It may not have felt like a typical searing hot midsummer in some of the soggier parts of Australia, but despite persistent rain across many areas, January 2022 was significantly warmer than average across the entire country.

Each individual state and territory was warmer than normal in terms of both average minimums and maximums, while the nation as a whole was also warmer than usual by day and by night.

Below are some *relevant statistics:

AUSTRALIA IN JANUARY 2022 – OVERALL

• Maximums in Australia as a whole were 0.91°C above average by day (the 20th-highest on record)
• Minimums were 1.26°C warmer (the 8th-highest on record).
• The national mean temperature for January was 1.09°C warmer than usual (13th-highest on record).
• Rainfall was 22% above average for Australia as a whole, which was not unexpected in a La Niña summer.
• Tasmania and Victoria both had their warmest average minimum temperatures on record for January.

Image: It was warmer than normal across a large portion of the country in January, including the whole of Tasmania. Source: BoM.

THE STATES

NSW (Note that the ACT is included in NSW data as its boundaries sit wholly within NSW)

• Maximums 0.72°C above average
• Minimums 2.27°C above average

Vic

• Maximums 1.85°C above average
• Minimums 3.65°C above average (the HIGHEST on record)

Qld

• Maximums 1.36°C above average
• Minimums 1.33°C above average

SA

• Maximums 0.05°C above average
• Minimums 1.71 °C above average

TAS

• Maximums 2.58°C above average
• Minimums 2.32 °C above average (the HIGHEST on record)

WA

• Maximums 1.19°C above average
• Minimums 0.54 °C above average

NT

• Maximums 0.30°C above average
• Minimums 1.08°C above average

EXTREMES

Hottest

The main extreme of note in January was the reading of 50.7°C at Onslow Airport in Western Australia, which was the highest temperature on record for Western Australia and equalled the highest temp on record for Australia.

The previous Western Australian record was 50.5 °C, set at Mardie on 19 February 1998, while the other reading 50.7 °C occurred on January 2, 1960, in Oodnadatta, SA.

You can read our stories about the extraordinary northwest WA heatwave here. 

Coldest

The coldest night was -1.7°C at Perisher Valley in NSW (its lowest Jan minimum on record is -5°C)

Wettest

The wettest 24-hour period was 674 mm at Marodian, Qld, on Jan 8.

You can read our story about that and the flooding in nearby Maryborough here.

Image: It was wetter than normal across a large portion of the country in January. Source: BoM.

*Bear in mind that all of the above temperature statistics are averaged out from 112 weather stations nationwide. Please also note that when we mention January temperatures in relation to "average", we are referring to the period from 1961-1990. This is known as the "global baseline period", as recommended by the World Meteorological Agency.