Australia in February 2023

In brief

• For Australia as a whole, February rainfall was close to average.
• Rainfall was above average for most of the Northern Territory away from the southern districts, most of north-western Queensland and the Cape York Peninsula, and for south-west Victoria, and a pocket of the coastal Pilbara in Western Australia.
• Rainfall was below average for much of eastern and southern Queensland, New South Wales extending into adjacent eastern South Australia, most of northern and eastern Victoria, the South West Land Division and much of the interior of Western Australia, extending to the Nullarbor coast and coastal South Australia.
• Australia's national area-average mean temperature was 0.41 °C above the 1961–1990 average for February.
• Area-average mean maximum temperature for February was 0.75 °C above average nationally. The national mean minimum temperature was 0.07  °C above average.
• The mean maximum temperature for February was above average for much of Western Australia aside from the southern and eastern Kimberley, South Australia aside from the south-east, southern Queensland and northern New South Wales, and the eastern half of Tasmania; but mean maxima were below average for much of the central Northern Territory and for much of north-western Queensland and the south-west and central parts of the Cape York Peninsula.
• Mean minimum temperatures were above average for most of Western Australia away from the Kimberley and the west and south coast, for the western half of South Australia, for the Top End and Cape York Peninsula, and for parts of western and southern Tasmania; they were below average for much of the remainder of the Northern Territory and north-western to inland central Queensland, and much of New South Wales away from the north-west and central to south-east coast.
• Conditions across Australia in February reflected a weakening La Niña in the tropical Pacific and monsoonal activity across the north associated with a pulse of the Madden-Julian Oscillation.

Further discussion and tables of records for each state and the Northern Territory can be found in the individual regional climate summaries, to be released on 3 March 2023.

Temperatures

The national mean temperature for February was 0.41 °C above the 1961–1990 average for February. Area-average mean maximum temperature for February was0.75 °C above average nationally. The national mean minimum temperature was 0.07 °C above average.

The mean maximum temperature for February was above average for much of Western Australia aside from the southern and eastern Kimberley, South Australia aside from the south-east, southern Queensland and northern New South Wales, and the eastern half of Tasmania. The area-averaged maximum temperature was close to 2 °C above average for both Western Australia and South Australia, though falling just outside the ten warmest Februarys on record for both states.

The mean maximum temperature for February was below average for much of the central Northern Territory and for much of north-western Queensland and the south-west and central parts of the Cape York Peninsula. The mean maximum temperature was in the lowest 10% of historical observations (compared with all Februarys since 1910) for parts of the central Northern Territory and part of Queensland's Gulf Country. For both Queensland and the Northern Territory, area-averaged February maximum temperature was the lowest since 2014.

Mean minimum temperatures were above average for most of Western Australia away from the Kimberley and the west and south coast, for the western half of South Australia, for the Top End and Cape York Peninsula, and for parts of western and southern Tasmania; they were below average for much of the remainder of the Northern Territory and north-western to inland central Queensland, and much of New South Wales away from the north-west and central to south-east coast. The mean minimum temperature was in the lowest 10% of historical observations (compared with all Februarys since 1910) for large parts of the southern half of the Northern Territory, extending into part of western Queensland and for an area in central New South Wales.

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, February rainfall was around 4% above the 1961–1990 average.

Rainfall was above average for most of the Northern Territory away from the southern districts, most of north-western Queensland and the Cape York Peninsula, and for south-west Victoria, and a pocket of the coastal Pilbara in Western Australia. For both Queensland and the Northern Territory, area-averaged February rainfall was the highest since 2014. A few stations around the Gulf of Carpentaria and on Cape York Peninsula had their highest February total rainfall on record, but mostly at stations with less than 30 years of observations. Some stations had their highest February total for at least 20 years.

Rainfall was below average for much of eastern and southern Queensland, New South Wales extending into adjacent eastern South Australia, most of northern and eastern Victoria, the South West Land Division and much of the interior of Western Australia, extending to the Nullarbor coast and coastal South Australia.

Rainfall across Australia in February was likely influenced by a weakening La Niña in the tropical Pacific, and monsoonal activity across the north associated with a pulse of the Madden-Julian Oscillation. For more information on the Australian climate influences during February, see the Climate Driver Update.

Significant weather and records

Low means cool for the south-east, hot further north

A deep low pressure system travelled out of the Southern Ocean and crossed south of Tasmania at the start of February, bringing a cold outbreak and February snowfalls across alpine regions of south-eastern Australia as a cold front brought southerly winds and precipitation, with freezing temperatures at the higher elevations. On the northern side of the system northerly airflow into eastern Australia contributed to low-intensity to severe heatwave conditions in early February, particularly along the Queensland coast. A few stations in coastal south-east Queensland observed a record high temperature for February during the first days of the month.

Heatwave and fires during mid-February

Around the middle of the month heatwave conditions affected many areas of Australia, including low-intensity heatwave conditions in northern and southern areas of South Australia, severe intensity in southern Victoria, and severe intensity in the Pilbara and central and southern areas of Western Australia. In Western Australia heatwave conditions persisted for up to a week, while in the east several fires burnt across parts of New South Wales, and in Queensland's Darling Downs near Tara and Miles, where multiple structures were damaged.

High temperatures returned to parts of the southern mainland towards the end of February. Eucla and Red Rocks Point, in the far south-east of Western Australia, both reached 46.8 °C on the 22nd. A few stations on the Eyre Peninsula and in coastal south-eastern South Australia observed late-season records during the last week of the month.

Heavy rain to end the month in northern Australia

Storms and heavy rain occurred across the northern tropics during the last week of February, with weekly totals of 150 to 300 mm from the eastern Kimberley (Western Australia), through the Northern Territory Top End and the Cape York Peninsula (Queensland). Minor to Moderate flooding resulted in some areas, leading to the closure of the Victoria Highway in the Katherine region. A few stations in the Kimberley and the west of the Northern Territory had their wettest February day on record at the end of the month, but mostly at locations with less than 30 years of observations.

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.