Reno

South West Slopes for Monday. Partly cloudy. Slight chance of a shower during the morning and afternoon. Light winds.

Reno Weather

Get ready for a showery and possibly thundery week, East Coasters, as rain is expected for eastern Queensland and eastern NSW every day this week, particularly along the coastal fringe. As you can see from the image below, rainfall accumulation over the next week could amount to as much as 30-70mm along the coastal fringe, with some coastal areas possible seeing highly localised accumulated falls over 100mm. Western Tasmania will also see some decent rainfall accumulation this week, as frequent fronts and troughs collide with the state&rsquo;s west coast.
<img src="https://news-images.weatherzone.com.au/Mets/Screenshot%202025-05-18.png" alt="Screenshot 2025-05-18" />Image: Weekly rainfall accumulation across Australia to 10am AEST, Sunday, May 18, according to the ECMWF model.
Ok, so we know what&rsquo;s bringing all the rainfall to western Tas, but what about all that rain over Qld and NSW?
To start, a high pressure system will linger in the Tasman between now and Tuesday while a tropical low develops just south of the Solomon Islands. The net effect will be that showery easterly component winds will be directed along the eastern seaboard as coastal troughs develop over eastern NSW and far northeastern Qld.
<img src="https://news-images.weatherzone.com.au/Mets/Screenshot%202025-05-13.jpg" alt="" width="817" height="887" />Image: Mean sea level pressure (white lines), wind (black barbs) and 24-hour rainfall to 10pm AEST, Tuesday, May 13, according to the ECMWF model.
From Wednesday, a combination of coastal and inland troughs will impact NSW and Qld, with showers affecting a large swath of eastern Australia, stretching from Qld&rsquo;s northern goldfields to NSW&rsquo;s far south coast. At this stage, rainfall is most likely to be heaviest on Thursday and Friday as a low pressure system develops offshore. Thunderstorms have a strong chance of developing over southern Qld and northeast NSW on these days.
<img src="https://news-images.weatherzone.com.au/Mets/Screenshot%202025-05-16.jpg" alt="" width="811" height="915" />Image: GFS thunderstorm forecast overlaid with the Access-G model&rsquo;s forecast mean sea level pressure and 24-hour rainfall to 10am AEST, Friday, 16 May. The mean sea level pressure shows a tropical low to the south of the Solomon Islands and a low pressure system developing off the coast of southeast Qld and northeast NSW.
On Saturday, the low pressure system is expected to make a beeline for New Zealand, allowing showers and thunderstorms to ease over most areas, although there is a chance that another trough could develop over southeast Qld and northeast NSW, bringing further heavy showers to the coastal fringe.


Get ready for a showery and possibly thundery week, East Coasters, as rain is expected for eastern Queensland and eastern NSW every day this week, particularly along the coastal fringe. As you can see from the image below, rainfall accumulation over the next week could amount to as much as 30-70mm along the coastal fringe, with some coastal areas possible seeing highly localised accumulated falls over 100mm. Western Tasmania will also see some decent rainfall accumulation this week, as frequent fronts and troughs collide with the state’s west coast.


Image: Weekly rainfall accumulation across Australia to 10am AEST, Sunday, May 18, according to the ECMWF model.


Ok, so we know what’s bringing all the rainfall to western Tas, but what about all that rain over Qld and NSW?


To start, a high pressure system will linger in the Tasman between now and Tuesday while a tropical low develops just south of the Solomon Islands. The net effect will be that showery easterly component winds will be directed along the eastern seaboard as coastal troughs develop over eastern NSW and far northeastern Qld.


Image: Mean sea level pressure (white lines), wind (black barbs) and 24-hour rainfall to 10pm AEST, Tuesday, May 13, according to the ECMWF model.


From Wednesday, a combination of coastal and inland troughs will impact NSW and Qld, with showers affecting a large swath of eastern Australia, stretching from Qld’s northern goldfields to NSW’s far south coast. At this stage, rainfall is most likely to be heaviest on Thursday and Friday as a low pressure system develops offshore. Thunderstorms have a strong chance of developing over southern Qld and northeast NSW on these days.


Image: GFS thunderstorm forecast overlaid with the Access-G model’s forecast mean sea level pressure and 24-hour rainfall to 10am AEST, Friday, 16 May. The mean sea level pressure shows a tropical low to the south of the Solomon Islands and a low pressure system developing off the coast of southeast Qld and northeast NSW.


On Saturday, the low pressure system is expected to make a beeline for New Zealand, allowing showers and thunderstorms to ease over most areas, although there is a chance that another trough could develop over southeast Qld and northeast NSW, bringing further heavy showers to the coastal fringe.


A showery and possibly thundery week is expected for eastern Queensland and eastern NSW

Wet week ahead for east coast

As winter edges closer, Brisbane has been handed an early, crisp preview of the season ahead. Over the first ten days of May, each evening has seen feels-like temperatures dip into the high teens, marking the coldest start to May in terms of evening apparent temperature since 2023. It's a chill that even the most seasoned Brisbanites are starting to notice.&nbsp;
You might be thinking, &ldquo;Isn't this typical for Brisbane in May?&rdquo;&nbsp;
Well, sort of&mdash;but this drop feels noticeably different. Gusty winds and the ongoing presence of strong high pressure ridges have shaped much of May's weather. To illustrate what has been going on, today's synoptic chart shows a strong ridge settled over eastern Queensland, which has been causing the notably cold evenings by Brisbane's standards.
<img src="https://news-images.weatherzone.com.au/synop%2010may.png" alt="" width="921" height="517" />
Image: Synoptic chart for the Australian region for Saturday, May 10, 2025.&nbsp;
As autumn deepens, Brisbane's weather starts to shift, with southerly-component winds and high pressure ridges taking the lead. These winds bring in cool, dry gusts from inland Australia during the evenings and early mornings, while the days are dominated by breezier southeasterlies.&nbsp;
An analysis of long-term wind patterns, based on morning wind rose data, reveals that southerly and southwesterly winds are prevalent throughout May. Although these readings are from the morning hours, they offer a good indication of the broader trend that typically persist into the evening when high pressure is at the helm.&nbsp;
&nbsp;<img src="https://news-images.weatherzone.com.au/wind%20rose.png" alt="" width="756" height="748" />
Image: Wind rose (km/h) for May, based on climatological data from 1 December 1999 to 11 August 2024. Source: BoM.
What&rsquo;s next?&nbsp;
The cool pattern isn&rsquo;t backing off anytime soon. The gusty southeasterlies will continue during the day, while colder SW/WSW winds will keep the nights noticeably cooler well into next week.&nbsp;
A coastal trough could bring rain by Thursday, with the southerly winds behind it keeping feels-like temperatures on the lower side, keeping that wintry edge in the air.&nbsp;
So yes, Brisbane&mdash;winter is knocking early, and these "crisp" evenings are just the beginning.&nbsp;


As winter edges closer, Brisbane has been handed an early, crisp preview of the season ahead. Over the first ten days of May, each evening has seen feels-like temperatures dip into the high teens, marking the coldest start to May in terms of evening apparent temperature since 2023. It's a chill that even the most seasoned Brisbanites are starting to notice. 


You might be thinking, “Isn't this typical for Brisbane in May?” 


Well, sort of—but this drop feels noticeably different. Gusty winds and the ongoing presence of strong high pressure ridges have shaped much of May's weather. To illustrate what has been going on, today's synoptic chart shows a strong ridge settled over eastern Queensland, which has been causing the notably cold evenings by Brisbane's standards.





Image: Synoptic chart for the Australian region for Saturday, May 10, 2025. 


As autumn deepens, Brisbane's weather starts to shift, with southerly-component winds and high pressure ridges taking the lead. These winds bring in cool, dry gusts from inland Australia during the evenings and early mornings, while the days are dominated by breezier southeasterlies. 


An analysis of long-term wind patterns, based on morning wind rose data, reveals that southerly and southwesterly winds are prevalent throughout May. Although these readings are from the morning hours, they offer a good indication of the broader trend that typically persist into the evening when high pressure is at the helm. 


 


Image: Wind rose (km/h) for May, based on climatological data from 1 December 1999 to 11 August 2024. Source: BoM.


What’s next? 


The cool pattern isn’t backing off anytime soon. The gusty southeasterlies will continue during the day, while colder SW/WSW winds will keep the nights noticeably cooler well into next week. 


A coastal trough could bring rain by Thursday, with the southerly winds behind it keeping feels-like temperatures on the lower side, keeping that wintry edge in the air. 


So yes, Brisbane—winter is knocking early, and these "crisp" evenings are just the beginning. 


Brisbane's coldest May evenings in two years

Northern Australia&rsquo;s 2024-25 wet season featured the busiest cyclone season in 19 years, latest monsoon onset on record and intense thunderstorm outbreaks.
The northern Australia (north of 26&deg;S) average wet season rainfall in 2024-25 was 21% above the 1961-1990 average. As seen in the rainfall deciles map below, this above average rainfall was driven by heavy rain events in Western Australia and Queensland.
<img src="https://news-images.weatherzone.com.au/b2bnews/2024-25WetSeason_BoM_RainDeciles.png" alt="Image: rainfall deciles throughout Australia&rsquo;s northern wet season. Source: BoM" width="720" height="496" />
Image: rainfall deciles throughout Australia&rsquo;s northern wet season. Source: <a href="http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/maps/rainfall/?variable=rainfall&amp;map=decile&amp;period=cnws&amp;region=nat&amp;year=2025&amp;month=04&amp;day=30">BoM</a>
Early wet seasonal rainfall was mostly average to above average with <a href="https://www.weatherzone.com.au/news/why-is-severe-tropical-cyclone-zelia-so-strong/1890368">active thunderstorm outbreaks</a>, especially over the north of Western Australia and the Top End. January, however, saw a respite from the rain as the monsoon failed to arrive, with much of the Northern Territory and Queensland experiencing below average rainfall, as seen in the image below. January also ranked the driest northern Australian January since 1994.
<img src="https://news-images.weatherzone.com.au/b2bnews/Jan2025_BoM_RainDeciles.png" alt="Image: rainfall deciles throughout Australia during January 2025. Source: BoM" width="720" height="496" />
Image: rainfall deciles throughout Australia during January 2025. Source: <a href="http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/maps/rainfall/?variable=rainfall&amp;map=decile&amp;period=month&amp;region=nat&amp;year=2025&amp;month=01&amp;day=31">BoM</a>
Active tropical cyclone activity through the latter half of the season brought further heavy rainfall to Western Australia and Queensland. Overall, 12 tropical cyclones affected the Australian region, the <a href="https://www.weatherzone.com.au/news/australias-most-active-tropical-cyclone-season-in-19-years/1890553">most since the 2005-06 season</a>. Eight of the 12 tropical cyclones were severe (category 3 or greater), including <a href="https://apac.dtn.com/mining/port-and-mining-operations-in-the-pilbara-impacted-by-severe-cyclone-sean/">Sean</a>, Taliah, Vince, <a href="https://apac.dtn.com/mining/port-and-mining-operations-in-the-pilbara-impacted-by-severe-cyclone-sean/">Zelia</a>, <a href="https://www.weatherzone.com.au/news/relentless-rain-continues-despite-alfred-being-downgraded/1890435">Alfred</a>, Bianca, Courtney and <a href="https://www.weatherzone.com.au/news/severe-tropical-cyclone-errol-to-weaken-before-landfall/1890525">Errol</a>. An estimated insured losses exceeding $1.55 billion AUD, primarily from Zelia and Alfred, made it the most expensive season since the 2017-18 season with Tropical Cyclone Debbie.
<img src="https://news-images.weatherzone.com.au/Joel%20Story/2024-25_severe_tcs.png" alt="Image: The eight severe tropical cyclones that developed during the 2024-25 season. Source: NASA Worldview" width="1920" height="1080" />
Image: The eight severe tropical cyclones that developed during the 2024-25 season. Source: NASA Worldview
Compared to the 1961-1990 long term average, this northern Australia wet season was also the:
<ul>
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="1" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559683&quot;:0,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" aria-setsize="-1" data-aria-posinset="1" data-aria-level="1">Warmest on record for mean minimum temperature (averaged 1.67&deg;C above the long term average)</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="1" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559683&quot;:0,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" aria-setsize="-1" data-aria-posinset="2" data-aria-level="1">5th warmest on record for mean maximum temperature (averaged 1.61&deg;C above the long term average)</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="1" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559683&quot;:0,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" aria-setsize="-1" data-aria-posinset="3" data-aria-level="1">Above average temperatures across most of northern Australia</li>
</ul>
<h2>Western Australia</h2>
Heavy rainfall with thunderstorm outbreaks, especially through the early wet season, followed by tropical cyclone activity led to a well above average wet season for Western Australia.
The biggest story to come out of Western Australia&rsquo;s northern wet season was the huge amount of tropical cyclones to form over the region. 11 of the 12 tropical cyclones to form this 2024-25 season were in the Western Region, the most active season in 41 years for the region. Seven of the tropical cyclones were severe (category 3 or greater), which is the most for the region since 1998-99.
Of the 12 tropical cyclones that formed this season, only four made landfall over the Australian mainland. For Western Australia, Severe Tropical Cyclone Zelia was the most impactful system,&nbsp;crossing the coast as a category 4 tropical cyclone just east of Port Hedland in February. Other significant systems include:
<ul>
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="2" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559683&quot;:0,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" aria-setsize="-1" data-aria-posinset="1" data-aria-level="1">Tropical Cyclone Dianne crossed the Kimbereley Coast as a category 2 in March. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="2" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559683&quot;:0,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" aria-setsize="-1" data-aria-posinset="2" data-aria-level="1">Tropical Cyclone Errol crossed the Kimbereley Coast as an ex-tropical cyclone in April.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li data-leveltext="" data-font="Symbol" data-listid="2" data-list-defn-props="{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559683&quot;:0,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}" aria-setsize="-1" data-aria-posinset="3" data-aria-level="1">Tropical Cyclone Sean also impacted parts of the Pilbara coast, but did not cross the coast as it tracked parallel to the region in January.</li>
</ul>
<h2>Northern Territory</h2>
The most notable story to come out of the Northern Territory&rsquo;s wet season was the <a href="https://www.weatherzone.com.au/news/darwins-latest-monsoon-on-record-finally-arriving/1890342">latest monsoon onset on record</a>. With records dating back since 1957-58, this season&rsquo;s onset date of February 7 in Darwin was nearly 2 weeks later than the previous record, which was on January 25, in the 1972-73 season. Typically, the monsoon onset in Darwin is during the last week of December.
The Northern Region, which stretches from the WA-NT border to the tip of Cape York Peninsula, also failed to record a tropical cyclone for the first time since the 2020-21 season.
Even with the late monsoon and lack of tropical cyclone activity, active thunderstorm outbreaks brought near average rainfall for the Northern Territory throughout this past wet season.
<h2>Queensland</h2>
Rainfall across much of Queensland was well above average during the past wet season as a result of record warm sea surface temperatures, a La Ni&ntilde;a like pattern and Tropical Cyclone Alfred.
Read more: <a href="https://www.weatherzone.com.au/news/why-queensland-has-been-getting-all-the-rain/1890496">Why Queensland has been getting all the rain</a>
Averaged across the state, the <a href="http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/tropical-note/">wet season rainfall amounted to 711.8mm,</a> making it the 11th wettest wet season on record (since 1900), and wettest since the 2010-11 wet season.


Northern Australia’s 2024-25 wet season featured the busiest cyclone season in 19 years, latest monsoon onset on record and intense thunderstorm outbreaks.


The northern Australia (north of 26°S) average wet season rainfall in 2024-25 was 21% above the 1961-1990 average. As seen in the rainfall deciles map below, this above average rainfall was driven by heavy rain events in Western Australia and Queensland.





Image: rainfall deciles throughout Australia’s northern wet season. Source: BoM


Early wet seasonal rainfall was mostly average to above average with active thunderstorm outbreaks, especially over the north of Western Australia and the Top End. January, however, saw a respite from the rain as the monsoon failed to arrive, with much of the Northern Territory and Queensland experiencing below average rainfall, as seen in the image below. January also ranked the driest northern Australian January since 1994.





Image: rainfall deciles throughout Australia during January 2025. Source: BoM


Active tropical cyclone activity through the latter half of the season brought further heavy rainfall to Western Australia and Queensland. Overall, 12 tropical cyclones affected the Australian region, the most since the 2005-06 season. Eight of the 12 tropical cyclones were severe (category 3 or greater), including Sean, Taliah, Vince, Zelia, Alfred, Bianca, Courtney and Errol. An estimated insured losses exceeding $1.55 billion AUD, primarily from Zelia and Alfred, made it the most expensive season since the 2017-18 season with Tropical Cyclone Debbie.





Image: The eight severe tropical cyclones that developed during the 2024-25 season. Source: NASA Worldview


Compared to the 1961-1990 long term average, this northern Australia wet season was also the:




Warmest on record for mean minimum temperature (averaged 1.67°C above the long term average)






5th warmest on record for mean maximum temperature (averaged 1.61°C above the long term average)






Above average temperatures across most of northern Australia




Western Australia


Heavy rainfall with thunderstorm outbreaks, especially through the early wet season, followed by tropical cyclone activity led to a well above average wet season for Western Australia.


The biggest story to come out of Western Australia’s northern wet season was the huge amount of tropical cyclones to form over the region. 11 of the 12 tropical cyclones to form this 2024-25 season were in the Western Region, the most active season in 41 years for the region. Seven of the tropical cyclones were severe (category 3 or greater), which is the most for the region since 1998-99.


Of the 12 tropical cyclones that formed this season, only four made landfall over the Australian mainland. For Western Australia, Severe Tropical Cyclone Zelia was the most impactful system, crossing the coast as a category 4 tropical cyclone just east of Port Hedland in February. Other significant systems include:




Tropical Cyclone Dianne crossed the Kimbereley Coast as a category 2 in March. 






Tropical Cyclone Errol crossed the Kimbereley Coast as an ex-tropical cyclone in April.






Tropical Cyclone Sean also impacted parts of the Pilbara coast, but did not cross the coast as it tracked parallel to the region in January.




Northern Territory


The most notable story to come out of the Northern Territory’s wet season was the latest monsoon onset on record. With records dating back since 1957-58, this season’s onset date of February 7 in Darwin was nearly 2 weeks later than the previous record, which was on January 25, in the 1972-73 season. Typically, the monsoon onset in Darwin is during the last week of December.


The Northern Region, which stretches from the WA-NT border to the tip of Cape York Peninsula, also failed to record a tropical cyclone for the first time since the 2020-21 season.


Even with the late monsoon and lack of tropical cyclone activity, active thunderstorm outbreaks brought near average rainfall for the Northern Territory throughout this past wet season.


Queensland


Rainfall across much of Queensland was well above average during the past wet season as a result of record warm sea surface temperatures, a La Niña like pattern and Tropical Cyclone Alfred.


Read more: Why Queensland has been getting all the rain


Averaged across the state, the wet season rainfall amounted to 711.8mm, making it the 11th wettest wet season on record (since 1900), and wettest since the 2010-11 wet season.


Northern Australia’s 2024-25 wet season featured the busiest cyclone season in 19 years, latest monsoon onset on record and intense thunderstorm outbreaks

Northern Australia’s 2024-25 wet season wrap up

Perth is expecting a maximum in the vicinity of 32&deg;C this Friday, a mark it has reached only once previously so late in autumn, in records going back to 1876.
While it's not unprecedented for Perth to sweat through 30-degree days in May, days of 30&deg;C or higher become very rare after the first week of the month, while days of 32&deg;C or higher (in any May week) are equally unusual.
Prior to this Friday:
<ul>
<li>Perth has reached 30&deg;C or higher in May a total of 28 times.</li>
<li>Perth has reached 30&deg;C or higher in May just five times after the first week, with the most recent occurrence being yesterday (May 8, 2025, maximum 31.1&deg;C).</li>
<li>Perth has reached 32&deg;C or higher in May just five times.</li>
<li>Perth has reached 32&deg;C or higher in May just once after the first week. That happened on May 12, 2018, when the maximum was 32.7&deg;C.</li>
<li>Perth&rsquo;s hottest May temperature on record was May 1, 2002, when the mercury hit 34.3&deg;C.</li>
<li>Perth&rsquo;s average May maximum is 22.4&deg;C at the current site (records since 1993), so today&rsquo;s top temperature should exceed that by around 9 to 10 degrees.</li>
</ul>
UPDATE at 2pm, AWST: Perth reached 33.8&deg;C at 1:15pm, making today its second-warmest May day on record, and the warmest May day recorded beyond the first week of the month.
<h3>Why the late season heat?</h3>
If (or more likley when) the mercury reaches 30&deg;C in Perth this Friday, it will be just the second time that there have been three days of 30&deg;C or higher in May. Why now?
There are times when a basic synoptic chart is still the best weather explainer. As you can see on today&rsquo;s chart, Australia's weather is being dominated by the large high pressure system centred near Adelaide.
<img src="https://news-images.weatherzone.com.au/wz/SYnoptic_chart_May92025.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" />
Image: Synoptic chart for the Australian region for Friday, May 9, 2025.
Air is circulating anti-clockwise around the high, directing warm, dry air from the interior of the continent towards the west coast.
By Saturday, an influx of slightly cooler air from the south will moderate temperatures in Perth, bringing maximums back to the mid-20s.
But any significant moisture or polar air will stay well south of southwest WA, with Perth maximums again reaching the high 20s next week as the next high pressure system ushers in a new blanket of warm, dry air from the interior.
<img src="https://news-images.weatherzone.com.au/wz/Perth_heat_May92025.png" alt="" width="1920" height="1080" />
Image: Maximum temperatures for Western Australia on May 9, 2025, according to the ECMWF model.
Meanwhile Perth parks and gardens await the first soaking rains of autumn, as the city faces the prospect of its seventh consecutive month of below-average rainfall.&nbsp;
To date this year, Perth has received just 41.4mm of rain. Its long-term average from January 1 to the end of May is 171.2mm.


Perth is expecting a maximum in the vicinity of 32°C this Friday, a mark it has reached only once previously so late in autumn, in records going back to 1876.


While it's not unprecedented for Perth to sweat through 30-degree days in May, days of 30°C or higher become very rare after the first week of the month, while days of 32°C or higher (in any May week) are equally unusual.


Prior to this Friday:




Perth has reached 30°C or higher in May a total of 28 times.


Perth has reached 30°C or higher in May just five times after the first week, with the most recent occurrence being yesterday (May 8, 2025, maximum 31.1°C).


Perth has reached 32°C or higher in May just five times.


Perth has reached 32°C or higher in May just once after the first week. That happened on May 12, 2018, when the maximum was 32.7°C.


Perth’s hottest May temperature on record was May 1, 2002, when the mercury hit 34.3°C.


Perth’s average May maximum is 22.4°C at the current site (records since 1993), so today’s top temperature should exceed that by around 9 to 10 degrees.




UPDATE at 2pm, AWST: Perth reached 33.8°C at 1:15pm, making today its second-warmest May day on record, and the warmest May day recorded beyond the first week of the month.


Why the late season heat?


If (or more likley when) the mercury reaches 30°C in Perth this Friday, it will be just the second time that there have been three days of 30°C or higher in May. Why now?


There are times when a basic synoptic chart is still the best weather explainer. As you can see on today’s chart, Australia's weather is being dominated by the large high pressure system centred near Adelaide.





Image: Synoptic chart for the Australian region for Friday, May 9, 2025.


Air is circulating anti-clockwise around the high, directing warm, dry air from the interior of the continent towards the west coast.


By Saturday, an influx of slightly cooler air from the south will moderate temperatures in Perth, bringing maximums back to the mid-20s.


But any significant moisture or polar air will stay well south of southwest WA, with Perth maximums again reaching the high 20s next week as the next high pressure system ushers in a new blanket of warm, dry air from the interior.





Image: Maximum temperatures for Western Australia on May 9, 2025, according to the ECMWF model.


Meanwhile Perth parks and gardens await the first soaking rains of autumn, as the city faces the prospect of its seventh consecutive month of below-average rainfall. 


To date this year, Perth has received just 41.4mm of rain. Its long-term average from January 1 to the end of May is 171.2mm.


32°C predicted for Perth on May 9, which will threaten the record maximum temperature for a day this late in autumn.

Perth heading towards record late season warmth

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Australia just had its 2nd wettest spring on record and its coolest spring in more than a decade. But will this cool and wet weather continue over summer? 

Climate Update Spring 2022

Parts of Australia just had their wettest October on record, leaving large areas of the landscape flooded as we head into the final month of spring. 

Climate Update - October 2022

Australia just had its coldest winter in eight years and wettest winter in six years. Looking ahead, more wet and�cool weather could be the way this spring as well.�

Australia just had its coldest winter in eight years and wettest winter in six years. Looking ahead, more wet and�cool weather could be the way this spring as w...

Climate Update - Winter 2022

Australia

Southwest Slopes

New South Wales/ACT

New South Wales

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