Australia in February 2026

In brief

• Australia's area-averaged February rainfall total was 66% above the 1961–1990 average, the fifth-highest on record since national observations started in 1900, and the highest for February since 2011.
• February rainfall was the second-highest on record for South Australia and the third-highest on record for the Northern Territory.
• February rainfall was average or above average across most of Australia except for Tasmania and north-eastern New South Wales.
• The national area-averaged mean temperature in February was 0.37 °C above the 1961–1990 average.
• Australia's area-averaged mean maximum temperature was 0.32 °C below the 1961–1990 average.
• Mean maximum temperatures were average or below average for most of the mainland, and above average for the south-east  and parts of the country's west and east.
• Australia's area-averaged mean minimum temperature was 1.06 °C above average, the ninth-warmest on record since national observations started in 1910.
• Mean minimum temperatures were above average across much of the mainland and below average in smaller areas scattered across the country.

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

Temperatures

Australia's area-averaged mean temperature in February was 0.37 °C above the 1961–1990 average.

Australia's area-averaged mean maximum temperature was 0.32 °C below average. Mean maximum temperatures were below to very much below average (in the lowest 10% of all Februarys since 1910) for:

• most of the Northern Territory and northern and western South Australia
• large parts of western Queensland
• much of northern and eastern Western Australia.

Mean maximum temperatures were above to very much above average for:

• most of eastern and southern New South Wales
• areas in the west of Western Australia
• parts of northern and south-eastern Queensland
• most of Victoria, Tasmania and south-eastern South Australia.

The national area-averaged mean minimum temperature was 1.06 °C above average, the ninth-warmest on record for February. Mean minimum temperatures were above to very much above average for:

• most of Queensland, New South Wales and South Australia
• large parts of the Northern Territory and western and northern Western Australia
• areas in Victoria's north.

Area-averaged mean minimum temperatures for New South Wales and South Australia were the warmest for February since 2001 and 2007 respectively.

Mean minimum temperatures were below average in small areas in Tasmania and south-eastern South 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 February rainfall total was 66% above the 1961–1990 average, the fifth-highest on record since national observations started in 1900, and the highest since 2011.

For South Australia, area-averaged rainfall was the second-highest on record since observations started and the highest since 2011. For the Northern Territory, area-averaged rainfall was the third-highest on record and the highest since 2000.

February rainfall was above to very much above average (in the highest 10% of all Februarys since 1900) for most of:

• the Northern Territory and South Australia
• eastern and southern Western Australia
• western and central Queensland
• western New South Wales
• northern and eastern Victoria.

Rainfall was the highest on record for:

• parts of the Simpson and Tanami districts in the Northern Territory 
• the North West and Channel Country districts in Queensland
• the North East Pastoral district in South Australia and Upper Western district in New South Wales.

Many stations in these areas had their record highest total rainfall for February.

Rainfall was below to very much below average for:

• much of estern Tasmania 
• parts of the south-west and west of Western Australia
• parts of north-eastern New South Wales and small areas in the south-east Queensland
• parts of coastal south-western Victoria.

Significant weather and records

Heavy rainfall in the Northern Territory

Tropical low 21U developed on 29 January over the south-west Gulf of Carpentaria coast. It moved slowly westward across the Northern Territory towards Western Australia's Kimberley district, bringing thunderstorms, showers and heavy rainfall. In the 24 hours to 9 am on 2 February, some stations in the Northern Territory recorded daily rainfall totals of more than 100 mm, with the highest total of 183.0 mm at Glinockie (39 years of data), its highest daily total for any month. A Major Flood Warning was issued for Daly River (Northern Territory), and the Daly River community was evacuated ahead of the expected flooding. Daly River peaked on 10 February at 14.1 m, surpassing the major flood level of 14.0 m.

Severe Tropical Cyclone Mitchell

On 6 February, tropical low 21U moved offshore of Western Australia's Kimberley coast and tracked south-westward, parallel to the coast. This brought strong winds and rainfall to the Kimberley, Pilbara and northern Gascoyne coastal areas. Moving over warm waters, tropical low 21U intensified to tropical cyclone strength late on 6 February and was named Tropical Cyclone (TC) Mitchell. TC Mitchell reached its peak intensity late on 7 February as a Category 3 (Severe) system. It continued to move parallel to the Pilbara coast passing close to Karratha and Onslow.  Later on 8 February it started to weaken and passed close to Exmouth as a category 2 system. Continuing in the southerly direction, Mitchell passed Carnarvon as a Category 1 system and was downgraded to a tropical low just prior to crossing the Gascoyne coast east of Shark Bay early on 10 February. Ex-TC Mitchell continued to move to the south-east through inland parts of Western Australia bringing widespread rainfall and thunderstorms before dissipating on 11 February.

The strongest wind gusts recorded during this event were 169 km/h at Legendre Island on 7 February and 148 km/h at Barrow Island Airport on 8 February. The highest daily rainfall totals were 109.0 mm at Sherlock in the 24 hours to 9 am on 8 February and 103.4 mm at Shark Bay Airport to 9 am on 10 February.

Severe TC Mitchell was the 9th tropical cyclone of the 2025–26 season in the Australian region, and the 5th system to make landfall on the Australian coastli

Cool temperatures in the south-east

A cold front crossed south-eastern Australia on 11 and 12 February bringing light to moderate rain, thunderstorms and a significant drop in temperatures. Daily maximum and minimum temperatures were 4 to 8 °C below the February average across most of Victoria and Tasmania and large parts of New South Wales. The lowest daily maximum temperature during this event was 4.5 °C  at Mount Baw Baw (Victoria) on 12 February, and the lowest minimum temperature was -2.4 °C at Dinner Plain (Mt Hotham Aerodrome) (Victoria) on 13 February. A light dusting of snow was observed in elevated areas of Tasmania, with some settled snow on kunanyi (Mount Wellington) and around Miena.

Heavy rainfall in Queensland

Between 12 and 17 February, thunderstorms impacted most of Queensland, due to a combination of surface troughs and a very moist atmosphere. Rain initially started to develop over far northern New South Wales, gradually moving into southern and inland Queensland, then into the state's north where a deepening low pressure trough helped in converging moisture and enhancing rainfall. Some stations had their record highest daily rainfall totals for February including Surbiton Station (139 years of data) which recorded 190.0 mm in the 24 hours to 9 am on 13 February. Six-day rainfall totals (ending 9 am on 18 February) were 100 and 200 mm over much of Queensland, with more than 200 mm recorded at some stations in the North Tropical Coast and Tablelands and Herbert and Lower Burdekin districts. The highest rainfall total during this period of 374.0 mm was recorded at Mount Jukes.

Intense rainfall was observed at many stations each day, including 104.0 mm in 1 hour in Taroom on 13 February and 93.6 mm in 2 hours at Palmerville on 16 February. Persistent heavy rainfall resulted in flash and riverine flooding and Major Flood Warnings were issued for Western River and Bulloo River. This resulted in road closures across much of western and central Queensland, isolating communities.

Exceptionally wet in central Australia

February was exceptionally wet actoss central Australia, with inland troughs and lows bringing rainfall throughout the month. Across much of the Lake Eyre Basin (the Drainage Division for the Lake Eyre / Kati Thanda), between 100 and 300 mm fell during the month. The average annual rainfall for the Lake Eyre Basin ranges from 100 mm in the south to just over 400 mm in the north and east.

The area-average rainfall for Lake Eyre Basin for February was 164.4 mm, over 3.5 times the monthly average. It was the third-highest total for any month (since 1900), equivalent to January 1984 and February 1976, but well below the record wet January 1974.

Between 5 and 13 February, showers, thunderstorms and widespread rainfall developed over broad areas of central Australia due to moisture from the north being advected by a series of inland troughs. Rainfall totals of more than 100 mm, and more than 200 mm locally, were recorded over large parts of the southern Northern Territory. Alice Springs Airport recorded 9 consecutive days with at least 1.0 mm of rainfall, the equal second-longest run of consecutive days for this station (the longest is 13 days In January 1974). Due to high rainfall totals, water started to run through some normally dry riverbeds. After heavy rainfall over the Alice Springs area on 12 February, when 75 mm to 100 mm were recorded in 3 hours at number of stations, Todd River nearly reached its Major flood level of 3.5 metres.

Between 21 and 27 February, a near-stationary low pressure trough and Tropical Low 26U located over eastern Northern Territory, transported moisture from the north bringing widespread heavy to locally intense rainfall to central Australia, before tracking slowly to the south-west. Rainfall totals of 100 to 200 mm, locally higher, were recorded over a broad area of central Australia. Flash and riverine flooding occured across large parts of Queensland, the Northern Territory, South Australia and western New South Wales, causing closure of hundreds of roads and isolating communities.

Some of notable daily rainfall totals include:

• 148.0 mm at Warramunga and 106.6 mm at The Garden (Northern Territory) in the 24 hours to 9am on 23 February
• 120.6 mm at Winnathee, (New South Wales) to 9am on 24 February
• 196.0 mm at Cluny and 93.2 mm at Birdsville Airport (Queensland) to 9 am on 26 February.

Many stations in central Australia had a record number of rain days (more than 0 mm) for February including:

• Tennant Creek Airport (Northern Territory) with 23 days
• Cloncurry Airport and Mount Isa Aero (Queensland) with 21 days
• Alice Springs Airport (Northern Territory) with 18 days
• Kalamurina (South Australia) with 15 days
• Tibooburra Airport (New South Wales) with 11 days. 

Widespread rainfall in south-eastern Australia

In late February, cold fronts that moved over south-eastern Australia linked with tropical moisture from inland troughs to bring widespread rain to the region.

The first of the cold fronts crossed on 22 Februar, bringing the first significant rainfall for the year to the south-east. Daily rainfall totals between 10 and 50 mm were recorded in most of South Australia, Victoria, Tasmania, southern and western New South Wales and south-western Queensland. Daily totals 50 to 100 mm, and locally higher, were recorded in parts of the central-eastern South Australia, north-eastern Victoria and south-eastern New South Wales. The highest totals recorded in each state in the 24 hours to 9 am on 23 February were:

• 66.4 mm in Blinman (South Australia)
• 117.8 mm at Mitta Mitta River (Victoria)
• 111.6 mm at Thredbo AWS (New South Wales).

Heavy rainfall in the area of Port Augusta in South Australia resulted in the temporary closure of the East West rail line as sections of track (north-west of Port Augusta) were washed away, as well as road closures in the state's north. 

A second cold front and the associated low pressure trough moved over south-eastern Australia on 24 February, transporting more tropical moisture to the region. Showers and thunderstorms, some severe, impacted parts of eastern South Australia and much of Victoria including Greater Melbourne. Daily rainfall totals ranged generally between 10 and 30 mm, with totals above 30 mm observed in the north-east of both states. Severe thunderstorms brought heavy rainfall including 43.9 mm in one hour near Gisborne and 22 mm in 30 minutes at Melbourne Airport (Victoria). Flash flooding was observed across large areas in northern and eastern suburbs of Greater Melbourne. On 25 February, showers and thunderstorms impacted eastern Victoria and southern New South Wales as the cold front moved offshore.

On 27 February, a low pressure trough over central Australia moved south-west over South Australia bringing showers, thunderstorms and areas of rain to much of the state's south and to western Victoria. In the 24 hours to 9 am on 28 February, a number of stations observed their record highest daily rainfall totals for February or for any month. In South Australia these included: 

• 121.0 mm at Wirrulla (104 years of data)
• 103.0 mm at Minnipa PIRSA (31 years of data)
• 69.4 mm at Kyancutta (97 years of data).

In Victoria, Horsham Airport had a February daily record of 96.4 mm to 9 am on 28 February (30 years of data). This included 35.4 mm in 10 minutes (7.00 pm to 7.10 pm on the 27th), an Annual Exceedance Probablilty (AEP) of much less than 1%, and likely one of the most intense rain events ever recorded in the state.

The rain from the low pressure trough and cold front continued over the sout-east on 28 February and into the start of March. Rainfall from this period will be included in the March monthly climate statistics.

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.