Australia’s 2024 spring season was the hottest since records began in 1910.
Data from the Bureau of Meterology (BoM) shows spring was 2.08°C warmer than average.
It was also one of the wettest known springs, with 28% more rainfall than average.
Measurement
Standardised weather data observations across Australia began in 1910.
Following international standards, the BoM also compares present-day temperatures against a “baseline” of data from 1961-1990.
Recent decades have recorded warmer temperatures than the baseline level.
Hottest spring
The average temperature across September to November was 2.08°C higher than the 1961-1990 baseline. This is the warmest spring in Australia on record.
Northern and some southern parts of the country experienced maximum daily temperatures in the high 30s and low 40s.
The BoM said: “There were extended periods with low to severe intensity heatwaves across much of Australia in both October and November.”
Averages
Rainfall
Overall, spring rainfall was 28% higher than average. Western Australia, South Australia, and the Northern Territory recorded higher levels of rainfall than a regular spring.
Some parts of the country were particularly dry, however. NSW, Victoria, and Queensland had lower rainfall averages for September-November than usual.
The Murray-Darling Basin, a large system of rivers and lakes in southeast Australia, recorded 5% lower rainfall than the baseline average.
