Climate summary and notable events
Australia
- Annual mean temperature 0.50 °C above 1961–1990 average
- Rainfall 26% above 1961–1990 average, ninth-wettest year on record nationally, fourth-wettest for the Murray–Darling Basin
- Most water storage levels high; low for parts of central coast Qld, western Tas, south-east NSW, and western Vic
- Sea-surface temperature anomaly highest on record for Australian region
- La Niña, negative Indian Ocean Dipole, and positive Southern Annular Mode drive wet year
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Western Australia
- Annual rainfall 22% above average for Western Australia as a whole, but rainfall deficiencies persisted throughout the year in parts of the far south-west
- Annual mean temperature for Western Australia 0.50 °C above average
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North-western Australia
- Tropical low 14U brought heavy rain, causing flooding in the Fitzroy River in the Kimberley during February
- Severe to extreme heatwave conditions affected parts of northern and western Australia throughout summer and into autumn, and at times from August through December
- Tropical Cyclone Ellie brought heavy rain to the Top End of the Northern Territory and the Kimberley during late December, with significant flooding in the Fitzroy River and damage to transport infrastructure
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Northern Territory
- Annual mean temperature for the Northern Territory 0.69 °C above average
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Queensland
- Heavy rain associated with tropical systems caused significant flooding in the Wide Bay and Burnett districts of Queensland in early January
- Annual rainfall 25% above average; wettest year since 2011 for Queensland
- Annual mean temperature for Queensland 0.74 °C above average
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South-east Queensland and north-east New South Wales
- Extreme rainfall in late February and early March produced record-breaking floods in south-east Queensland and eastern New South Wales
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Murray–Darling Basin and eastern Australia
- Persistent rain saw significant flooding across large areas of eastern Australia from June to December, with large volumes of floodwater moving downstream through inland rivers and the Murray–Darling Basin, reaching South Australia during December
- Spring was the wettest on record for the Murray–Darling Basin, for New South Wales, and for Victoria, and the second-wettest on record for Australia as a whole
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South-eastern Australia
- Cold outbreaks during May and June brought cold air, strong south-westerly winds, heavy snow in the Alpine areas, and reports of snow settling to relatively low elevations in parts of the south-eastern states
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Victoria
- Fifth-wettest year on record for Victoria, highest area-average annual total since 1974
- Annual mean temperature for Victoria 0.45 °C above average
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New South Wales and the ACT
- New South Wales had its second-wettest year on record, behind 1950
- Coolest year since 1996 for the state, but annual mean temperature 0.13 °C above average
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Tasmania
- Annual rainfall very much below average for much of western Tasmania, with low storage levels and rainfall deficiencies persisting throughout the year
- Equal-tenth warmest year on record for Tasmania, annual mean temperature 0.57 °C above average
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South Australia
- Coolest year since 2012 for the state, but annual mean temperature 0.15 °C above average
Select dots for regional details