We’re already one month in to 2025, and it’s flown by. Let’s have a look at the weather that started off the year.
January Weather Review
January was a hot month, most areas of Australia experienced higher than average mean temperatures, with southern Western Australia experiencing record breaking heat. All mainland regions, excluding the southeast coast, experienced mean maximum temperatures of 30°C or higher, with the hottest recorded temperature of 49.3°C in Geraldton, Western Australia. Notably, several heat waves rolled through the country this January. Heat waves occur when unusually hot weather conditions for the local area persist over three days or more, typically with increased overnight minimum temperatures, contributing to quicker warming the next day.
Far western and far eastern Australia received average to slightly above average rainfall for the month, whereas central Australian regions experienced below-average rainfall. A lack of rain over the interior creates an area of heat, contributing to increased temperatures at the coasts when the wind blows from the interior (like southern and southeastern Australia is experiencing now).
Far eastern Australian rainfall was fed through low-pressure systems, troughs, and cold fronts, bringing several notable thunderstorms to the region. Above average rainfall in Western Australia was fed by Tropical Cyclone Sean, which formed north of the Pilbara Coast and brought severe storms and winds to the northern coast in late January.
Photo credit: Jane Everett, West Gippsland
As southern Australia entered its fire season, we saw multiple notable bushfires including the Grampians bushfire in western Victoria and fires across southern Western Australia near the Esperance region. These fires come at a time when fuel load is high after springtime and dries quickly with dry hot air temperatures, sparked by lightning activity from storms.
February Weather Outlook
February is likely to be wetter and hotter than average conditions across much of the country. Rainfall across the north and much of the south has a 60 to 80% chance of being above average, with most other parts of the continent expected to see typical rainfall - but there is an area of slightly below average colouring centred over southeast Queensland and northeast New South Wales. Minimum temperatures are highly likely to exceed average minimums, and southern parts of the country are most likely to see above average maximum temperatures. Notably, the Madden Julian Oscillation is projected to continue to be in the Australian region throughout February, enhancing our tropical activity. The prolonged flooding rain in northern Queensland is being driven by this.
We expect heatwave, storm, and bushfire conditions to continue in February, however, weather conditions are highly localised. To stay prepared in February, ensure you have set up alerts and notifications on your Jane’s Weather app relevant to your industry to get push notifications for best preparedness. Continue to read Jane’s weekly updates for more accurate forecasts, and reach out to one of our weather consultants if you have any questions or additional needs.
