Australian Weather

10 Jan 2026, 10:08PM UTC

Tropical Cyclone Koji (category 1) is approaching the north Queensland coastline on Sunday morning and is forecast to cross the coast between Ayr and Bowen later this morning. At 4am (AEST) on Sunday, January 11, Koji was a category 1 tropical cyclone, with sustained winds near the centre around 85km/h and peak gusts around 120km/h. The system was located approximately 120km east-northeast of Townsville and 120km north-northwest of Bowen, tracking south at around 18km/h.  Forecast guidance indicates the strongest winds will occur near and south of the centre as Koji approaches the coast, with the Whitsunday Islands particularly exposed to damaging gusts prior to landfall. Coastal warnings in place  A tropical cyclone warning remains current from Ayr to Mackay, including Bowen, Proserpine and the Whitsunday Islands. The watch zone has been cleared, while the warning for Townsville has been cancelled as Koji continues to track away from the city.  Although Koji is expected to weaken quickly after crossing the coast, its impacts will extend well beyond the immediate coastal zone.  Heavy rainfall and flooding risk  Rainfall is expected to become the dominant hazard as Koji moves inland. Heavy to locally intense rainfall is forecast between Ingham and Proserpine, extending south to Mackay later today.  With river catchments already saturated from recent rainfall, further rain will lead to rapid rises in creeks and rivers, increasing the risk of both flash and riverine flooding across several basins. Flood Watches and Flood Warnings remain current, along with a Severe Weather Warning for parts of the northeast and central Queensland coastline.  Tides are forecast to remain elevated between Cardwell and Mackay, although they are not expected to exceed the highest astronomical tide levels. Image: Cloud and rain associated with Tropical Cyuclone Koji on the morning of Sunday, January 11, 2026. Wind impacts near the coast  Damaging winds with gusts up to 120km/h have already buffeted parts of the Whitsunday Islands. Gusts approaching 100km/h may briefly extend into coastal and nearby inland areas between Ayr and Mackay as Koji nears the coast. Winds are expected to ease steadily once the cyclone moves inland and weakens during Sunday.  After landfall  After crossing the coast, Koji is forecast to weaken into a tropical low while continuing westward across northern Queensland. Despite losing cyclone strength, the system will remain capable of producing heavy rainfall and localised flooding for the next 24 to 48 hours.  First Coral Sea cyclone in an active Australian season  Koji is the seventh tropical cyclone to form within Australia’s area of responsibility so far in the 2025–26 season, highlighting an unusually active start to the cyclone season.  Earlier systems including Fina, Bakung, Grant, Hayley, Iggy and Jenna, formed over, or moved into, Australia’s western region. Koji now represents the first Coral Sea tropical cyclone this season to directly impact the Queensland coastline.  Staying informed  As Koji crosses the coast, residents are urged to monitor the latest warnings, forecasts and advice from local emergency authorities. Avoid unnecessary travel during periods of heavy rainfall and never attempt to drive through floodwaters. Secure loose items around your property and follow directions from emergency services to reduce the risk of injury or damage as impacts continue.

10 Jan 2026, 6:56AM UTC

Sydney’s maximum temperature peaked at 42.2°C this Saturday, January 10, making it the second time in the summer of 2025/26 that the harbour city has reached exactly that mark (the other day was December 19). The Saturday scorcher made it the first time since 2013 that two days in the same Sydney summer have exceeded 42°C at the city's official weather station at Observatory Hill, near the southern pylon of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Many Sydneysiders still remember that 2013 summer, as the mercury at Observatory Hill peaked at 45.8°C on January 13, which remains the site’s hottest day on record. For those who love their heat stats, the hottest temperature ever recorded in any Sydney suburb (and indeed in any suburb of any Australian capital city) was a remarkable 48.9°C at Penrith, in far western Sydney at the foot of the Blue Mountains, on January 4, 2020. Image: The heat spread across from far northwestern NSW, where Saturday's highest temperatures were only a degree or so above most Sydney weather stations. Sizzling across the Sydney basin Temperatures were hot over the entire Sydney basin, as northwesterly winds pushed hot air from the continent’s interior right across the city, negating the sea breeze which often moderates temperatures near the coast. Some of the noteworthy temperatures to 5pm Saturday included: Holsworthy (Defence) in southwest Sydney registered the city’s highest temperature, with 43.5°C. Badgerys Creek (site of the new international airport) reached 42.8, while Sydney Airport, 45km east and on the shores of Botany Bay, reached almost the same temperature, with 42.7°C. Penrith endured its third straight day of 42°C or higher, with a maximum to 5pm of 42.5°C after a high of 42.5°C on Friday and 42.1°C on Thursday. Southerly to cool things down, several days of showers to follow Just as Melbourne copped extreme heat on Friday before cooler air arrived in the evening, Sydney can expect one of its trademark southerlies on Saturday evening. While easterly sea breezes cooled some coastal suburbs down from about 4:30pm onwards – with the city cooling by almost 10 degrees in an hour – the airmass from the south won’t make its way northwards to cool the whole city down until around 9pm. By Sunday evening, showers should arrive and they should stick around well into the working week. Maximum temperatures in Sydney most days will be much closer to the January average of 26°C.