Australia's climate in 2022: wetter and warmer than average overall

08/02/2023

The Bureau of Meteorology has released its official record of Australia's climate and notable weather events for 2022.The Annual Climate Statement for 2022 includes a full analysis and description of last year's rainfall, temperature, water resources, climate influences and more.

The report shows 2022 was a warm and wet year for most of Australia.

Australia's national mean temperature was 0.50°C warmer than the 1961–1990 average, making 2022 the 22nd-warmest year on record (equal with 2006) since national temperature records began in 1910.

Annual maximum temperatures were above average for most of northern Australia, Tasmania and parts of the west coast but below average for New South Wales, southern Queensland and parts of South Australia.

Annual minimum temperatures were above or very much above average for most of Australia.

National rainfall was 26% above the 1961–1990 annual average making 2022 the ninth-wettest year on record since 1900.

Rainfall was very much above average for the south-eastern quarter of the mainland, where persistent rain saw significant flooding affecting large areas, multiple times during the year.

Spring in 2022 was the second-wettest on record for Australia, and the wettest on record for the Murray–Darling Basin, for New South Wales and for Victoria.

Rainfall was below average for western Tasmania, much of the north of the Northern Territory, and the far south-west of Western Australia.

Water storage levels have been high across much of Australia during 2022, although some storages were still low for parts of central coast Queensland, western Tasmania, south-east New South Wales and western Victoria.

The high rainfall experienced across much of eastern Australia was consistent with a wet phase of natural climate variability for our region – namely a La Niña, a negative Indian Ocean Dipole in winter and spring, and a persistently positive phase of the Southern Annular Mode from mid-autumn.

The 2022–23 La Niña has been the third in a row. It is only the fourth time 3 La Niña events in a row have been observed in the Bureau record since 1900 (others were 1954–57, 1973–76 and 1998–2001).

The Bureau’s official annual record of climate can be used by governments, businesses and communities to better understand the weather events that impacted them over the calendar year. More information is available in the Annual Climate Statement 2022 on the Bureau's website.

Further information about the impact of long-term climate trends is available in the State of the Climate 2022 released by the Bureau and CSIRO in November 2022.

State and territory information

New South Wales and the ACT

• NSW overall had 863.6 mm rainfall in 2022, as an area average across the state, which is 55% above the 1961–1990 average for New South Wales.
• It was the second wettest year on record for NSW after 1950, where there was 916.5 mm rainfall.
• The average temperature was 0.13°C warmer than the 1961–1990 average, while also being the coolest year for NSW overall since 1996.
• 2022 was Sydney's wettest year on record (since 1858) with 2,530 mm rainfall, 121% above average. The previous record was 2,110.5 mm in 1860.
• Canberra had its seventh wettest year on record (since 1939) with 892.4 mm rainfall, 43% above average.
• More information on NSW in 2022More information on the ACT in 2022 More information on Sydney in 2022

Victoria

• Victoria overall had 873.1 mm rainfall in 2022, as an area average across the state, which is 32% above average.
• It was the fifth-wettest year on record and the state's highest rainfall since 1974.
• The average temperature was 0.45°C warmer than the 1961–1990 average for Victoria.
• Melbourne had 699.4 mm rainfall in 2022.More information on Victoria in 2022 More information on Melbourne in 2022

Queensland

• Queensland overall had 778.1 mm rainfall in 2022, as an area average across the state, which is 25% above average and the state's highest rainfall since 2011.
• The average temperature was 0.73°C warmer than the 1961–1990 average for Queensland, while also being the coolest year for Qld overall since 2012.
• Brisbane had its fifth-wettest year on record since 1840, with 2,037 mm rainfall, 91% above average and the wettest year since 1974.
• More information on Queensland in 2022More information on Brisbane in 2022

South Australia

• South Australia overall had 310.8 mm rainfall in 2022, as an area average across the state, which is 39% above the 1961-1990 average and the state's highest rainfall since 2016.
• The average temperature was 0.15°C warmer than the 1961–1990 average for South Australia, while also being the state's coolest year overall since 2010.
• Adelaide had 612.4 mm rainfall in 2022, 13% above average.
• More information on South Australia in 2022More information on Adelaide in 2022

Tasmania

• Tasmania overall had 1,321.6 mm rainfall in 2022, as an area average across the state, which is 3% below average.
• 2022 was Tasmania's equal-tenth warmest year on record (equal with 2005).
• The average temperature was 0.57°C warmer than the 1961–1990 average for Tasmania.
• Hobart had 700 mm rainfall in 2022, 14% above average.
• More information on Tasmania in 2022

Western Australia

• Western Australia overall had 417.1 mm of rainfall in 2022, as an area average across the state, which is 22% above average and the state's highest rainfall since 2017.
• The average temperature was 0.50°C warmer than the 1961–1990 average for Western Australia.
• Perth had 701.6 mm rainfall in 2022, which is 5% below average.
• More information on WA in 2022More information on Perth in 2022

Northern Territory

• The Northern Territory overall had 613.2 mm of rainfall in 2022, as an area average across the Territory, which is 12% above average.
• The average temperature was 0.69°C warmer than the 1961–1990 average for the Territory.
• Darwin had 1,972.2 mm rainfall in 2022, which is 8% above average and the wettest since 2017.

More information on the NT in 2022

Ends