Australia in January 2026

In brief

• The national area-averaged mean temperature in January was 1.90 °C above the 1961–1990 average, the fourth-warmest January on record since national observations began in 1910.
• Area-averaged mean temperature for all states and territories except Queensland and Tasmania were in the top ten warmest on record for January for the respective state or territory.
• Australia's area-averaged mean maximum temperature was 2.30 °C above the 1961–1990 average, the fourth-warmest on record for January. Australia's area-averaged mean minimum temperature was 1.49 °C above average, the fourth-warmest on record.
• Both mean maximum and mean minimum temperatures were above average across most of central and southern Australia.

• Australia's area-averaged January rainfall total was 10% below the 1961–1990 average.

• Area-averaged rainfall totals were below average for all states and territories except Queensland.
• January rainfall was below or close to average for most of Australia; rainfall was above average for north-eastern Queensland, coastal New South Wales and parts of Western Australia.

 Further information and tables of records for each state and Territory are available in the individual regional climate summaries, published on 4 February 2026.

Temperatures

Australia's area-averaged mean temperature in January was 1.90 °C above the 1961–1990 average, the fourth-warmest January on record for Australia since 1910. Each of the last 3 Januarys (2024, 2025 and 2026) are in Australia's top 5 warmest on record.

For New South Wales, Western Australia and South Australia, it was the fourth-warmest January on record. For Victoria, it was the seventh-warmest and for the Northern Territory the fifth-warmest January on record.

Australia's area-averaged mean maximum temperature was 2.30 °C above the 1961–1990 average, the fourth-warmest on record. Mean maximum temperatures were above to very much above average (in the highest 10% of all Januarys since 1910) for most of central and southern Australia. Mean maximum temperatures for January were the highest on record for pockets of eastern Western Australia, southern Queensland and northern and south-eastern South Australia. Some stations in South Australia had their record highest mean maximum temperature for January.

Mean maximum temperatures were below to very much below average for most of northern Queensland.

For New South Wales the area-averaged mean maximum temperature was the second-warmest on record for January. For South Australia it was the third-warmest, for Western Australia the fourth-warmest and for Victoria the fifth-warmest on record for January. 

The national area-averaged mean minimum temperature was 1.49 °C warmer than the January average, the fourth-warmest on record. Mean minimum temperatures were above to very much above average (in the highest 10% of all Januarys since 1910) for much of Australia. Mean minimum temperatures for January were the highest on record for parts of the Pilbara, Gascoyne and Northern Interior districts in Western Australia and Lasseter district in the Northern Territory. Several stations in these areas had their record highest mean minimum temperature for January.

Mean minimum temperatures were below average for areas in the central and western Queensland and northern 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

The national area-averaged January rainfall total was 10% below the 1961-1990 average.

Rainfall in January was below average for all states and territories except for Queensland.

January rainfall was below to very much below average (in the lowest 10% of all Januarys since 1900) for:

• most of Victoria, Tasmania, New South Wales and South Australia
• large parts in the west and north-east of Western Australia, western and southern Northern Territory and southern Queensland.

For Tasmania, area-averaged rainfall total was 59% below average, the seventh-lowest on record since national observations started in 1900, and the lowest since 2019. Area-averaged rainfall totals for Victoria and New South Wales were the lowest since 2013 and 2014 respectively.

Rainfall was above to very much above average for:

• north-eastern Queensland
• coastal New South Wales
• areas in the north of the Northern Territory
• parts of northern, central and south-eastern Western Australia extending into south-western South Australia.

Significant weather and records

Heatwaves and fires across southern Australia

A widespread low to severe intensity heatwave, with locally extreme conditions in parts of Western Australia's interior, eastern Victoria and south-eastern New South Wales, affected large parts of the country between 4 and 10 January. Daytime temperatures across parts of Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales were 6 to 12 °C above the January average, as a high pressure system in the Tasman Sea directed hot northerly winds towards the south-east of the country.  Daily maximum temperatures exceeded 45.0 °C at many stations, including:

• 49.0 °C at Onslow Airport (Western Australia) on 7 January
• 48.2 °C at  Tarcoola Aero and Kyancutta (both in South Australia) on 8 January and
• 46.5 °C at Walpeup Research (Victoria) on 9 January.

Some stations had their record highest maximum temperatures for January. Nights were also warm with minimum temperatures up to 10 °C above average and locally higher. Paraburdoo Aero (Western Australia) recorded a minimum temperature of 35.8 °C on 7 January, its record highest daily minimum temperature for any month and a new state record (surpassing the previous record of 35.5 °C set on 21 January 2003). Strong to damaging winds developed on 9 January ahead of the low pressure trough, with many sites recording maximum daily wind gusts over 80 km/h. High temperatures and strong winds resulted in extreme to catastrophic fire conditions for most of Victoria and southern parts of South Australia and New South Wales. Numerous fires were ignited by dry lightning. By late in the day, more than 60 fires were still burning across Victoria. The most widespread were fires near Longwood and Walwa.

Extreme heatwave in south-eastern Australia

Another widespread heatwave affected central and southern parts of Australia between 20 and 31 January. Very high temperatures impacted western parts of Western Australia's Pilbara and Gascoyne districts on 20 and 21 January. On 20 January, Shark Bay Airport (26 years of data) observed 49.2 °C, while Gascoyne Junction (47 years of data) observed 48.5 °C, the record highest and second highest daily maximum temperature in January for these two stations respectively. On 21 January, Carnarvon Airport (81 years of data) observed 47.9 °C, its record highest daily maximum temperature for January. A deepening west coast trough that directed hot air from the interior towards the west coast, resulting in high temperatures for parts of Pilbara and Gascoyne districts, extended further to the south, bringing hot conditions to south-western parts of the country. In the following days, warm conditions moved across southern parts of Western Australia to South Australia, southern Northern Territory, Victoria, New South Wales and south-western Queensland, pushed by the approaching cold front and low pressure troughs. Between 24 and 31 January, daily maximum temperatures were 8 to 12 °C above the January average across large parts of the south-east mainland, and locally higher on some days. Large areas observed maximum temperatures above 40 °C and many stations had temperatures above 45.0 °C.

It was especially hot between 26 and 30 January and many stations in the south-east of the mainland had their record highest daily maximum temperatures for January or for any month. Over 50 stations had their highest ever daily maximum temperature on record, including (in chronological order):

• 49.5 °C at Ceduna AMO (84 years of data) in South Australia on 26 January
• 47.3 °C at Trangie Research Station AWS (58 years of data) in New South Wales on 26 January
• 49.7 °C at Pooncarie Mail Agency (24 years of data) in New South Wales on 27 January
• 49.6 °C at Renmark Aero (31 years of data) in South Australia on 27 January
• 48.9 °C  at Walpeup Research (62 years of data) and Hopetoun Airport (22 years of data) in Victoria on 27 January – this is a new Victorian temperature record
• 48.7 °C at Tibooburra Airport (29 years of data) in New South Wales on 28 January
• 46.0 °C at Yarrawonga (33 years of data) in Victoria on 28 January
• 50.0 °C at Andamooka (56 years of data) in South Australia on 29 January
• 49.8 °C at Marree Aero 28 years of data) in South Australia on 29 January
• 50.0 °C at Port Augusta Aero (25 years of data) in South Australia on 30 January
• 49.6 °C at Woomera Aerodrome (77 years of data) in South Australia on 30 January.

The 50.0 °C at Andramooka on 29 January and at Port Augusta on 30 January were respectively the eight and ninth instances of 50 °C ever recorded in the standard Bureau surface observations network.

Adelaide (West Terrace / ngayirdapira) recorded 44.7 °C on 26 January, the fourth-highest maximum temperature in January for this station (102 years of data) and the highest since 2019.

A record number of consecutive days with temperatures above 45 °C was observed at some stations in South Australia, New South Wales, South Australia and southern Queensland, including:

• Coober Pedy Airport (SA) had 7 days
• Roxby Downs (Olympic Dam Aerodrome) (SA) had 7 days
• Pooncarie Mail Agency (NSW) had 6 days
• Ivanhoe Airport AWS (NSW) had 6 days
• Cunnamulla Post Office (Qld) had 4 days.

Marree Aero (SA) and Smithville AWS (NSW) each recorded 5 consecutive days of at least 48.0 °C between 27 and 31 January, a new national record.

Averaged across South Australia, daily maximum temperature on 26 January was 45.7 °C; it was the equal second-hottest day on record since national observations began in 1910. Averaged across Victoria, daily maximum temperature on 27 January was 42.5 °C, the equal sixth-hottest day on record. New South Wales had its equal sixth-hottest day on record on 31 January with 43.0 °C.

Daily temperature of 49.0 °C or more has been observed in Australia 19 times this January; the most in any previous month was 6 in January 2019. Marree Aero and Roxby Downs (Olympic Dam Aerodrome) in South Australia recorded at least 49.0 °C on consecutive days (29 and 30 January). This has only occured twice in Australia.

The prolonged hot conditions dried the landscape across Victoria, contributing to continuation of fires that started previously, with the Otway fire at an emergency level, as well as to ignition of new ones. By the end of January, more than 400 homes were reported lost in Victoria and nearly 450,000 hectares were burnt.

Severe Tropical Cyclone Jenna

Tropical low 11U developed on 4 January in the Indian Ocean, north-west of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. It initially moved to the south-east before reaching tropical cyclone intensity on 5 January and was named Jenna. Tropical Cyclone (TC) Jenna passed close to the Cocos (Keeling) Islands as a Category 1 system as it tracked southwards, before turning to the south-west and intensifying. It briefly reached its peak intensity as Category 3 system (Severe TC) on 7 January, with estimated sustained winds of 150 km/h and central pressure of 967 hPa. On 8 January, it weakened below tropical cyclone strength just prior to exiting the Australian area of responsibility (AOR). Jenna was the sixth TC in the Australian AOR this season.

Cocos (Keeling) Islands experienced a period of strong winds and heavy rainfall on 5 January as Tropical Cyclone Jenna passed close by. It is the first time since reliable observations began in 1970 that the Cocos (Keeling) Islands were impacted by two tropical cyclones in one season (Tropical Cyclones Grant and Jenna).

Tropical Cyclone Koji

Tropical low 12U developed in the Coral Sea north of Willis Island on 8 January. Moving south-westwards towards Queensland's north-east coast it rapidly intensified, reached tropical cyclone strength on 10 January and was named Koji. Tropical Cyclone (TC) Koji reached its peak intensity early on 11 January as Category 2 system with sustained winds of 95 km/h and central pressure of 989 hPa. It quickly weakened before making landfall on the morning of 11 January as a Category 1 system. TC Koji made landfall between Ayr and Bowen, bringing heavy rainfall and strong winds with gusts exceeding 80 km/h to the area between Bowen and Mackay. After crossing the coast, it weakened below tropical cyclone intensity while moving to the south-west and continuing to bring heavy rainfall to areas along its track. The highest daily rainfall total (at a Bureau gauge) in the 24 hours to 9 am on 12 January was 251.0 mm at Mt Jukes.  In the following days, ex-TC Koji slowly tracked westwards across inland Queensland, towards the Northern Territory. Four-day rainfall totals (ending 9 am on 16 January) exceeded 200 mm at some Queensland raingauges, including 375.5 mm at Mt Jukes, 294.8 mm at Belmont Agforce, 220.0 mm at Parkvale Station, and 218.0 mm at Surbiton Station. Heavy rainfall over already mostly saturated soils resulted in flooding in some river catchments. TC Koji was the seventh tropical cyclone in the Australian region for the 2025-26 season.

Wet and windy in parts of the south-east

Between 14 and 19 January, surface low pressure systems and troughs interacted with humid air resulting in broad areas of thunderstorms in south-eastern parts of the country.

On 15 January, a deepening low pressure system interacted with a moist east to south-easterly flow and brought severe storms with heavy rain to many locations in south-western Victoria, that resulted in flash flooding along the Surf Coast, inundating roads and campsites and washing some cars out to sea. In the 24 hours to 9 am on 16 January, Lorne (Mount Cowley) recorded a daily rainfall total of 186.2 mm, a composite annual record for the town, with observations starting in 1882. Flash flooding inundated coastal areas, including at Wye River and Separation Creek.

On 17 January, a low pressure trough combined with moist onshore flow and brought severe thunderstorms with intense rain to Hunter, Sydney Metro, Central Tablelands and Illawarra districts in New South Wales. In the 24 hours to 9 am on 18 January, many stations in these areas recorded their highest daily rainfall total for January, including 219.8 mm at Katoomba (142 years of data) and 259.0 mm at Wattamolla (32 years of data). Sydney (Observatory Hill) recorded 126.8 mm, the city's highest daily rainfall total for January since 1988. Heavy rainfall brought flash flooding to parts of the Sydney Metropolitan area, disrupting road and train transport on some routes.

Tropical low 14U

Tropical low 14U formed on 15 January in the Coral Sea to the north-west of New Caledonia. From 19 January it started to track to the south-east, and on 21 January passed close to the Norfolk Island bringing heavy rainfall and strong winds. Norfolk Island Aero recorded a daily rainfall total of 166.4 mm in the 24 hours to 9 am on 21 January, its second-highest daily rainfall total in January (137 years of rainfall data). The station recorded a wind gust of 78 km/h at 8.49 am local time on 21 January, and there were reports of downed trees and coastal landslides. The monthly total of 322.6 mm was the second-highest on record for January, behind only 339.5 mm in January 1959.

Tropical Cyclone Luana

Tropical low 16U developed on 22 January over the Indian Ocean to the north-west of Australia. It intensified as it moved south-eastwards, towards the Western Australia's Kimberley coast. Early on 24 January it reached a tropical cyclone intensity (Category 1) and was named Luana. Tropical Cyclone (TC) Luana continued to intensify, reaching its peak intensity as a Category 2 system, before making landfall near Beagle Bay on the northern Dampier Peninsula, north of Broome, in the afternoon of 24 January. As it crossed the coast, Tropical Cyclone Luana brought heavy rainfall and damaging winds to the northern Dampier Peninsula and to the areas around its track. Curtin Aero and Derby Aero recorded wind gusts of 106 km/h  and 98 km/h respectively. The highest daily rainfall total (at a Bureau gauge) in the 24 hours to 9 am on 25 January was 231.8 mm at Curtin Aero (34 years of data), its record highest daily rainfall total for any month. With 187.4 mm, Derby Main Roads (29 years of data) also had its record highest daily total for any month, while Udialla (97 years of data) had its record highest daily total for January observing 185.0 mm. Following landfall, TC Luana started to weaken and on the afternoon of 25 January was downgraded to a tropical low, while continuing southward through the interior of Western Australia.

TC Luana was the eighth cyclone of the 2025-26 Australian tropical cyclone season and the second cyclone to impact the Kimberley coast this season, less than a month after Severe TC Hayley. It is likely to have been the first system to pass by Derby at TC intensity since reliable track information began in 1970.

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.