Australia just registered its coolest June in seven years and its second driest June in nine years.

Last month's national mean temperature just under 0.3C above the long term average. Despite being slightly warmer than usual, this was still the country's coolest June since 2012.

Image: Australia's June mean temperature anomalies from 1910 to 2019. Source: Bureau of Meteorology.

Cold nights were a standout feature in many areas during the month, enhanced by predominantly clear skies and dry air. 

In the south, Yunta registered South Australia's lowest temperature in seven years after dropping to -7.1C. In the north, Darwin's 12.7C late in June was their lowest temperature in eight years.

Last month was also Australia's second driest June since 2010, with parts of central and eastern Australia falling deeper into drought. Water storage in the northern Murray Darling Basin had dropped to just nine percent of its capacity towards the end of the month.

Image: Observed rainfall deciles in and around the Murray Darlin Basin during June 2019. Source: Bureau of Meteorology. 

But while some areas of the country were dry in June, parts of southwestern Australia saw decent rain. Perth registered its wettest calendar month in 14 years - a feat made even more impressive by the fact that winter rainfall has been declining in southwestern Australia during recent decades.

June also capped off Australia's hottest financial year on record. The country's average maximum temperature between during the 12 months ending in June 2019 was 1.7°C above the long-term average for this period.