Australia in Winter 2023

In brief

• For Australia as a whole, winter rainfall was 4.2% below the 1961-1990 average.
• Winter rainfall was above average for most of northern Western Australia, the Northern Territory except the Top End, western Queensland and large parts of northern and eastern South Australia extending into western New South Wales and north-western Victoria.
• Rainfall for winter was below average for much of southern Western Australia, parts of coastal South Australia, southern and eastern Victoria, eastern Tasmania and eastern New South Wales extending into south-eastern Queensland.
• The national mean temperature was the warmest on record for winter, 1.53 °C above the 1961-1990 average.
• The mean temperature for winter was the warmest on record for Queensland, New South Wales and Tasmania. For all other states and territories, the mean temperature for winter was in the top ten warmest on record.
• The national mean maximum temperature was 1.85 °C above average, while the national mean minimum temperature was 1.21 °C above average, the second-warmest and the seventh-warmest on record respectively.
• Mean maximum temperatures for winter were above average across Australia except for parts of Western Australia and western Northern Territory where they were close to average.
• Mean minimum temperatures for winter were warmer than average for much of the eastern two thirds of the country and cooler than average in parts of southern Western Australia.

Further information and tables of records for each state and the Northern Territory can be found in the individual regional climate summaries, to be released on 6 September. For discussion of events during winter, see the individual monthly climate summaries for Australia for June, July, and August.

Temperatures

The national mean temperature was 1.53 °C above the 1961–1990 average for winter, the warmest on record since national observations began in 1910, exceeding the previous record of 1.46 °C above average set in 1996.

For Queensland, New South Wales and Tasmania it was the warmest winter on record, at 2.32 °C, 1.72 °C and 1.30 °C above average respectively. For Victoria and South Australia it was the second-warmest winter on record, while for the Northern territory and Western Australia the mean temperature for winter was in the top ten warmest on record.

Australia's area-averaged mean maximum temperature for winter was 1.85 °C warmer than average, the second-warmest winter days on record. The national mean minimum temperature was 1.21 °C warmer than average, the seventh-warmest on record.

Mean maximum temperatures for winter were above average across Australia except for parts of Western Australia and western Northern Territory where they were close to average. Daytime temperatures were amongst the highest 10% of historical observations (compared with all winters since 1910) for Queensland, New South Wales, Tasmania, most of Victoria, northern and eastern Northern Territory and parts of Western Australia. Most of southern and eastern Queensland and northern and eastern New South Wales, and parts of eastern Victoria and Tasmania, had their warmest winter maximum temperatures on record. Many stations had their highest mean maximum temperature for winter on record.

For Queensland, New South Wales and South Australia, the statewide mean maximum temperature for winter was the warmest on record. For all other states and territories it was in the top ten warmest on record.

Mean minimum temperatures for winter were above average for Queensland, South Australia, Victoria, Tasmania, most of the Northern Territory and large parts of New South Wales and Western Australia. Mean minimum temperatures were amongst the highest 10% of historical observations (compared with all winters since 1910) for Tasmania, much of Victoria, South Australia and Queensland and large parts of New South Wales, the Northern Territory and south-eastern Western Australia.  Areas in western and southern Tasmania, southern and north-eastern Victoria and a large area spanning borders between Queensland, New South Wales and South Australia had their warmest winter minimum temperatures on record.

For Tasmania, the statewide mean minimum temperature for winter was the warmest on record. For Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia it was in the top ten warmest on record.

Mean minimum temperatures for winter were below average for parts of Western Australia and for a small area in north-eastern 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

Winter rainfall was 4.2% below the1961-1990 average for Australia as a whole.

The season began with a wetter than average June, followed by close to average rainfall in July, while August was Australia's tenth-driest August on record.

Rainfall for winter was below average for parts of southern Western Australia, coastal South Australia, southern and eastern Victoria, south-eastern Tasmania and eastern New South Wales extending into south-eastern Queensland. Rainfall was very much below average for winter  (in the driest 10% of years since 1900) for parts of Western Australia's Gascoyne and South West Land Division, the Darling Downs and Granite Belt and Southeast Coast districts in Queensland, the New South Wales coast extending into inland areas and Victoria's Central and Gippsland districts. Winter rainfall was the lowest on record for a small region of far eastern Victoria extending into the far south-eastern New South Wales.

Winter rainfall was above average for most of northern Western Australia, the Northern Territory except the Top End, western Queensland and large parts of northern and eastern South Australia extending into western New South Wales and north-western Victoria. Rainfall was very much above average for winter (in the wettest 10% of years since 1900) for the Kimberley and Northern Interior districts (Western Australia), most of the Gregory, Barkly and Tanami districts (Northern Territory), large parts of the Gulf Country and North-West districts (Queensland) and an area spanning the border between South Australia and New South Wales. Total rainfall for winter was the highest on record for some stations in these areas, although mostly at stations with less than 30 years of observations. Activity caused by a trough in the upper atmosphere that dragged-in tropical moisture from the Indian Ocean north-west of the continent and from the Timor and Arafura Seas to the Australia's north, contributed to significant unseasonal rainfall in the last ten days of June and at the beginning of July. 

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 released on 6 September.

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.