West Lakes

West Lakes Weather

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

While most Mums across Australia will have dry weather on Mother&rsquo;s Day this Sunday, some will have to make indoor plans to escape the rain.
Showers of gifts are a welcome sight on Mother&rsquo;s Day, but showers of rain aren&rsquo;t usually on the wish list.
This year, the vast majority of Australia will be kept dry on Mother&rsquo;s Day by a large ridge of high pressure extending across the country&rsquo;s south. However, some areas will be wet and a few places could ee heavy rain.
The map below shows where rain is predicted to fall on Mother&rsquo;s Day this year.
<img src="https://news-images.weatherzone.com.au/twc/mothers_day_rainfall_2025.jpg" alt="" width="1920" height="1080" />
Image: Forecast accumulated rain on Sunday, May 11, 2025.
Showers will affect parts of eastern Australia on Mother&rsquo;s Day, most likely between central NSW northern Qld. A weak low pressure trough could also bring a few light showers to some southern parts of WA, and showers are possible in southwest Tas and the eastern Top End.
Brisbane, Sydney and most areas in between have a chance of wet weather on Sunday, although there should be breaks in the rain throughout the day in both cities.
Some computer models suggest that heavy rain could soak parts of northern Qld, although there is some disagreement between models regarding how much rain will fall.
Based on the pattern currently expected across Australia this Sunday, we aren&rsquo;t likely to see severe weather in any major Australian city on Mother&rsquo;s Day this year.
<img src="https://news-images.weatherzone.com.au/twc/mother_day_banner_2025.jpg" alt="" width="1920" height="1080" />
Image: Australian capital city forecasts for Mother&rsquo;s Day 2025.
However you plan to spend the day, Weatherzone wishes a happy Mother&rsquo;s Day to all the Mums out there.


While most Mums across Australia will have dry weather on Mother’s Day this Sunday, some will have to make indoor plans to escape the rain.


Showers of gifts are a welcome sight on Mother’s Day, but showers of rain aren’t usually on the wish list.


This year, the vast majority of Australia will be kept dry on Mother’s Day by a large ridge of high pressure extending across the country’s south. However, some areas will be wet and a few places could ee heavy rain.


The map below shows where rain is predicted to fall on Mother’s Day this year.





Image: Forecast accumulated rain on Sunday, May 11, 2025.


Showers will affect parts of eastern Australia on Mother’s Day, most likely between central NSW northern Qld. A weak low pressure trough could also bring a few light showers to some southern parts of WA, and showers are possible in southwest Tas and the eastern Top End.


Brisbane, Sydney and most areas in between have a chance of wet weather on Sunday, although there should be breaks in the rain throughout the day in both cities.


Some computer models suggest that heavy rain could soak parts of northern Qld, although there is some disagreement between models regarding how much rain will fall.


Based on the pattern currently expected across Australia this Sunday, we aren’t likely to see severe weather in any major Australian city on Mother’s Day this year.





Image: Australian capital city forecasts for Mother’s Day 2025.


However you plan to spend the day, Weatherzone wishes a happy Mother’s Day to all the Mums out there.


While most Mums across Australia will have dry weather on Mother's Day this Sunday, some will have to make indoor plans to escape the rain.

Here's what Mother Nature has in store for Mother's Day

Heavy snow has fallen in Tasmania, with chilly temperatures also spreading to the southeast corner of mainland Australia after the passage of a <a href="https://www.weatherzone.com.au/news/powerful-cold-front-sweeping-across-tasmania/1890565">powerful autumn cold front</a>.&nbsp;
The front brought snow down to around 500 metres above sea level, with accumulations exceeding 15cm at higher elevations, while numerous weather stations in the western half of the state recorded much-needed falls of rain in the range of 25-50mm.
As the sun poked its nose through the cloud on Thursday morning, spectacular views of Mt Field (1434m) were on offer from the tiny township of Maydena, about 90 minutes northwest of Hobart. Mike Callow, who runs Maydena&rsquo;s Fika Time cafe, told Weatherzone it was the third snowfall this year but definitely the heaviest to date.
<img src="https://news-images.weatherzone.com.au/wz/Mtfield_skinny.jpg" alt="" width="1086" height="2048" />
Image: The view to Mt Field from Maydena, Tas, on Thursday, May 8, 2025. Source: Mike Callow, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/FikaTimeCafe">Fika Time Cafe/Restaurant</a>.
Mt Field National Park (pictured above) is also home to Mt Mawson, a club-run, non-commercial ski field where the morning snow cams revealed snow enthusiasts enjoying the first turns of the season despite the rudimentary ski lifts not yet being open.&nbsp;
<img src="https://news-images.weatherzone.com.au/wz/Mawson1_May8.jpg" alt="" width="1138" height="640" />
Image: If you love the snow, you&rsquo;ve simply got to go. Source: <a href="https://mtmawson.info/snow-cam/">Mt Mawson</a>.
While cold air in the wake of the front made it to southeastern Australia, the bulk of the moisture didn&rsquo;t cross Bass Strait, although light falls of rain were recorded across southeastern SA and large parts of Victoria. The highest reading was 14mm at both Mt Baw Baw and Mt Buller in the Victorian Alps, some of which fell as snow.
But the main effect from this front for the mainland is the much cooler temperatures. For example:
<ul>
<li>At 10am on Thursday, <a href="https://www.weatherzone.com.au/station/SITE/70351/observations">Canberra</a> was 12.7&deg;C. At 10am on Wednesday it was 18.9&deg;C.</li>
<li>At 10am on Thursday, <a href="https://www.weatherzone.com.au/station/SITE/86338/observations">Melbourne</a> was 14&deg;C. At 10am on Wednesday it was 19&deg;C.</li>
<li>At 10am on Thursday, <a href="https://www.weatherzone.com.au/station/SITE/71032/daily-summaries">Thredbo Top Station</a> was 0&deg;C. At 10am on Wednesday it was 6.7&deg;C.</li>
</ul>
Cold nights lie ahead for much of the southeast, with a strong high pressure system centred over SE Australia set to create clear, calm conditions at night which will be conducive to widespread frosts.
Canberra is expected to see &ndash;1&deg;C on both Friday and Saturday morning, while Perisher Valley (which often has mainland Australia&rsquo;s lowest recorded temperatures) should dip to &ndash;5&deg;C on Friday. Melbourne should also shiver through its coldest night of 2025 to date with 5&deg;C expected on Saturday morning.
Minimums in coming nights won&rsquo;t be quite as low in Tasmania, with the state remaining under the influence of cloud and westerly winds.


Heavy snow has fallen in Tasmania, with chilly temperatures also spreading to the southeast corner of mainland Australia after the passage of a powerful autumn cold front. 


The front brought snow down to around 500 metres above sea level, with accumulations exceeding 15cm at higher elevations, while numerous weather stations in the western half of the state recorded much-needed falls of rain in the range of 25-50mm.


As the sun poked its nose through the cloud on Thursday morning, spectacular views of Mt Field (1434m) were on offer from the tiny township of Maydena, about 90 minutes northwest of Hobart. Mike Callow, who runs Maydena’s Fika Time cafe, told Weatherzone it was the third snowfall this year but definitely the heaviest to date.





Image: The view to Mt Field from Maydena, Tas, on Thursday, May 8, 2025. Source: Mike Callow, Fika Time Cafe/Restaurant.


Mt Field National Park (pictured above) is also home to Mt Mawson, a club-run, non-commercial ski field where the morning snow cams revealed snow enthusiasts enjoying the first turns of the season despite the rudimentary ski lifts not yet being open. 





Image: If you love the snow, you’ve simply got to go. Source: Mt Mawson.


While cold air in the wake of the front made it to southeastern Australia, the bulk of the moisture didn’t cross Bass Strait, although light falls of rain were recorded across southeastern SA and large parts of Victoria. The highest reading was 14mm at both Mt Baw Baw and Mt Buller in the Victorian Alps, some of which fell as snow.


But the main effect from this front for the mainland is the much cooler temperatures. For example:




At 10am on Thursday, Canberra was 12.7°C. At 10am on Wednesday it was 18.9°C.


At 10am on Thursday, Melbourne was 14°C. At 10am on Wednesday it was 19°C.


At 10am on Thursday, Thredbo Top Station was 0°C. At 10am on Wednesday it was 6.7°C.




Cold nights lie ahead for much of the southeast, with a strong high pressure system centred over SE Australia set to create clear, calm conditions at night which will be conducive to widespread frosts.


Canberra is expected to see –1°C on both Friday and Saturday morning, while Perisher Valley (which often has mainland Australia’s lowest recorded temperatures) should dip to –5°C on Friday. Melbourne should also shiver through its coldest night of 2025 to date with 5°C expected on Saturday morning.


Minimums in coming nights won’t be quite as low in Tasmania, with the state remaining under the influence of cloud and westerly winds.


Cold front leaves deep snow in Tasmania and brings cold air with frosty nights to mainland Australia.

Snow blankets Tasmania, chill spreads to SE mainland

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