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A cold front is sending wintry winds across southeastern Australia, & showers into Tas, southern Vic & coastal NSW. Patchy rain & storms are occurring in WA's inland in a developing trough. Winds are turning warmer easterly in WA's west, & showery onshore on Qld's north coast.
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Today, 5:24AM UTC
Extreme fire danger after Darwin's hottest day of the year
A fire weather warning for extreme fire danger in the Darwin and Adelaide River district of the Northern Territory is in effect this Wednesday, as numerous fires burn in the immediate vicinity of the NT capital. The NT government has two main categories for non-structural fires in the outdoors – bushfires, and grass and scrub fires – and both types of fires were burning this Wednesday. Image: Bushfire smoke can be seen near Katherine and southeast of Darwin at 2 pm (ACST) on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, Source: Weatherzone. Let's take a look at the short-term and long-term weather conditions in Darwin which have fuelled today's extreme fire danger near the city. Seasonal factors: dry season was even drier than usual While minimal rainfall is expected during the middle of the year in Darwin, the city has still received less than usual to date in the 2026 dry season. As of this Wednesday, September 16, Darwin has received just 7 mm of rainfall since the commencement of the official dry season on May 1. May typically sees 20.0 mm of rainfall on average, but Darwin received just 2.2 mm. Rainfall in what southerners call the "winter" months of June, July and August is almost negligible in Darwin. But it's still worth mentioning that both July and August were bone dry in Darwin this year. So far in September, just 1.8 mm of rainfall has been recorded. The long-term monthly average is 16.8 mm. Darwin’s average monthly maximums and minimums were both around one degree above average during each of June, July and August. The above differences from the average are relatively marginal (especially the rainfall deficiencies, given you are starting from such a low base). But these factors have nonetheless dried out the Top End landscape a little more than usual. This week's weather: southeasterly winds bring heat to the Top End Darwin hit 36°C on Sunday, its hottest day of the year to date, while this Wednesday marks the seventh straight day that Darwin's maximum has exceeded September's average high of 32.7°C by at least a degree. Interestingly, the same weather system which has pushed chilly winds to the southeast corner of the country is largely responsible for Wednesday's extreme Top End fire danger. Image: Synoptic chart for September 16, 2026. Source: Weatherzone. In the wake of a cold front that passed over the southeast corner of the country, air circulating anti-clockwise around the high pressure system continues to funnel chilly air with polar origins onto Tasmania and the southeastern mainland. But as the air moves inland and continues to circulate around the high, it gains warmth from the interior of the continent and is very warm by the time it reaches the Top End. Southeasterly winds are also gusty in the Top End this Wednesday, with gusts exceeding 50 km/h recorded in most NT forecast districts. It all adds up to the classic recipe for Top End fire danger, and with more hot weather and no significant rain on the horizon for the next week, it's likely that further fire danger warnings will be issued. You can monitor the location and status of fires on the NT Fire Incident Map.
Today, 12:27AM UTC
Six-metre waves and cold southerly winds sweep up Australia's east coast
Maximum wave heights nearing six metres were recorded near Sydney on Wednesday morning as cold and blustery southerly winds caused a sharp temperature drop along Australia’s east coast. The satellite images below show a large field of speckled cloud spreading over the Tasman Sea on Wednesday morning. This cloud pattern is a typical feature in the cooler months of the year and occurs when cold Southern Ocean air moves over comparatively warmer waters in the mid-latitudes. Image: Visible satellite images captured on Wednesday morning. Source: Weatherzone. This cold Southern Ocean air is being driven north by a surge of strong southerly winds sandwiched between a high pressure system centred over the Great Australian Bight and a low pressure system near New Zealand. Big waves hitting NSW coast The powerful winds blowing over the Tasman Sea are generating large waves along the NSW coast. A waverider buoy located off the coast of Sydney’s Northern Beaches registered a maximum wave height of 5.7 metres early on Wednesday morning. Further north, 5.9 metre waves were also detected near Crowdy Head at 9 am AEST. Wave heights will increase along the northern half of the NSW coast and in southeast Qld on Wednesday afternoon into Thursday morning. A hazardous surf warning is in place for the Hunter Coast and Sydney Coast on Wednesday, meaning surf and swell conditions are expected to be hazardous for coastal activities such as rock fishing, boating, and swimming. Windy and cold along the coast The blustery southerly winds that are whipping up large waves in the Tasman Sea are also causing temperatures to plummet along Australia's east coast. Wind gusts reached 100 km/h at Gabo Island, 80 km/h at Green Cape and 76 km/h at Wattamolla early on Wednesday morning. Gusts also reached 72 km/h at Cape Byron shortly before 5:30am on Wednesday as the southerly change swept along the north coast of NSW before continuing into southeast Queensland. Image: Forecast wind gusts at 7 pm AEST on Wednesday, September 16, 2026. Source: Weatherzone. Sydney’s apparent temperature, which accounts for the impact of wind chill, was around 5°C at 8am on Wednesday, while Byron Bay felt like 10°C at 8:30am. Looking ahead, the southerly change will continue moving towards the north on Wednesday and Thursday, causing showers and cooler southerly winds to spread up the central and north coasts of Queensland. Conditions will ease along the east coast during Thursday and Friday as the high pressure system moves across southeastern Australia from the Bight. This will allow wind and waves to ease as temperatures rebound and quickly warm up for the weekend. Sydney’s maximum temperatures are forecast to jump from 17°C on Wednesday to 28°C by Saturday. Brisbane is predicted to reach 24°C on Thursday and Friday but could warm to 30°C on Saturday. This temperature see-saw is a typical feature of spring along Australia’s east coast.
15 Sep 2026, 4:53AM UTC
Where have all the Atlantic hurricanes gone?
The Atlantic basin is experiencing a prolonged lull of hurricane activity that has not been seen for 85 years. The Atlantic hurricane season runs from the start of June to the end of November. During this six-month period, there are an average of seven hurricanes and three major hurricanes in the Atlantic basin – a region which includes the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico. Despite just passing the climatological peak of the Atlantic hurricane season – September 10 – there have been no hurricanes in the Atlantic basin so far this season. This is now the longest a season has gone in the satellite era (since 1966) with zero hurricanes in the Atlantic basin. When including observations prior to the satellite era, this is now the longest a season has gone without a hurricane since 1941. However, data from the pre-satellite era is less reliable due to sparser observing techniques. Why has this season been so quiet? Hurricanes require three main ingredients to form: Warm sea surface temperatures Atmospheric moisture Low vertical wind shear (meaning wind speed and direction doesn't change too much with height) There is plenty of warm water and atmospheric moisture over the Atlantic basin this season. However, wind shear has been stronger than usual, which has helped suppress hurricane development so far. One of the factors contributing to the increased wind shear this season is El Niño in the tropical Pacific. El Niño events cause disruptions in the atmosphere that extend across to the Atlantic basin. By increasing wind shear over the Atlantic, El Niño makes it harder for thunderstorms to grow into hurricanes over the tropical Atlantic. According to Philip Klotzbach, a Colorado State University meteorologist who specialises in Atlantic basin hurricane forecasts, there has been record levels of vertical wind shear in the Main Development Region (MDR) of the Atlantic basin over the past 30 days. The MDR is the tropical Atlantic area between West Africa and the Caribbean where most Atlantic hurricanes form. Image: Satellite image showing the western Atlantic Ocean on Monday, September 14, 2026. Source: CIRA / RAMMB. Will there be any hurricanes this season? It’s too early to rule out any hurricane activity this season, particularly considering we are so close to the climatological peak of the season and there is still plenty of warm water to fuel the development of tropical storms. However, wind shear is likely to remain a problem for hurricane development while El Niño continues to gain strength in the Pacific Ocean. According to the U.S. National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the influence of El Niño on Atlantic hurricanes is usually most pronounced between September and November. This creates a contrast of influences – elevated wind shear will continue to hinder hurricane development while warm seas will provide fuel if any tropical systems do manage to spin up. No season inside the satellite era has even gone from start to finish without a single hurricane in the Atlantic basin. It’s also important to point out that even a quiet season can still produce damaging late-season hurricanes. You can track the latest tropical weather in the Atlantic basin by visiting the U.S. National Hurricane Center website.