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Cloud, rain, and storms about eastern WA and western SA with an advancing trough of low pressure. Patchy rain areas extending east across remaining SA, Vic, and Tas in cool S'ly winds behind a second trough. Showers and gusty storms over southwest WA with an approaching low.
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Today, 12:27AM UTC
October on track to beat hottest November on record for Sydney
Sydney’s days have been so hot this October that the city is currently on track to break the average maximum temperature record for November. Frequent westerly winds, a lack of cloud and rain, and repetitive bouts of hot air from inland NSW have caused Sydney’s daytime temperatures to run about 4 to 5°C above average so far this month. Based on current forecasts, which include highs of 33°C on Monday and 38°C on Wednesday this week, Sydney’s average maximum temperature for October could come in at just above 27.1°C. This would be roughly 5°C above average for this time of year. If this happens, it will not only beat the previous October record of 26.2°C from 1988, but it will also trump the November record of 27.0°C from 2019. No spring month has ever been this hot in Sydney’s meteorological history, which dates back to 1859. Image: Forecast air temperature and wind at 2pm AEDT on Wednesday, October 22, 2025, showing warm northwesterly winds flowing towards Sydney. Why is Sydney so hot and dry this month? In a typical October, Sydney would experience periods of warm and dry weather interspersed with bursts of mild and stormy weather. This month, however, the dry and hot days have been plentiful, while cooler and wetter days have been scarce. One of the main reasons for Sydney’s extremely warm weather this month has been the ongoing influence of a negative Southern Annular Mode (SAM) in the Southern Hemisphere. A negative SAM occurs when the belt of westerly winds that flows around Antarctica becomes displaced to the north. Because this westerly wind belt passes between Australia and Antarctica, a negative SAM during spring typically causes westerly winds to become more prominent over southern and eastern Australia. For eastern NSW, a negative SAM in spring promotes hot and dry westerlies. The SAM has been in a negative phase for most of September and October in response to a sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) event that occurred high above Antarctica over the past several weeks. Image: Geopotential height anomalies for the polar region south of 65°S over the past four months. The red shading on the top graph shows a period of sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) in September and October. The blue bar graph at the bottom shows that this SSW has been associated with a predominantly negative southern annular mode (SAM) this spring. Source: NOAA This month’s prolonged and strong negative SAM is likely a big reason for Sydney’s relentless run of warm and dry days. Climate change is also likely playing a part, with Sydney’s springtime maximum temperatures having increased by close to 0.7°C since 1910.
19 Oct 2025, 1:40AM UTC
Severe storm aftermath in eastern Australia
Thunderstorms developed on a southerly change and trough moving north across northeast NSW and into southeast Qld during Saturday afternoon and early evening. Image: Archive image of a thunderstorm and lightning over Brisbane City. iStock:Credit:EyeEm Mobile GmbH Image: Infrared satellite images with superimposed radar (green-yellow shading) and lightning strikes (blue-red boxes) for 2:45pm (left), 4:45pm (middle), and 6:45pm (right) EDST. Reports came flooding in on social media of hail, strong winds and intense rain as severe thunderstorms developed inland from the north NSW coast mid-afternoon and then proceeded across southeast Queensland later in the afternoon before finally weakening and contracting off the Wide Bay coast mid-evening. Images of golf ball sized hail were posted from Samford (Qld) along with video of small to medium sized hail covering property yards across southeast Queensland from places such as Bellmere, Narangba, Jimboomba, and Moggil to name a few. Very strong winds were also captured on video as a storm passed over Jimboomba. The path of individual thunderstorms can be seen from detected lightning strikes during Saturday afternoon. Image: Lightning strikes (red dots) captured by DTN's Global Lightning Network between 2pm and 5pm EDST. Black arrows show the path of stronger individual thunderstorm cells. Overall, the total lightning strike count from DTN's Global Lightning Network for this event was near to 272,000. The strongest observed wind gusts within storms were reported in Queensland. The more notable wind gusts were (times reported in AEST): Dalby (Qld) - 80km/h at 3:16pm Amberley (Qld) - 80km/h at 4:09pm Gayndah (Qld) - 70km/h at 5:30pm The higher rainfall totals during this event were observed across more elevated areas through inland southeast Queensland with many centres under the path of stronger thunderstorm cells experiencing totals ranging between 25-30mm. For the Brisbane Metro and Gold Coast regions, rainfall totals were generally less than 10mm. Image: 24-hour rainfall totals to 8:15am 19 October 2025. Source: Bureau of Meteorology Saturday was a wild ride for many residents over northeast NSW and southeast Queensland. Thankfully, the weather pattern across the broader region today is more settled as gentler E/SE winds bring milder temperatures and a couple of lighter showers developing in the afternoon about the coast and neighbouring inland regions.
17 Oct 2025, 11:06PM UTC
Brace yourself Southeast Queensland for severe thunderstorms this afternoon and evening.
Aside from an outbreak of severe thunderstorms across the Sunshine Coast and inland Hinterland, and the Moreton Bay area to the northeast of Brisbane on Sunday 12th October, the start of this month has seen very dry and stable weather conditions across southeast Queensland. This is about to change during this afternoon and evening. An outbreak of thunderstorms is forecast to develop across southeast Queensland with the potential for some severe storms developing about the NSW-Qld border and the Gold Coast around mid-afternoon and then tracking northwards and finally passing over the Sunshine Coast in the early evening. Temperatures during the afternoon are expected to climb into the low to mid 30’s further inland from the coast which will experience cooler temperatures with an E/NE seabreeze. Modest humidity levels coupled with the hot afternoon temperatures will generate some thunderstorms across the Darling Downs early to mid-afternoon as cumulonimbus towers become visible towards the west from the major population areas nearer to the coast. This thunderstorm activity is a lower threat for the major population centres nearer the coast. It will be towards the south where eyes will be watching later in the afternoon. A line of thunderstorms is expected to develop on a southerly wind change moving northwards along the NSW's coast and the inland ranges during the afternoon. Severe thunderstorms on the change are possible mid-afternoon across the northeast NSW ranges. As the southerly change enters southeast Queensland, it is expected to encounter a highly unstable airmass, primed by the build-up of heat and modest humidity levels during the afternoon. This boost in instability is likely to enhance one to two thunderstorms along the change, transforming them into potentially severe thunderstorms with accompanying large hail and damaging wind gusts. Be vigilant and alert to any updated warnings during the afternoon and evening For the latest information regarding severe weather warnings for southeast Queensland and northeast NSW, check the Weatherzone App.