Severe weather can develop quickly and threaten lives and property. You can reduce the impact by getting ready before it happens.
Every year, October to April is Northern Australia's peak time for severe thunderstorms, tropical cyclones, flooding, heatwaves and bushfires early in the season. Know your weather. Know your risk. Let's take a closer look at some of the impacts of severe weather, so you can be prepared for this wet season.
Severe thunderstorms are more common during the wet season, bringing heavy rainfall, damaging winds, and the risk of flooding. While they can be experienced anywhere in Australia, the biggest risk for severe thunderstorms is along the east coast, including northern New South Wales and southern Queensland. There's also a significant risk through inland Western Australia and across the tropical north.
Normally, more than half of Northern Australia's annual rainfall is associated with active bursts of the monsoon. The average start to the monsoon is around the last week in December. Last season, the monsoon arrived on the 10th of January 2024 The latest known arrival of the monsoon was the 25th of January in 1973.
While tropical cyclones can form at any time, our official tropical cyclone season is between November and April. While we usually have around four tropical cyclones cross Australia's coast in a year, we've always had at least one in every year since the 1970s. Last season we had eight tropical cyclones, with four crossing Australia's mainland. Jasper, Kirrily, Lincoln and Megan. While the number, location and intensity of tropical cyclones varies every year, any tropical cyclone almost always brings damaging winds, heavy rainfall, and flooding. Last season, communities were evacuated, including Borroloola and the Northern Territory and Wujal Wujal in Queensland.
Ex tropical cyclones can move slowly over land to also bring heavy rainfall across the country. Even tropical cyclones and tropical lows that stay offshore can have severe impacts like dangerous surf, with large waves causing coastal erosion. While we can't predict the exact timing, intensity, or location of an individual tropical cyclone more than seven days in advance, this season a near average number of tropical cyclones is likely. But remember, it only takes one to significantly impact communities. The Bureau issues tropical cyclone watch and warning advice in the days and hours ahead of the impact. We issue a track map for each tropical cyclone likely to affect Australia, so you can make decisions to stay safe. Our forecast also gives up to seven days notice of the chance a tropical low will develop into a tropical cyclone.
Northern communities have a higher flood risk during the wet season. Last season, widespread flooding affected large areas across the country, including Queensland, the Northern Territory, Victoria, New South Wales and Western Australia, some of which was caused by rainfall from ex-tropical cyclones. Riverine and localised flash flooding is more common during the severe weather season, particularly across northern and eastern parts of the country. In the tropical north, heavy rainfall can cause rivers and creeks to rise quickly, sometimes without warning. A river crossing that was safe one day could become flooded the next day.
Heat stress can affect anyone's health. Last season, many severe heatwave events started in October in the Northern Territory, Queensland and Western Australia. Over the warmer months, Australia has an increased risk of severe and extreme heatwaves. Hot nights make it harder to recover from the heat of the day.
Fire authorities are advising an increased fire risk for parts of Queensland and the Northern Territory for October and November, which can be the peak fire season in the north. Once the monsoon arrives in Australia, tropical regions typically don't have much bushfire activity. We'll be monitoring weather conditions and working with authorities to issue fire danger ratings to keep you informed of the risk. Northern Australia is a high risk area and now is the time to prepare your home and property, review and update your emergency plans and create your emergency kits. Your local emergency authority provides advice on how to prepare.
Learn more about severe weather visit bom.gov.au/knowyourweather. Keep up to date with warnings and advice from the Bureau of Meteorology and your local emergency authority. Find warnings on our website and download the BOM Weather app. In the app you can set up notifications to get weather warnings direct to your phone. Stay safe.
Every year, October to April is Northern Australia's peak time for severe thunderstorms, tropical cyclones, flooding, heatwaves and bushfires early in the season. Know your weather. Know your risk. Let's take a closer look at some of the impacts of severe weather, so you can be prepared for this wet season.
Severe thunderstorms are more common during the wet season, bringing heavy rainfall, damaging winds, and the risk of flooding. While they can be experienced anywhere in Australia, the biggest risk for severe thunderstorms is along the east coast, including northern New South Wales and southern Queensland. There's also a significant risk through inland Western Australia and across the tropical north.
Normally, more than half of Northern Australia's annual rainfall is associated with active bursts of the monsoon. The average start to the monsoon is around the last week in December. Last season, the monsoon arrived on the 10th of January 2024 The latest known arrival of the monsoon was the 25th of January in 1973.
While tropical cyclones can form at any time, our official tropical cyclone season is between November and April. While we usually have around four tropical cyclones cross Australia's coast in a year, we've always had at least one in every year since the 1970s. Last season we had eight tropical cyclones, with four crossing Australia's mainland. Jasper, Kirrily, Lincoln and Megan. While the number, location and intensity of tropical cyclones varies every year, any tropical cyclone almost always brings damaging winds, heavy rainfall, and flooding. Last season, communities were evacuated, including Borroloola and the Northern Territory and Wujal Wujal in Queensland.
Ex tropical cyclones can move slowly over land to also bring heavy rainfall across the country. Even tropical cyclones and tropical lows that stay offshore can have severe impacts like dangerous surf, with large waves causing coastal erosion. While we can't predict the exact timing, intensity, or location of an individual tropical cyclone more than seven days in advance, this season a near average number of tropical cyclones is likely. But remember, it only takes one to significantly impact communities. The Bureau issues tropical cyclone watch and warning advice in the days and hours ahead of the impact. We issue a track map for each tropical cyclone likely to affect Australia, so you can make decisions to stay safe. Our forecast also gives up to seven days notice of the chance a tropical low will develop into a tropical cyclone.
Northern communities have a higher flood risk during the wet season. Last season, widespread flooding affected large areas across the country, including Queensland, the Northern Territory, Victoria, New South Wales and Western Australia, some of which was caused by rainfall from ex-tropical cyclones. Riverine and localised flash flooding is more common during the severe weather season, particularly across northern and eastern parts of the country. In the tropical north, heavy rainfall can cause rivers and creeks to rise quickly, sometimes without warning. A river crossing that was safe one day could become flooded the next day.
Heat stress can affect anyone's health. Last season, many severe heatwave events started in October in the Northern Territory, Queensland and Western Australia. Over the warmer months, Australia has an increased risk of severe and extreme heatwaves. Hot nights make it harder to recover from the heat of the day.
Fire authorities are advising an increased fire risk for parts of Queensland and the Northern Territory for October and November, which can be the peak fire season in the north. Once the monsoon arrives in Australia, tropical regions typically don't have much bushfire activity. We'll be monitoring weather conditions and working with authorities to issue fire danger ratings to keep you informed of the risk. Northern Australia is a high risk area and now is the time to prepare your home and property, review and update your emergency plans and create your emergency kits. Your local emergency authority provides advice on how to prepare.
Learn more about severe weather visit bom.gov.au/knowyourweather. Keep up to date with warnings and advice from the Bureau of Meteorology and your local emergency authority. Find warnings on our website and download the BOM Weather app. In the app you can set up notifications to get weather warnings direct to your phone. Stay safe.
Northern Australia wet season and severe weather season 2024–25
22 October 2024
October to April is northern Australia's peak time for severe weather, including severe thunderstorms, tropical cyclones, flooding, heatwaves and bushfires.