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A high will shift east to the Tasman Sea, directing showers over east Qld and northeast NSW. Another cold front will approach southern WA, combining with instability to produce some showers and storms with increasing heat over the northwest. Showers for the Top End in E'lies.
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Today, 2:28AM UTC
Spring temperature 'see-saw' in full effect in southern Australia
Maximum temperatures will fluctuate quite dramatically across most of southern Australia over the weekend and into the new week, as the spring 'see-saw' takes full effect. Let's take a look at forecasts for the southern capitals over the coming seven days, before examining the reasons behind the contrasting temperatures. Melbourne maximums (from this Friday, September 11 through to Thursday, September 17) 16°C, 22°C, 23°C, 20°C, 14°C, 14°C, 15°C It has been cool all week in Melbourne. Wednesday's high of 13.8°C was the chilliest maximum since August 11. September's average maximum is 17.3°C. Expect another chilly outbreak next week. Adelaide maximums (from this Friday, September 11 through to Thursday, September 17) 21°C, 24°C, 22°C, 18°C, 17°C, 18°C, 20°C Adelaide's temperatures won't bounce around as much as some other capitals, but there will still be a noticeable cooling next week after some weekend warmth. September's average maximum is 18.5°C. Canberra maximums (from this Friday, September 11 through to Thursday, September 17) 21°C, 21°C, 22°C, 23°C, 19°C, 16°C, 20°C While Canberra's maximums will dip midweek after a warm spell, minimum temperatures are always a big part of the Canberra weather story too, and after sub-zero minimums the last two nights, frosty mornings will likely return by the end of next week after a few slightly warmer nights. For those who enjoy interesting meteorological facts, Canberra has recorded sub-zero minimums in all months except January and February. Image: 2-metre temperatures and 10-metre winds across Australia at 4 pm (AEST) on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, showing the contrasting temperatures between the east and west of southern Australia. Perth maximums (from this Friday, September 11 through to Thursday, September 17) 25°C, 21°C, 21°C, 24°C, 27°C, 30°C, 27°C In the case of Perth, it's not how much the temperature will dip, but how much it will rise after a brief cool spell with a weakening cold front over the weekend. Next Wednesday could be the city's first 30-degree day since April. Perth's average September maximum is 20.7°C. Sydney maximums (from this Friday, September 11 through to Thursday, September 17) 20°C, 21°C, 23°C, 27°C, 25°C, 18°C, 20°C. As the harbour city warms up next week, it won't get nearly as hot as the 32.1°C last Saturday, which was the highest reading in the first week of September in data going back to 1859. But there should still be a temperature difference approaching 10 degrees between next Monday and Wednesday's maximums. Sydney's average September high is 20.2°C. Hobart maximums (from this Friday, September 11 through to Thursday, September 17) 18°C, 19°C, 22°C, 21°C, 13°C, 15°C, 16°C After a warm spell on Sunday and Monday, Hobart residents will be reminded that they live in Australia's southernmost capital, with a wintry burst on Tuesday. The average September maximum is 15.2°C. Cold front pushes the see-saw A cold front will push into southwest WA on Friday night, delivering only a few showers as it will be a weakening system when it arrives. That front will slide southwards as it crosses the Great Australian Bight, but a second front should make a direct hit on Tasmania and clip the southern mainland around Tuesday next week. That's the system that will cause a big temperature drop in some parts of southeastern Australia. The general progression of these systems from west to east will generate showers along Australia's southern coastline and nearby ranges, but no big rainfall totals are expected on the mainland. Western Tasmania tends to get the most rainfall from this kind of spring weather pattern, and that will be the case into the new week. Image: Predicted rainfall accumulation across SE Australia up until 10 pm (AEST) on Thursday, September 17, 2026, according to the ECMWF model. Source: Weatherzone.
10 Sep 2026, 5:49AM UTC
Indonesia fire smoke reaches Australia’s northwest coast
Smoke from fires burning across Indonesia – which are being enhanced by El Niño – has arrived over Australia’s northwest coast this week. Indonesia ablaze under El Niño’s influence Seasonal fire activity in Indonesia is being made more intense and widespread this year by the drying influence of El Niño. When El Niño is underway, trade winds weaken or reverse over the tropical Pacific, resulting in less moisture-laden air flowing towards Indonesia and northern Australia. This drying influence has been evident over the last three months as El Niño became established in the tropical Pacific. The map below shows that rainfall was below average over Indonesia and above average across the tropical Pacific during the June-to-August period this year. This is a typical rainfall footprint of a strengthening El Niño. Image: Accumulated precipitation anomaly for June-to-August 2026. Source: ClimateReanalyzer.org. The dry conditions over the last few months caused a rapid increase in fire activity in Indonesia and other parts of the Maritime Continent. Some of the fires in Indonesia in recent weeks are likely burning through tropical peatlands that have been drying out in the last few months. Peat fires can be difficult to extinguish because they smoulder slowly underground, creating large volumes of smoke for prolonged periods. The map below shows where NASA’s Terra and Aqua satellites detected fire hotspots with high confidence in Indonesia during the first week of September. Image: Fire hotspots in Indonesia during the first week of September. Source: SIPONGI KEMENFUT. According to data from Indonesia’s Ministry of Forestry fire monitoring program, SiPongi, this appears to be the most active fire season since at least 2019 based on hotspot data. Smoke from the fires in Indonesia has been drifting across southeast Asia and the eastern Indian Ocean in recent weeks. Visible satellite images reveal that some of the smoke has even made it to the Australian mainland around Broome on Western Australia’s Kimberley coast. This smoke could be seen from the ground as a haze on the horizon. Image: Smoke from fires in Indonesia being blown towards northern Australia on Wednesday, September 9, 2026. Source: Weatherzone. How long will the fires last? Indonesia’s fire season typically runs from around July to October, with the most intense burning usually happening in September and October before the wet season rainfall arrives from October or November. With El Niño still gaining strength in the Pacific Ocean, fires are likely to remain active across Indonesia for several more weeks at least. This may include smoke plumes periodically drifting over parts of northern Australia in the next couple of months.
10 Sep 2026, 2:55AM UTC
Australia's golden canola crop visible from space
The fields of southern Australia are aglow with large patches of yellow due to the spring canola crop – the nation's largest seed crop and our 3rd-largest broadacre crop of any kind. The contrast of the yellow canola flowers with the green grass of spring almost makes the countryside look like an Aussie sports team decked out in the traditional green-and-gold. Let's learn a little more about Australia's canola crop and the weather patterns that have brought fields of yellow to life. Where does canola grow in Australia? According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, as much as 7 million tonnes of canola is grown in Australia each year. That's around a quarter of the volume of the national wheat crop. Australian canola is highly regarded overseas and is used for everything from biofuels to stock feed to cooking oil. Have you consumed margarine or vegetable oil lately? Then it’s likely that it contained Australian-grown canola. Canola is grown in all southern states as well as in parts of southern and central Queensland. Our three biggest-producing states (in order) in most seasons are Western Australia, New South Wales and Victoria. There's cloud over much of southern WA this Thursday, so here's a satellite image of canola crops in the Central West of NSW, in the heart of our second-biggest canola state. Image: Satellite view of the Central West of NSW at 11:30 am (AEST) on Thursday, September 10, 2026. Source: Weatherzone. How winter rainfall has impacted this year's crop Regular winter rainfall is ideal for canola, most of which is sown in autumn and harvested in spring or early summer. Victoria As the chart below shows, Victoria had average or above-average winter rainfall in all parts of the state except for a section in the east. While some canola cropping takes place in Gippsland in eastern Victoria, most canola is grown in central or western Victoria, where winter was relatively wet this year. Image: Victorian rainfall deciles for winter 2026. Source: BoM. New South Wales The NSW rainfall chart for the 2026 winter tells an interesting story. While it was very dry along much of the east coast, there was average or even above-average rainfall in areas west of the Great Dividing Range, where the majority of the state's canola is grown. Image: NSW rainfall deciles for winter 2026. Source: BoM. While we're talking about NSW and Victoria, it's worth noting that the Murray/Darling Basin as a whole received 14.51% more rainfall than usual in the 2026 winter, according to the BoM. Western Australia In Western Australia, the far southwest had a dry winter, but other parts of the state where canola is grown had average or slightly-above-average rainfall – such as the region around Esperance in the South East Coastal forecast district. Image: WA rainfall deciles for winter 2026. Source: BoM. All up, it looks like 2026 will be a good year for the national canola crop, especially in eastern Australia. The crop certainly looks pretty from space! Image: Satellite view of canola crops west and northwest of Melbourne at 8 am (AEST) on Thursday, September 10, 2026. Source: Weatherzone. Does canola cause hay fever? Not with most people, no. In spring, it's generally the grasses that cause hay fever, as their pollen is picked up by the wind and blown our way. It's called "hay" fever for a reason! Canola is pollinated by insects – and it's the case with most plants pollinated by insects that their pollen becomes stickier and heavier than grass pollen, and therefore doesn't tend to be picked up by the wind.