Temperatures have soared to previously unrecorded levels for October in numerous locations in outback South Australia, New South Wales and Queensland.

While we can’t report the official maximums (as they are calculated on the 24-hour period from 9am to 9am), Monday’s record-breaking readings and notable temperatures included:

Queensland

Birdsville reached 44.9°C, the hottest temperature recorded thus far in Queensland this Monday, and just 0.2°C shy of the statewide record for October.

The mercury soared to 44.2°C at Ballera in the Channel Country. This broke the old October record of 42.9°C at this weather station situated near a gas field which has been operational since 1998.

Thargomindah, also in the Channel Country in Queensland’s far southwest, reched 43.1°C. This broke the record at Thargomindah Airport (data since 1999) and equalled the old Thargomindah Post Office site record (data since 1879).

Image: Turn left for extreme October heat. Source: iStock/TonyFeder.

South Australia

Moomba Airport was SA’s hottest place up until 5pm (ACST) with a reading of 44.1°C recorded earlier in the afternoon. That beat the old October record of 43.5°C (data since 1995) which was also the record at the old town site (data since 1972).

Oodnadatta hit 44°C just after 3:30pm. The tiny town of 100 residents holds SA’s October record of 45.4°C and jointly holds Australia’s heat record (any month) of 50.7°C.

New South Wales

Tibooburra in the state’s far northwest corner had the state's equal-highest temperature of 42.6°C to 5pm. This beat the old October record of 42.4°C at the post office site (data back to 1886) and also beat the monthly record of 42.1°C at the airport site (data since 1997).

White Cliffs, about 250 km southeast of Tibooburra, reached 42.3°C. That comfortably exceeded the old record of 41.7°C (data since 1901).

Image: Predicted maximums on Monday, October 20, 2025 across the areas covered in this story and slightly further afield, according to the ECMWF model.

The pool of unseasonably warm air in Australia’s interior will begin to dissipate in South Australia on Tuesday, however the SW corner of Queensland and the NW corner of New South Wales can expect another scorcher on Tuesday.

Tuesday’s temperatures at some locations could even potentially exceed Monday’s, which obviously means that more records could tumble. 

The heat will push all the way to the east coast by midweek, with Sydney in potentially record-breaking October heat territory on Wednesday with a forecast maximum of 38°C in the city and 39°C in the west. 

Brisbane should reach 35°C on Thursday with the mercury rising a few degrees higher west of the city in places like Ipswich.