The Bureau of Meteorology has released its official record of Australia's climate, water and notable weather events for 2024.
The Annual Climate Statement 2024 outlines the climate conditions across Australia in 2024. It includes information on temperature, rainfall, water resources, oceans, atmosphere and notable weather events.
The report confirms that 2024 was Australia's second-warmest and eighth-wettest year on record.
Climatology Specialist Nadine D’Argent said that it was warmer than average throughout the year across most of the country.
“Nationally, spring was the warmest on record, winter was the second warmest on record and summer 2023–24 was the third warmest on record,” Ms D’Argent said.
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“It was the wettest year since 2011, with overall rainfall 28% above average,” Ms D’Argent said.
“Tropical cyclones brought heavy rainfall to northern parts of Australia early in the year, where there was major flooding.”
“While much of northern Australia and some inland areas had above average rainfall, it was much drier than usual in Victoria, parts of South Australia and some parts of the west.”
These dry conditions and low inflows led to reduced water storage levels in some southern regions, including the Murray–Darling Basin. However, Australia's total surface water storage volume was just under 73% at the end of 2024, which was similar to the end of the previous year.
Ms D’Argent said Australia's climate is influenced by global patterns in the oceans and atmosphere.
“Sea surface temperatures in the Australian region, as well as globally, were the warmest on record in 2024,” Ms D’Argent said.
“Warmer oceans can increase the amount of moisture available for rainfall in our weather systems.”
Globally, 2024 was the warmest year on record and the warming in Australia is consistent with global trends.
Further information about the impact of long-term climate trends is available in the State of the Climate 2024 released by the Bureau and CSIRO in October 2024.
KEY CLIMATE FACTS
Last year was Australia's second-warmest year on record. Australia's warmest year on record was 2019.
The national annual average temperature was 1.46 °C warmer than the long-term average and the warmest since 2019.
Annual average temperatures were warmer than average for every state and the Northern Territory.
Both national average maximum and minimum temperatures for the year were above average. The national average minimum temperature for the year was 1.43 °C warmer than the long-term average, making it the warmest annual minimum on record.
Australia's overall average rainfall was 596 mm, which is 28% above average.
Rainfall across northern Australia was 42% above average, making it the fifth-wettest year on record.
Rainfall across parts of southern Australia was below average.
Annual sea surface temperatures for the Australian region were the warmest on record.
The extent of Antarctic sea-ice, which is the area of ocean covered by sea-ice, was below the 1991–2020 average throughout 2024.
