Australia, Victoria, Tasmania and southern New South Wales experienced a period of unseasonably warm weather. This was due to slow-moving strong high-pressure systems located over the Tasman Sea which directed warm air from central Australia. Large areas of the south-east recorded daily maximum temperatures 6 to 12 °C above the April average. On 12 and 13 April, many stations in south-eastern South Australia, southern Victoria and eastern Tasmania had late season maximum temperature records, including 34.5 °C  at Adelaide (West Terrace / ngayirdapira) and 31.8 °C at Melbourne (Olympic Park). Between 12 and 16 April, Adelaide (West Terrace / ngayirdapira) had five consecutive days with maximum temperature equal or above 32.0 °C, its hottest consecutive five-days in April since temperature records at this station started in 1877.

Wet in New South Wales and Victoria

Between 21 and 27 April south-eastern parts of the country recorded widespread rainfall. On 21 and 22 April, a low pressure system off the New South Wales coast directed moist airflow towards the coast, resulting in rain, showers and isolated storms. New South Wales coastal areas and ranges and south-eastern Victoria, had two-day rainfall totals (ending 9 am on 23 April) generally between 30 and 60 mm. The highest two-day total of 185.2 mm was recorded at Combienbar AWS in Victoria.

Between 25 and 27 April, an upper-level low pressure system that tracked inland combined with surface low pressure troughs, resulting in showers and isolated thunderstorms for New South Wales, parts of Victoria and south-eastern Queensland. The highest rainfall totals were over eastern New South Wales, with many stations recording daily totals in excess of 100 mm. The highest daily total was 192.0 mm at Dungog in the 24 hours to 9 am on 28 April.

In southern cropping regions, rainfall totals of at least 25.0 mm over three consecutive days or 30.0 mm over seven days are important for initiating crop and pasture growth. In agriculture, the first such rainfall after 1 March (start of the winter growing season) is referred to as the "autumn break". Central northern Victoria and large parts of New South Wales had three-day rainfall totals (ending 9 am on 27 April) of 25.0 mm or more.

Rank ranges from 1 (lowest) to 126 (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.