Australia in Autumn 2025

In brief

• It was Australia's fourth-warmest autumn on record since national observations began in 1910, at 1.41 °C above the 1961–1990 average.

• Victoria had its warmest autumn on record, New South Wales and Western Australia had their second-warmest, and for South Australia it was the third-warmest autumn on record.

• Australia's area-averaged mean maximum temperature for autumn was 1.38 °C above the 1961–1990 average, the seventh-warmest on record since 1910 and the warmest since autumn 2019.

• Australia's area-averaged mean minimum temperature was 1.45 °C above the 1961–1990 average, the third-warmest on record.

• Both mean maximum and mean minimum temperatures were warmer than average for much of Australia.

• The national area-averaged autumn rainfall was 30% above the 1961–1990 average.

• Autumn rainfall was below average for much of south-eastern Australia and large parts of Western Australia.

• Tasmania and Victoria had their third and ninth-driest autumn on record respectively since 1900.

• Autumn rainfall was above average for most of Queensland and the Northern Territory, and large parts of New South Wales.
• Queensland had its sixth-wettest autumn on record.
• Significant flooding affected large parts of western Queensland in March and coastal New South Wales in May.

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

Temperatures

Australia's national area-averaged mean temperature for autumn was 1.41 °C above the 1961–1990 average, the fourth-warmest autumn on record since national observations began in 1910.

The national area-averaged mean temperature for March was 2.41 °C above average, the warmest on record for March. For April and May, the national area-averaged mean temperatures were 0.98 °C and 0.84 °C above average respectively.

Victoria had its warmest autumn on record, surpassing the previous autumn record set in 2016. For New South Wales and Western Australia it was the second-warmest autumn on record and for South Australia it was the third-warmest on record.

Australia's area-averaged mean maximum temperature was 1.38 °C above average, the seventh-warmest on record. Mean maximum temperatures were above to very much above average (in the highest 10% of all autumns since 1910) across Tasmania, Victoria, most of New South Wales, South Australia and Western Australia and parts of eastern Queensland. Mean maximum temperatures were also above average for most of the Northern Territory. Mean maximum temperatures for autumn were the highest on record for Tasmania, most of Victoria, southern new South Wales, south-eastern South Australia and parts of Western Australia. Many stations had their record highest autumn mean maximum temperatures, including some stations with more than 100 years of data.

For Victoria and Tasmania, autumn mean maximum temperatures were the highest on record, 2.57 °C and 1.42 °C above average respectively. For New South Wales, South Australia and Western Australia, autumn mean maximum temperatures were in the top ten warmest on record for each state.

Autumn mean maximum temperatures were below average for an area in Queensland's Gulf Country.

Australia's area-averaged mean minimum temperature was 1.45 °C above average, the third-warmest on record. Mean minimum temperatures were above to very much above average for most of Australia. Mean minimum temperatures for autumn were the highest on record for areas scattered across the mainland, with many stations having their record high mean minimum temperatures for autumn.

For all states and territories except Tasmania and the Northern Territory, autumn mean minimum temperatures were in their respective top ten warmest on record.

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 autumn rainfall total was 30% above the 1961–1990 average.

The season began with wetter than average March and April, followed by an overall drier than average May.

Autumn rainfall was above to very much above average (in the highest 10% of all autumns since 1900) for most of Queensland and the Northern Territory, large parts of New South Wales and north-eastern South Australia, and parts of northern and southern Western Australia. Rainfall for autumn was the highest on record for parts of the Central West, Channel Country and Northern Goldfields and Upper Flinders districts in Queensland and the Mid North Coast district in New South Wales. Many stations in these areas had their record highest total rainfall for autumn. 

Queensland had its sixth-wettest autumn on record, the wettest since 1990.

Heavy rainfall and flooding resulted from a persistent low pressure trough across Queensland between 23 and 29 March. An area in the Channel Country received more than its annual average rainfall in four days between 23 and 26 March.

Flood waters in the Channel Country flowed downstream resulting in prolonged flooding in north-eastern South Australia, with flood waters flowing towards Kati Thanda–Lake Eyre, and along the Darling River in New South Wales towards the Menindee Lakes.  

A deep slow-moving low pressure trough that tracked along the New South Wales coast between 19 and 23 May resulted in heavy rainfall and flooding in that region. Several stations in the Mid North Coast had their record highest daily rainfall totals for any month on 20 and 21 May.

Rainfall in autumn was below to very much below average for Tasmania, Victoria, much of southern South Australia, and parts of western and central Western Australia. For most of autumn, weather over southern parts of Australia was dominated by high-pressure systems. However, during May, several cold fronts crossed southern parts of the country bringing low to moderate rainfall to parts of the south.

Tasmania had its third-driest autumn on record, with area-averaged rainfall 45% below the 1961–1990 average, the driest autumn since 2002. For Victoria, it was the ninth-driest autumn on record, 47% below the 1961–1990 average and the driest since 2008.

Significant weather and records

For discussion of events during autumn see the individual monthly climate summaries for Australia for March, April and May.

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 June.

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.