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A cold front is bringing strong winds, showers & small hail across SA, Tas, Vic & NSW. Showers are falling as snow in the Alps. A high is clearing showers from WA's far south while keeping elsewhere largely dry. Just the odd shower for Qld's tropical north coast in onshore winds.
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Today, 2:06AM UTC
What is the best whale watching weather for NSW and Queensland?
Between June and November, humpback whales migrate up and down the Australian East Coast, but what are the best weather conditions to spot these giant animals? Whale migration season from June to November The migration season varies from year to year based on predator and prey abundance, sea ice, water temperatures and locations of feeding and breeding grounds. Image: Humpback whale breaching off the southeast Queensland coast. Source: iStock / mevans During the Southern Hemisphere summer, humpbacks are found near Antarctica feeding on krill. Each year, around 40-50,000 of these giants of the ocean complete a 4,000-5,000 kilometre journey north along the Australian East Coast from June to August, to their warm sub-tropical breeding ground waters. They then migrate back down south to the feeding grounds from September to November. Proximity to the coast, for easy viewing from land, will usually depend on weather, ocean currents and temperatures, and abundance of prey and/or predators. Typically, young boisterous males lead the migration, while pregnant females/cows (northbound) and mother-infant/cow-calf pairs (southbound) close up the rear. Image: A warm core ocean eddy sitting off the Sydney coast during much of June and July 2026 has likely meant whales have tracked north further offshore. Source: OceanCurrent/IMOS The best whale watching weather The best weather for spotting whales will include: Bright, clear and sunny skies Calm seas Gentle winds (preferably westerly in direction and under 15 knots) Bright, clear and sunny skies from around mid-morning (10-11:00am) to mid-afternoon (2-3:00pm) provide the highest visibility and least glare on the ocean surface. Calm seas with small swell and gentle winds under about 15 knots keep the surface of the ocean clean, increasing the chances of spotting breaches, tail slaps and spouts from whales without confusing them for waves or whitecaps. These conditions are also excellent for jumping on a whale watching cruise, minimising the risk of seasickness. Westerly winds also minimise ocean chop near the coast, while bringing clear, dry air from the land, improving the visibility. Westerly winds can also lead to upwelling of nutrients, drawing whales closer to the coast. Video: Crisp clear skies and offshore winds move off the NSW and southeast Queensland coast following passage of a cold front on Sunday, July 12, 2026. Source: Weatherzone Some of the best periods for whale watching can come after the passage of cold fronts over southern Australia. These weather systems bring dry westerly winds that increase visibility and flatten the ocean – increasing the chances of seeing whales once winds die down! The best whale watching spots By mid-July, much of the whale migration is well underway, making it the perfect NSW and Queensland school holiday activity to go stand on a headland and keep a watchful eye for any breaches offshore. Hervey Bay is one of the best places to see humpbacks. The warm, calm and protected waters nestled behind K'Gari (Fraser Island) are the perfect place for mothers and newborn whales to rest and play, and for humans to hop aboard cruises and even swim with whales. Humpbacks are often found in Hervey Bay between August and October. Image: Satellite imagery on Saturday, July 11, 2026 showing clear skies across the Hervey Bay area, perfect for viewing whales. Source: Weatherzone More properly on the "humpback highway" K'Gari, Moreton and Stradbroke islands, along with Noosa Heads and the Gold Coast jut out into the Pacific Ocean enough to make for fantastic land-based whale watching. Image: Marine conditions and forecast for the Gold Coast and Southeast Qld Coast on Sunday, July 12, 2026, as seen on the Weatherzone App. South of the border, notable locations along the NSW coastline include: Byron Bay Lighthouse Muttonbird Island (Coffs Coast) Tacking Point Lighthouse (Port Macquarie) Cape Hawke Lookout (Forster) Sugarloaf Point Lighthouse (Seal Rocks) Broulee Island (South Coast) Eden (Saphire Coast) In Sydney, Cape Solander is considered the best coastal viewpoint for whale watching. North Head, Long Reef Headland and Barrenjoey Lighthouse are also great spots to watch the migrating giants from land. Image: A breaching humpback whale just outside Sydney Harbour's heads. Source: iStock / PomInOz Whether catching a cruise offshore to see whales up close or hiking up a headland with a pair of binoculars, be sure to check weather conditions beforehand on the Weatherzone App so you make sure you have a "whale" of a time.
11 Jul 2026, 2:32AM UTC
Typhoon Bavi to pass by Taiwan, bear down on China
Typhoon Bavi is nearing major population centres this weekend, having travelled across the Western Pacific in the last week. Crossing Japan’s Sakishima Islands east of Taiwan on Saturday morning, Bavi will then pass to the north of Taiwan, before making landfall along China’s east coast by late Saturday night. According to the Japan Meteorological Association (JMA), Bavi is currently generating winds of approximately 140km/h, gusting to about 200km/h as it crosses the southern Okinawa Islands. The JMA has ongoing warnings in place with these winds expected to continue into Saturday afternoon. In addition, it is forecasting waves as high as 12m near the islands as Bavi passes through. Gif: Water vapour imagery of Typhoon Bavi as it approaches and crosses the Sakishima Islands on Saturday morning. Source: Weatherzone. Weather stations across the region have so far recorded wind speeds of 95km/h and gusts as high as 150km/h during Saturday morning. Meanwhile, 24 hour rainfall totals to Saturday morning have exceeded 150mm across the region with further rainfall expected as rainbands move across the islands behind the eye of Bavi. The highest rainfall totals of this system so far have been observed across northern parts of Taiwan. In some areas, rainfall totals have reached 250-300mm since midnight local time (as of 10:30am), including 6 hourly totals exceeding 150mm and hourly rainfall totals approaching 60mm. Image: Areas of Taiwan covered by a Typhoon Warning on Saturday morning. Source: Central Weather Administration https://www.cwa.gov.tw/V8/E/P/Typhoon/TY_WARN.html Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration is maintaining a Typhoon Warning that covers most of the island. In addition, a warning for extremely torrential rain (exceeding 500mm/24h) is in place for mountainous areas. Rainfall could also exceed 300mm/24h for northern parts of the island, leading to widespread flooding as well as a risk of landslides through the mountainous terrain. In the coming hours and days, the JMA is expecting Bavi to approach, then make landfall along China’s east coast, and is expected to be already weakening by this point. The most likely site of landfall looks to be in the vicinity of Wenzhou, about 350km south of Shanghai. Following landfall, model guidance is indicating that Bavi will continue to weaken while making its way north through eastern China, inland from Shanghai, then veer northeast towards the Korean Peninsula early next week. Image: Forecast accumulated rainfall in the week to Friday, July 17, 2026. Source: Weatherzone. While impacts over the mainland are not expected to be as severe as for the islands, rainfall is still expected to reach 200-400mm in widespread areas in the coming days. Damaging to possibly destructive winds as well as a storm surge are also likely along coastal areas near where Bavi makes landfall.
10 Jul 2026, 3:27AM UTC
Positive Indian Ocean Dipole possible in 2026 – what this means for Australia
A positive Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) could develop in the coming months, increasing the likelihood of warm and dry weather over large areas of Australia in late winter and spring. While a lot of attention has been paid to the strengthening El Niño in the Pacific Ocean in recent weeks, there has been less focus on the Indian Ocean. This may soon change, with forecast models predicting a positive IOD emerging in the months ahead. What is a positive Indian Ocean Dipole? The IOD is a climate phenomenon relating to the difference in sea surface temperatures across the tropical Indian Ocean. Scientists measure the IOD by comparing sea surface temperatures in two defined regions: the western tropical Indian Ocean (IOD West) and the eastern tropical Indian Ocean (IOD East). A positive IOD occurs when water on the eastern side of the tropical Indian Ocean, near Indonesia, is cooler than the water on the western side of the Indian Ocean, near the Horn of Africa. When a positive IOD is underway, we typically see less moisture-laden air flowing across the tropical Indian Ocean towards and over Australia. This can increase maximum temperatures and reduce rainfall across large areas of the country. Image: Observed winter-spring rainfall deciles from 11 positive IOD events combined. The red shading shows where rainfall was below average. Source: Bureau of Meteorology. IOD events typically begin in winter, reach a peak strength in spring and decay rapidly in early summer when the monsoon develops in the Australian region. Signs of a positive IOD ahead At the start of July 2026, the IOD was in a neutral phase, meaning neither a positive nor negative phase was occurring. This means sea surface temperature anomalies in the eastern and western tropical Indian Ocean are roughly equal, as seen in the image below. Image: Daily sea surface temperature anomalies in the Indian Ocean on July 8, 2026. Anomalies are roughly equal in the IOD West and IOD East regions, meaning the IOD is in a neutral phase. Source: NOAA. In the months ahead, forecast models predict that sea surface temperature anomalies in the western tropical Indian Ocean will become comparably higher than the anomalies in the eastern tropical Indian Ocean. If this happens, it will set up a positive IOD pattern in late winter or spring. Image: Predicted monthly sea surface temperature anomalies in November 2026, according to the ECMWF SEAS5 model, showing a positive IOD pattern. Source: Weatherzone. It is important to point out that forecast models currently have a wide range of uncertainty about the strength and timing of the IOD in the coming months. What would a positive IOD mean for Australia's weather? If a positive IOD does develop this year, it will increase the likelihood of unusually dry and warm weather over much of Australia in late winter and spring. It’s important to note that the IOD does not act in isolation, and other factors may enhance or counteract the influence of the IOD in the months ahead. For example, the IOD’s dry and warm influence will be compounded by the presence of El Niño in the Pacific Ocean. The phases of the Southern Annular Mode (SAM), which affect wind and pressure patterns across southern Australia, will also modulate the impact of the IOD in the months ahead. Some, but not all, seasonal forecast models are already predicting below average rain and above average maximum temperatures across much of Australia by the middle of spring. Image: Chance of above average rainfall across Australia in October 2026, according to the ECMWF SEAS5 model. Source: Weatherzone. Image: Chance of above average maximum temperatures across Australia in October 2026, according to the ECMWF SEAS5 model. Source: Weatherzone. It will be important to keep checking the latest seasonal rainfall and temperature predictions in the months ahead to see how the evolving IOD is having an impact on the forecasts.