Australia in summer 2025-26

In brief

• Australia's area-averaged mean temperature was 1.10 °C above the 1961–1990 average for summer, the eighth-warmest on record since national observations began in 1910.

• Australia's area-averaged mean maximum temperature for summer was 1.09 °C above the 1961–1990 average, the tenth-warmest on record.
• Mean maximum temperatures were above average across much of central and southern Australia and below average in parts of the tropical north.

• Australia's area-averaged mean minimum temperature was 1.11 °C above the 1961–1990 average, the fifth-warmest on record.

• Mean minimum temperatures were above average across much of the mainland.

• Most of central and southern Australia were affected by prolonged heatwaves at times during December and January.

• The national area-averaged summer rainfall total was 32% above average.

• Summer rainfall was average or above average for most of northern Australia and below average for parts of the south-east, east and west of the country.

• Widespread flooding associated with tropical lows affected large areas of northern and central Australia during December and February.

Further information and tables of records for each state and Territory are available in the individual regional climate summaries, to be issued on 4 March. For discussion of events during summer, see the individual monthly climate summaries for Australia for December, January and February.

Temperatures

Australia's national area-averaged mean temperature for summer was 1.10 °C above the 1961–1990 average, the eighth-warmest on record for summer since national observations began in 1910.

The national area-averaged mean temperatures for December, January and February were 1.03 °C, 1.90 °C and 0.37 °C above average respectively.

South Australia had its fourth-warmest summer on record, 1.85 °C above average.

Australia's area-averaged mean maximum temperature was 1.09 °C above average, the tenth-warmest on record.

Summer mean maximum temperatures were above average to very much above average (in the highest 10% of all summers since 1910-11) for:

• all of Victoria, Tasmania and New South Wales
• most of South Australia
• southern parts of Queensland and the Northern Territory
• most of the western half of Western Australia.

Mean maximum temperatures were below average for:

• areas in Western Australia's north
• parts of north-eastern Northern Territory
• much of northern Queensland.

The national mean minimum temperature was 1.11 °C above the 1961–1990 average for summer, the fifth-warmest summer nights on record.

Mean minimum temperatures were above average or very much above average for:

• most of New South Wales, South Australia and Western Australia,
• southern and western Northern Territory
• parts of northern and central Victoria
• southern and eastern Queensland.

Summer night-time temperatures were the highest on record for some inland areas of Western Australia and the Northern Territory and several stations in these areas had their record highest mean minimum temperature for summer.

Mean minimum temperatures were below average for areas in north-west Western Australia.

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 rainfall total was 32% above the 1961–1990 average for summer.

Nationally, December and February were wetter than average, and January was drier than average.

Summer rainfall was above average to very much above average (in the wettest 10% of all summers since 1900–01) for:

• most of the Northern Territory
• northern and western Queensland
• much of northern, central and south-western South Australia
• north-western New South Wales
• large parts of Western Australia.

Queensland had its wettest summer since 2010-11.

Rainfall was below average to very much below average for:

• most of Tasmania
• much of eastern New South Wales and southern Victoria
• agricultural areas of South Australia
• south-eastern Queensland
• areas in the west and south-west of Western Australia.

Significant weather and records

Tropical systems brought widespread heavy rainfall and flooding in parts of northern and central Australia throughout summer.

Heatwave conditions parsisted across large parts of central and southern Australia at times during December and January. The heatwave event in late January was particularly severe, with 62 stations recording their highest ever daily maximum temperature between 26 and 31 January.

Bushfires impacted parts of south-western Western Australia, Tasmania and Victoria in January and February. Dry landscape combined with high temperatures and strong winds resulted in extreme to catastrophic fire conditions on some days.

For discussion of events during summer see the individual monthly climate summaries for Australia for December, January and February.

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

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.