Australia in Winter 2024

In brief

• The national area-averaged winter rainfall total was close to average.

• Winter rainfall was above average for parts of Western Australia, Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia and northern New South Wales.

• Rainfall was below average for most of south-eastern South Australia, southern New South Wales and Victoria.

• Victoria had its driest winter since 2006, 30.2% below the 1961–1990 average.

• Australia's area-averaged mean temperature was 1.48 °C above the 1961–1990 average for winter, the second-warmest on record.

• Western Australia had its warmest winter on record since observations began in 1910.

• This winter was amongst the ten warmest on record for South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland.

• Australia's area-averaged mean maximum temperature for winter was 1.66 °C above the 1961–1990 average, the fourth-warmest on record.

• Mean maximum temperatures were warmer than average for most of Australia.

• Australia's area-averaged mean minimum temperature was 1.30 °C above the 1961–1990 average, the fifth-warmest on record.

• Mean minimum temperatures were above average for most of Western Australia, South Australia and Tasmania, and for large parts of the Northern Territory, Queensland, New South Wales and southern Victoria. Mean minimum temperatures were below average for a few small areas scattered across the country.

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 September. For discussion of events during winter, see the individual monthly climate summaries for Australia for June, July and August.

Temperatures

Australia's national area-averaged mean temperature for winter was 1.48 °C above the 1961–1990 average, the second-warmest winter on record since national observations began in 1910.

Western Australia had its warmest winter on record, and it was amongst the ten warmest winters on record for South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland.

Australia's area-averaged mean maximum temperature was 1.66 °C above the 1961–1990 winter average, the fourth-warmest on record.

Victoria had its warmest winter mean maximum temperature on record, 1.31 °C above the 1961–1990 average. Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory were all in their respective top ten warmest on record.

Mean maximum temperatures were above average to very much above average (in the highest 10% of all winters since 1910) for most of Australia. Maximum temperatures this winter were the highest on record for parts of Western Australia's Kimberley and Southern Interior districts, North Pastoral districts in South Australia and Central district in Victoria. Many stations in those areas had their record highest mean maximum temperature for winter.

An unseasonal warm period affected most of Australia in the second half of August, with both daytime and night-time temperatures more than 10 °C above August average for large parts of the country. Many stations set record number of consecutive days with temperature above a threshold or their record highest winter daily maximum or minimum temperatures. Oodnadatta Airport (75 years of data) recorded 39.4 °C on 24 August, a new winter record maximum temperature for South Australia. On the 26th, Yampi Sound in Western Australia's Kimberley district, recorded 41.6 °C, a new winter record maximum temperature for both Australia and the state. On the 30th, Birdsville Airport recorded 39.7 °C, a new winter record maximum temperature for Queensland, equalled at Boulia Airport on the 31st.

The national mean minimum temperature was 1.30 °C above the 1961–1990 average for winter, the fifth-warmest on record since national observations began in 1910.

Western Australia had its fourth-warmest winter mean minimum temperature on record, 1.51 °C above the 1961–1990 average. For South Australia and New South Wales, mean minimum temperatures this winter were in the top ten warmest on record.

Mean minimum temperatures for winter were above average to very much above average (in the highest 10% of all winters since 1910) for Tasmania, most of Western Australia and South Australia and large parts of the Northern Territory, Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria. Minimum temperatures this winter were the highest on record for parts of Western Australia's Pilbara, Gascoyne, Goldfields and South West Land Division districts. Many stations in those areas had their record highest mean minimum temperature for winter, including Donnybrook and Albany which have 117 and 106 years of data respectively.

Mean minimum temperatures were below average for a few small areas scattered across the country.

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

The national area-averaged winter rainfall total was 1.0% above the 1961–1990 average.

Winter began with a wetter than average June, followed by a drier than average July and August.

Rainfall for winter was above average for large parts of Western Australia, north-western and central Northern Territory, eastern and south-western Queensland and north-eastern South Australia extending into northern and north-eastern New South Wales. Areas in Western Australia's Gascoyne and Central West districts and Capricornia district in Queensland had winter rainfall very much above average (in the wettest 10% of years since 1900).

Winter rainfall was below average for most of Victoria, central and southern New South Wales and south-eastern South Australia, and for parts of northern Queensland and the Northern Territory, nothing that these latter areas are seasonally dry. Rainfall was very much below average (in the driest 10% of years since 1900) for parts of Victoria's South West, Central, Northern Country and North East districts, Riverina district in New South Wales and Upper South East district in South Australia.

Victoria's area-averaged rainfall was 30.2% below the 1961–1990 average, the driest winter since 2006.

Significant weather and records

For discussion of events during winter see the individual monthly climate summaries for Australia for June, July and August.

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 September.

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.