Preliminary summary of Australia's climate in 2024

02/01/2025

The Bureau of Meteorology has published the preliminary summary of Australia's 2024 climate information.

This follows the publication of the raw data for the full 2024 calendar year on the Bureau’s website here and here.

The full Annual Climate Statement for 2024 will be released in early February 2025.

The Annual Climate Statement for 2024 is the official record of climate conditions across Australia in 2024. It includes information on temperature, rainfall, water resources, oceans, atmosphere and significant weather events.

2024 was Australia's second-warmest year since national records began in 1910, with the national mean temperature 1.46 °C warmer than the 1961–1990 average.

The national mean maximum temperature was 1.48 °C above average, the fourth-warmest since national records began in 1910. The national mean minimum temperature was 1.43 °C above average, and the warmest since national records began in 1910.

Warmth was persistent throughout the year. Nationally, summer 2023–24 was the third-warmest on record, winter was the second-warmest on record and spring was the warmest on record.

Low-intensity to severe heatwave conditions affected large parts of Australia during early 2024 and from September to December.

Nationally-averaged rainfall in 2024 was 28% above the 1961–1990 average at 594.0 mm, making it the eighth-wettest year since national records began in 1900.

Rainfall was above average for the Northern Territory, northern and inland areas of Western Australia, large parts of Queensland, northern and inland areas of New South Wales and western and north-eastern parts of South Australia.

Rainfall across northern Australia as a whole (north of 26° S) was 42% above the 1961–1990 average, making it the fifth-wettest year since national records began in 1900 and the wettest since 2011.

Rainfall was below average for parts of north-west and south-west Western Australia, southern areas of South Australia, most of Victoria, western and southern areas of Tasmania, south-eastern New South Wales and parts of Queensland's central interior and central coast.

Surface water storage levels declined across southern parts of the country, including in the Murray–Darling Basin, due to dry conditions and low inflows. However, Australia's total surface water storage remained high at the end of the year, at 72.9% of accessible capacity.

State of the Climate 2024 found that Australia’s climate has warmed by an average of 1.51 ± 0.23 °C since national records began in 1910.

The warming in Australia is consistent with global trends, with the degree of warming similar to the overall average across the world’s land areas.

Stay up to date with the latest climate information as it happens, with our weekly, monthly and seasonal climate long-range forecasts, on our website: Long-range weather, climate and hydrology

[ENDS]