The Bureau of Meteorology’s (BoM) latest long-range forecast is for warmer days and nights across most of southern and eastern Australia from January to March. BoM is forecasting wetter than average conditions for large parts of eastern, western and northern Australia.     

 Soils are wetter than average for most of Australia, except some areas along the south and east coast where soil moisture is average to below average. For December to February, BoM forecasts low to near-median streamflows for most sites.

From January to March, ocean temperatures around Australia are forecast to be warmer than average—particularly to the north-west and south-east of the country. However, the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is likely to remain neutral.

Meanwhile, the BoM  released its preliminary annual climate statement for 2024, revealing the year was the second warmest and eight wettest on record.

National mean temperatures sat 1.48°C above average with minimum temps +1.43°C, the warmest recorded since 1910. Nationally rainfall was 28% above the 1961—1990 average with above average rainfall in northern and inland areas of NSW and western and northeastern parts of SA. Meanwhile, rainfall was below average for southern areas of SA, most of Victoria, western and southern areas of Tasmania and southeastern New South Wales.