Peter Hannam
@peterhannam1.bsky.social
Media manager at Australia’s Climate Change Authority. Former a senior journalist at the Guardian, Sydney Morning Herald/Age and Bloomberg. Every part of a degree of heating matters. (Also via 88phannam@gmail.com)
Pinned
A coolish December but Australia posted its fourth hottest year on record in 2025, according to mean temperatures. All of those four hot years have been since 2013. (Data all via the Bureau of Meteorology):
Very timely…plus I suppose we can add in a potential cyclone as a contributing event…
January 8, 2026 at 7:29 AM
Very timely…plus I suppose we can add in a potential cyclone as a contributing event…
Unusual to see Wilson’s Prom at almost 45C, and to be the hottest place in Victoria. (WA and SA have readings above 45C). Via BoM
January 7, 2026 at 2:56 AM
Unusual to see Wilson’s Prom at almost 45C, and to be the hottest place in Victoria. (WA and SA have readings above 45C). Via BoM
No wonder climate scientists get frustrated… here’s what the Howard government was told 20 years ago… and yet the advice went largely unheeded.
recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetri...
recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetri...
recordsearch.naa.gov.au
January 5, 2026 at 5:25 AM
No wonder climate scientists get frustrated… here’s what the Howard government was told 20 years ago… and yet the advice went largely unheeded.
recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetri...
recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetri...
Sub-editors still at the beach?
January 5, 2026 at 4:27 AM
Sub-editors still at the beach?
And BoM has now confirmed the above, and noted among other things that 2025 was WA’s second-hottest year for maximum temperatures. (Wonder if local media will notice):
reg.bom.gov.au/climate/curr...
reg.bom.gov.au/climate/curr...
January 4, 2026 at 10:47 PM
And BoM has now confirmed the above, and noted among other things that 2025 was WA’s second-hottest year for maximum temperatures. (Wonder if local media will notice):
reg.bom.gov.au/climate/curr...
reg.bom.gov.au/climate/curr...
And SSTs were at record high for the Coral Sea (important for events such as Cyclone Alfred), and for the southern region, which includes areas hit by the algal bloom (right chart):
January 4, 2026 at 10:44 PM
And SSTs were at record high for the Coral Sea (important for events such as Cyclone Alfred), and for the southern region, which includes areas hit by the algal bloom (right chart):
A couple of post-scripts.
Sea surface temperatures around Australia hit a new annual record in 2025:
Sea surface temperatures around Australia hit a new annual record in 2025:
January 4, 2026 at 10:42 PM
A couple of post-scripts.
Sea surface temperatures around Australia hit a new annual record in 2025:
Sea surface temperatures around Australia hit a new annual record in 2025:
And finally, here’s how December stacked up for rainfall… a relatively damp end to 2025 although notable for the record rains in the northeast and ongoing dry conditions in parts of the south:
January 1, 2026 at 6:12 AM
And finally, here’s how December stacked up for rainfall… a relatively damp end to 2025 although notable for the record rains in the northeast and ongoing dry conditions in parts of the south:
As for December itself, it was a relatively mild end to 2025. These charts are for mean temperatures but a similar tale was true for maximum and minimum temps too:
January 1, 2026 at 6:09 AM
As for December itself, it was a relatively mild end to 2025. These charts are for mean temperatures but a similar tale was true for maximum and minimum temps too:
Australia’s foodbowl is the Murray Darling Basin…and 2025 was a relatively dry year:
January 1, 2026 at 6:06 AM
Australia’s foodbowl is the Murray Darling Basin…and 2025 was a relatively dry year:
As for rainfall, 2025 was a slightly above-average year… but not for being relatively wet in parts of the north and east, and relatively dry across a large swathe of the south.
January 1, 2026 at 6:04 AM
As for rainfall, 2025 was a slightly above-average year… but not for being relatively wet in parts of the north and east, and relatively dry across a large swathe of the south.
And it was a similar tale for minimum temperatures in 2025 for Australia:
January 1, 2026 at 5:58 AM
And it was a similar tale for minimum temperatures in 2025 for Australia:
And here’s how Australia’s maximum temperatures lined up in 2025…not the absence of below-average locations (vs the 1961-90 yardstick):
January 1, 2026 at 5:56 AM
And here’s how Australia’s maximum temperatures lined up in 2025…not the absence of below-average locations (vs the 1961-90 yardstick):
A coolish December but Australia posted its fourth hottest year on record in 2025, according to mean temperatures. All of those four hot years have been since 2013. (Data all via the Bureau of Meteorology):
January 1, 2026 at 5:54 AM
A coolish December but Australia posted its fourth hottest year on record in 2025, according to mean temperatures. All of those four hot years have been since 2013. (Data all via the Bureau of Meteorology):
And sea-surface temperatures were also near record levels for spring:
(Via BoM)
(Via BoM)
December 7, 2025 at 7:20 AM
And sea-surface temperatures were also near record levels for spring:
(Via BoM)
(Via BoM)
To extend the data set, sea-surface temperatures around Australia remained close to record highs in November:
December 7, 2025 at 7:19 AM
To extend the data set, sea-surface temperatures around Australia remained close to record highs in November:
On water matters…
December 5, 2025 at 7:13 PM
On water matters…
Mean temperatures for spring…also relatively warm:
December 2, 2025 at 11:40 AM
Mean temperatures for spring…also relatively warm:
And here’s how rainfall is tracking for Australia so far this year. Still relatively dry for much of the southeast: (all charts via BoM):
December 2, 2025 at 11:38 AM
And here’s how rainfall is tracking for Australia so far this year. Still relatively dry for much of the southeast: (all charts via BoM):
And spring was also wetter than average for Australia:
December 2, 2025 at 11:35 AM
And spring was also wetter than average for Australia:
And here’s the rain picture… an above average November:
December 2, 2025 at 11:34 AM
And here’s the rain picture… an above average November:
A few other unfun facts…Australia have record warm sea-surface temperatures, both for November…
December 2, 2025 at 11:31 AM
A few other unfun facts…Australia have record warm sea-surface temperatures, both for November…
And spring was also well-above average for minimums:
December 2, 2025 at 11:27 AM
And spring was also well-above average for minimums:
And for spring, another much above average season for Australia, starting with maximum temperatures (with record warmth for Sydney):
December 2, 2025 at 11:26 AM
And for spring, another much above average season for Australia, starting with maximum temperatures (with record warmth for Sydney):
And also an above average November for mean temperatures (record warmth in the northeast):
December 2, 2025 at 11:24 AM
And also an above average November for mean temperatures (record warmth in the northeast):