Australia in July 2025

In brief

• The national area-averaged mean temperature in July was 0.60 °C above the 1961–1990 average.
• Australia's area-averaged mean maximum and mean minimum temperatures were 0.99 °C and 0.21 °C above the 1961–1990 average respectively.
• Mean maximum temperatures were above average for large parts of Australia's north and east. Mean maximum temperatures were below average for an area on the country's west coast.
• Mean minimum temperatures were above average for southern and northern parts of the mainland and below average for the country's inland and west regions.
• Australia's area-averaged July rainfall total was 8% above the 1961–1990 average.

• July rainfall was average or above average for most of Australia.

 Further information and tables of records for each state and Territory are available in the individual regional climate summaries, published on 5 August 2025.

Temperatures

Australia's area-averaged mean temperature in July was 0.60 °C above the 1961–1990 average.

Australia's area-averaged mean maximum temperature in July was 0.99 °C above average. Area-averaged mean maximum temperatures for all states and territories were above average. For Western Australia, July area-averaged mean maximum temperature was the lowest since 2016.

July mean maximum temperatures were above to very much above average (in the highest 10% of all Julys since 1910) for Tasmania, Victoria, much of Queensland and the Northern Territory, and parts of New South Wales and Western Australia. Mean maximum temperatures were above average for parts of central and south-eastern South Australia.

Maximum temperatures were below average for most of Western Australia's central west coast.

The national area-averaged mean minimum temperature was 0.21 °C above average. Area-averaged mean minimum temperatures for all states and territories were above average except for Western Australia.

Due to clear skies and cold airmasses that followed the passage of cold fronts, mean minimum temperatures were below to very much below average across large parts of Western Australia and central and western Queensland, and areas of central and south-eastern Northern Territory.

Mean minimum temperatures were above to very much above average for most of eastern and central Victoria, parts of northern Queensland, northern and south-western Northern Territory, eastern New South Wales and southern South Australia, and areas of eastern Western Australia.

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 July rainfall total was 8% above the 1961–1990 average.

It was the wettest July since 1998 for South Australia with area-averaged rainfall 57% above average. For New South Wales and Victoria, it was the wettest July since 2010 and 2016 respectively.

July rainfall was above to very much above average (in the highest 10% of all Julys since 1900) for most of South Australia and northern and eastern Victoria, and large parts of western and eastern New South Wales, Queensland and southern Western Australia. July rainfall was the highest on record for pockets of the South Australia's Eyre Peninsula and Mid North district.

Rainfall was below average for areas in southern Tasmania, south-central Victoria and western and inland Western Australia.

Significant weather and records

A vigorous coastal low pressure system

A complex, deep low pressure system developed off the New South Wales coast on 30 June. This rapidly intensified bringing widespread heavy rain, flash flooding, damaging to destructive winds and large waves and swells to coastal and adjacent inland areas of New South Wales and eastern Victoria at the start of July. The Illawarra and South Coast districts in New South Wales recorded the highest daily rainfall totals, with some stations receiving more than 200 mm in the 24 hours to 9 am on 2 July. Some stations in south-eastern New South Wales and eastern Victoria had their record highest daily total for July, including several with more than 50 years of data. The highest daily rainfall total of 224.0 mm was recorded at Ulladulla AWS in New South Wales on 2 July.

Three-day rainfall totals to 9 am on 3 July, exceeded 250 mm at a number of New South Wales stations, including 331.0 mm at Jervis Bay Airfield AWS and 308.0 mm at Ulladulla AWS.

The deep low pressure system resulted in strong winds with gusts exceeding 80 km/h at most stations along the New South Wales coastal regions on 1 and 2 July. The strongest wind gust recorded was 130 km/h at Wattamolla AWS on 2 July. Strong winds resulted in downed trees and power lines, leaving more than 35,000 homes and businesses in New South Wales without power, while peak wave heights exceeded 12 m on parts of the coast. Conditions eased from 3 July as the low off the coast moved into the central Tasman Sea.

Wet in the south-west

A cold front and a low pressure system moved across southern Western Australia on 2 and 3 July bringing showers, patchy rain, thunderstorms and gusty winds. The heaviest rainfall was observed in coastal south-western parts of the state, with mostly light to moderate falls further inland. Daily rainfall totals were generally between 10 and 30 mm, with some stations in the far south-west recording daily totals in excess of 50 mm. Several stations had their record highest daily rainfall total for July, including Busselton Shire (149 years of data) which recorded 104.5 mm in the 24 hours to 9 am on 3 July.

Strong winds across the south

Between 6 and 11 July, a series of cold fronts associated with deep low pressure systems crossed southern Australia moving eastwards and bringing scattered showers, thunderstorms, strong winds, raised dust and large waves. Elevated areas in south-eastern parts of the country recorded 40 to 50 cm of snow, mostly on 10 and 11 July.

Wind gusts over 80 km/h were recorded at many stations across southern parts of the country. The strongest wind gusts included 119 km/h at Cape Leeuwin (Western Australia) on 6 July, 120 km/h at Hogan Island (Victoria) and 128 km/h at Thredbo AWS (New South Wales) on 8 July, and 111 km/h at Maatsuyker Island Lighthouse (Tasmania) on 11 July. Large waves accompanied the strong winds, leading to coastal erosion.

Cold fronts bring widespread rainfall, snow and low temperatures

Between 20 and 30 July, three strong cold fronts crossed southern Australia bringing rain, thunderstorms, showers, damaging winds, cold air and high waves and swells.

The first front and its associated low pressure trough moved across the coast of Western Australia on 20 July proceeding eastwards and reaching South Australia on 21 July and Victoria and Tasmania on 22 July. In the 24 hours to 9 am on 21 July, the front brought daily rainfall totals of 20 to 40 mm to coastal regions of Western Australia's south-west and 10 to 20 mm to the wheat belt, while a light dusting of snow was observed at Bluff Knoll. A brief spell of rain, followed by intermittent showers, affected most of south-eastern Australia. The highest daily totals in the 24 hours to 9 am on 23 July were recorded in elevated parts of northern Tasmania and include 71.2 mm at Loongana (42 years of data) and 62.6 mm at Lorinna (75 years of data), the fourth-highest and fifth-highest daily total in July for these stations respectively, and snow was observed on elevated peaks (mostly accumulations less than 10 cm). A low pressure trough associated with this cold front brought showers and thunderstorms to parts of New South Wales and southern Queensland. Wind gusts over 80 km/h were recorded at many stations across southern parts of the country in the north to north-westerly airflow preceding the cold front. Damaging to destructive wind gusts were recorded in elevated areas of the south-east, with the strongest gusts of 150 km/h recorded at Mount Hotham (Victoria) on 22 July.

The second strong cold front and its associated low pressure trough moved over Australia's west coast on 23 July, bringing tropical moisture from the Indian Ocean. The cold front slowly progressed eastwards crossing South Australia on 25 July and south-eastern states on 26 July. With high pressure ridges over the western and eastern parts of the country, a deep low pressure system just to the south of the mainland and a strong change of pressure, a cold front brought strong winds with gusts in excess 80 km/h across South Australia and Victoria. The front also brought widespread rain to southern parts of Western Australia, southern Northern Territory, large parts of South Australia and most of Victoria, Tasmania, New South Wales and central and southern Queensland. Three-day rainfall totals (ending 9 am on 27 July) were mostly between 15 and 50 mm, locally higher, across most of Tasmania, northern and western Victoria, large parts of New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and south-western Northern Territory and areas in inland western and southern coastal Western Australia. The highest three-day total of 112.6 mm was recorded at Piccadilly (Woodhouse) in South Australia. Cold polar air followed behind the front, spreading across most of Australia, causing both maximum and minimum temperatures to drop 4 to 8 °C below the July average. Alpine areas recorded up to 40 cm of snow. Some stations in Western Australia had their record lowest daily maximum and minimum temperatures for July. Perth Metro recorded a daily minimum temperature of 0.3 °C on 25 July, its coldest morning for any month since July 2010, while Perth Airport observed -0.8 °C, its second-lowest minimum temperature for July and a late season record for this station.

The third cold front moved across southern parts of Australia between 27 and 30 July, with its associated low pressure system. The front brought severe thunderstorms, areas of heavy rain and strong to damaging winds to south-western Western Australia, leading to flash flooding. Many stations, mostly close to the coast, recorded daily rainfall totals between 30 and 50 mm. In the 24 hours to 9 am on 28 July, Perth Metro had 41.0 mm, its highest daily total since July 2024, and Bluff Knoll recorded snow for the third time this month. In most of the remaining parts of southern Australia, this cold front resulted in patchy rain with daily totals generally between 5 to 15 mm. The persistent southerly winds combined with a cold front and a low pressure trough brought widespread showers, gusty winds and large waves to the New South Wales coast. In the 24 hours to 9 am on 31 July, many stations along the coast of the Hunter, Sydney Metro and Illawarra districts recorded rainfall totals between 30 and 50 mm. The front was followed by a cold air mass from the Southern Ocean which spread across large parts of Australia, with daily maximum temperatures up to 6 °C below the July average in some areas. Some coastal stations in New South Wales had their record lowest July maximum temperatures on 30 July, including 11.5 °C at Canterbury Racecourse AWS (30 years of data).

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.