Australia in Winter 2026

In brief

• Australia's area-averaged mean temperature was 1.45 °C above the 1961–1990 average for winter, the equal third-highest on record since national observations began in 1910.
• Tasmania, Victoria and New South Wales had their warmest winters on record.
• Australia's area-averaged mean maximum temperature for winter was 1.37 °C above the 1961–1990 average, the eighth-highest on record.
• Australia's area-averaged mean minimum temperature for winter was 1.53 °C above the 1961–1990 average, the fifth-highest on record and the highest since 2016.
• Both mean maximum and mean minimum temperaures were average or above average across most of Australia.
• The national area-averaged rainfall total for winter was 8% above the 1961–1990 average.
• South Australia had its sixth-wettest winter on record since national observations began in 1900.
• Winter rainfall was above average across central and much of southern Australia, and for smaller areas in the north. It was below average for parts of the east and south-west, and some pockets of the north.

Temperatures

Australia's area-averaged mean temperature for winter was 1.45 °C above the 1961–1990 average, the equal third-highest on record.

The national area-averaged mean temperatures for June, July and August were 1.50 °C, 1.14 °C and 1.71 °C above average respectively.

New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania had their warmest winters on record, and all other states and territories except the Northern Territory were in their top 10 warmest winters on record since 1910.

Australia's area-averaged mean maximum temperature for winter was 1.37 °C above the 1961–1990 average, the eighth-highest on record.

For Tasmania, the area averaged mean maximum temperature was the highest on record for winter, 1.52 °C above average, surpassing the previous record set in 2014.

Winter mean maximum temperatures were above average to very much above average (in the highest 10% of all winters since 1910) for:

• Tasmania and New South Wales
• most of Victoria and Queensland
• large parts of the Northern Territory, Western Australia and eastern South Australia.

Mean maximum temperatures were the highest on record for Tasmania and much of eastern and southern Victoria and south-eastern New South Wales, and many stations had their record highest winter mean maximum temperatures.

Australia's area-averaged mean minimum temperature was 1.53 °C above the 1961–1990 average, the fifth-highest on record and the highest since 2016.

For New South Wales and Victoria, the area-averaged mean minimum temperature was the highest on record for winter, while for Tasmania it was the second-highest on record. For South Australia, the area-averaged mean minimum temperature was the fourth-highest on record and the highest since 2009.

Mean minimum temperatures were above average to very much above average (in the highest 10% of all winters since 1910) for:

• Tasmania, Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia
• most of Queensland and the Northern Territory
• much of Western Australia except for the state's far north and south-west.

Mean minimum temperatures were the highest on record for parts of central and eastern Victoria, western New South Wales, and eastern Western Australia, and for small areas scattered across southern parts of the country. Many stations in these areas had their record highest winter mean minimum temperature.

Mean minimum temperatures were below average for an area in the north of Western Australia.

Rank ranges from 1 (lowest) to 117 (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

Australia's national area-averaged winter rainfall total was 8% above the 1961–1990 average.

Nationally, July was drier than average, while June and August were wetter than average.

Rainfall for winter was above average to very much above average (in the wettest 10% of all winters since 1900) for:

• most of South Australia, northern Victoria and southern Western Australia
• much of western and central New South Wales
• large parts of western and south-western Queensland and pockets along the state's north-east coast
• southern Northern Territory and smaller areas in the north.

Winter rainfall was the highest on record for an area spanning the border between South Australia and New South Wales. Many stations had their record highest winter total rainfall.

South Australia had its sixth-wettest winter on record, the wettest since 1978.

Rainfall was below to very much below average (in the lowest 10% of all winters since 1900) for:

• Western Australia's south-west and some areas in the state's north
• large parts of eastern Queensland and New South Wales
• eastern parts of Victoria and Tasmania.

Further information

Details of significant weather during June, July and August are in the National monthly climate summaries.

A summary, and tables of records for each State and Territory, are available in the individual regional climate summaries, issued on 3 September 2026.

Rank ranges from 1 (lowest) to 127 (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.