Australia in summer 2024-25

In brief

• Australia's second-warmest summer on record since national observations began in 1910, 1.89 °C above the 1961–1990 average.

• Western Australia had its warmest summer on record, while for all other states and territories except Tasmania, summer was amongst their respective top ten warmest on record.

• Australia's area-averaged mean maximum temperature for summer was 2.27 °C above the 1961–1990 average, the second-warmest on record since 1910 and the warmest since summer 2018–19.

• Australia's area-averaged mean minimum temperature was 1.50 °C above the 1961–1990 average, the fourth-warmest on record.

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

• The national area-averaged summer rainfall was 3% below the 1961–1990 average.

• Summer rainfall was above average for parts of the country's east and north-west.

• Rainfall was close to average or below average for much of Australia.

Further information and tables of records for each state and Territory are available in the individual regional climate summaries, to be issued on 5 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 1.89 °C above the 1961–1990 average, the second-warmest summer on record since national observations began in 1910.

The national area-averaged mean temperatures for December (+1.87 °C), January (+2.16 °C) and February (+1.64 °C) were the third-warmest, second-warmest and fifth-warmest on record respectively.

Western Australia had its warmest summer on record, surpassing the previous record set in summer 2023–24, while all other states and territories except Tasmania were in their respective top 10 warmest on record.

Australia's area-averaged mean maximum temperature was 2.27 °C above average, the second-warmest on record.

For all states and territories except Tasmania, summer mean maximum temperatures were in their respective top ten warmest on record.

Mean maximum temperatures were above average to very much above average (in the warmest 10% of all summers since 1910) for most of Australia. Mean maximum temperatures this summer were the highest on record for large parts of southern Western Australia and a few isolated pockets in the state's west, and parts of South Australia and the Northern Territory extending into areas of western Queensland. Some stations in these areas had their record highest mean summer maximum temperature.

The national mean minimum temperature was 1.50 °C above average, the fourth-warmest on record since 1910.

For all states and territories except New South Wales and Tasmania, summer mean minimum temperatures were in their respective top ten warmest on record.

Mean minimum temperatures for summer were above average to very much above average for most of Australia. Mean minimum temperatures were the highest on record for large parts of western and southern Western Australia extending into adjacent areas of south-western Northern Territory and western South Australia. Some stations in these areas had their record highest mean minimum temperature for summer.

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 summer rainfall was 3% below the 1961–1990 average.

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

Rainfall was below average to very much below average (in the driest 10% of all summers since 1900) for much of the Northern Territory and South Australia, and large parts of Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland. Western Tasmania and parts of south-western Western Australia also had below average rainfall.

Victoria had its driest summer since 2013–14.

Summer rainfall was above average to very much above average (in the wettest 10% of all summers since 1900) for parts of north-western Western Australia and northern and north-eastern Queensland. Parts of New South Wales, eastern Victoria and central Western Australia also had above average summer rainfall.

Significant weather and records

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 5 March.

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.