Australian Weather

17 Sep 2025, 6:58AM UTC

Extremely heavy rain has fallen in parts of North Queensland, with the highest 24-hour total to 9am Wednesday of 379mm recorded at the Topaz weather station, not far inland from Innisfail and just west of Queensland’s highest peak, 1622m Mt Bartle Frere. At least a dozen nearby weather stations exceeded 100mm of rainfall, while Cairns Airport recorded 72.8mm in the 24 hours to 9am Wednesday, its highest September reading since 1988. The city’s main weather station at Cairns Racecourse, about 10km south of the airport, recorded 95.6mm in the 24 hours to 9am Wednesday, on the back of 64.4mm the day before. Image: The combined six-hour radar and satellite loop from 2pm Tuesday show showers pushing towards the coast and becoming heavier as they strike the coastal ranges between Cairns and Innisfail. While these would be big totals in most parts of non-tropical Australia, North Queensland locals would consider it just another downpour – with one key exception. This is North Queensland’s driest time of year. While tropical North Queensland does not have a dry season as severe as Darwin’s where the rain taps virtually turn off entirely for several months, September is still considerably drier than the wet summer months. For example: Cairns (Racecourse) sees just 43.6mm on average in September (the 2nd-driest month) compared to 467.8mm in January (the wettest month). Innisfail, around an hour south of Cairns, sees 85.3mm on average in September (the driest month) compared to 663.2mm in March (the wettest month). Innisfail has already received 326.8mm this September, the vast majority of it since Saturday. What caused the unseasonable deluge? Image: Sea surface temperature anomalies (difference from the long-term average) for Qld waters as at September 16, 2025. Source: BoM. Persistent southeasterlies have been pushing moist Coral Sea air towards the Queensland coast for several days now, with the rainfall potential enhanced by widespread above-average sea surface temperatures for this time of year. The moist winds interacted with a surface trough located just inland from the coast. A drying trend will set in across North Queensland from the end of the week onwards. Our Cairns forecast is here.

17 Sep 2025, 12:36AM UTC

Melbourne will turn on its classic "four seasons in a day" weather in the 24-hour window during which the two AFL preliminary finals will take place at the MCG this Friday and Saturday. Friday's Melbourne weather Friday will be relatively warm for September, with a maximum of 22°C which is nearly five degrees above the long-term September average of 17.3°C. But the situation will start to change as we approach the 7:40pm opening bounce for the Geelong vs Hawthorn preliminary final, as a cold front surges across Victoria. The coldest air from the front is not due until around midnight, but strong wind gusts and potentially heavy showers can be expected during the match, creating challenging conditions for players and spectators alike. Saturday's Melbourne weather If Friday began with just a faint a hint of summer, Saturday will feel like midwinter from the get-go, with cold westerly winds. While showers across Melbourne should be mostly light and relatively infrequent, the mercury should only reach around 15°C in the afternoon, with an apparent or "feels like" temperature below 10°C all day. So if you’re attending the MCG for the Collingwood vs Brisbane match which starts at 5:15pm, it will pay to wear a scarf in your team’s colours, plus a couple of thick layers. READ MORE (OUR STORY FROM THIS WEDNESDAY): Melbourne activates its 'rain shield', dodging moisture from the northwest For the rest of the weekend in Melbourne, expect a late shower on Sunday with a maximum of 17°C, and further showers into Monday with a slightly chillier maximum around 15°C. As for the AFL Grand Final which begins at 2:30pm on Saturday, September 27, it’s too early to predict weather conditions with any confidence. But long-range models currently suggest a period of cool, unstable weather for southern Victoria as a cold front moves in from the southwest. We’ll update you next week. Our Melbourne forecast is here. And then there were four ????#AFLFinals pic.twitter.com/eZteVDXMfi — AFL (@AFL) September 13, 2025 Footy weather in other cities this weekend For those interested in the NRL finals this weekend, Canberra will cop the chill and a shower or two from the cold front on Saturday, meaning that the Raiders vs Sharks match which kicks off at 7:40pm at Canberra’s GIO Stadium on Saturday night will be another chilly event for both spectators and players. A minimum of just 1°C is expected in Canberra on Sunday morning, with a "feels like" temperature hovering very close to zero for much of the match. The Bulldogs vs Panthers match at 4:05pm on Sunday at Sydney’s Accor Stadium should take place in perfect conditions under clear skies with mild temperatures in the low 20s. Click the relevant city for our Canberra and Sydney forecasts. And we’d better not forget the SANFL Grand Final in Adelaide between Sturt and Glenelg at the Adelaide Oval at 2:30pm (ACST) on Sunday, where it will be cool and breezy with showers likely clearing before game time. Our Adelaide forecast is here. This morning’s 2025 Grand Final Press Conference ???? Watch the full video: https://t.co/OWARBDczzF ???? James Elsby pic.twitter.com/xmC3wgVEQn — SANFL (@SANFL) September 16, 2025 Nor should we overlook the WAFL Grand Final between South Fremantle and East Perth beginning at 3:20pm (AWST) on Sunday at Perth’s Optus Stadium, where the weather should be clear and quite warm. Our Perth forecast is here.