WA tourist hotspot hits 49.2°C in record January heat
Shark Bay Airport in Western Australia has eclipsed its old January heat record by almost two degrees, with a reading of 49.
ELDERS NEWS
Shark Bay Airport in Western Australia has eclipsed its old January heat record by almost two degrees, with a reading of 49.
Australia’s ocean temperatures reached a record high in 2025, with sea surface temperatures warming close to 1°C above the long-term average.
Seas to the north and east of Australia are experiencing periods of increased activity this week, leading to disruptions to port, maritime and offshore operations.
The mercury in Perth will rise towards 40°C this Tuesday, while Western Australia’s Pilbara region and some adjacent areas will hit the high 40s, with the potential for a 50-degree day.
Transport, emergency, energy and port industries in eastern NSW and Sydney was impacted by significant flash flooding with intense and heavy rainfall this weekend.
An active Tasman is bringing large and unruly surf to southeastern NSW, with the Coral Sea awakening and sending waves into southeast Queensland in the coming week.
Intense and heavy rainfall on Saturday and early on Sunday has brought flash flooding to parts of the Greater Sydney Metropolitan region.
Heavy rain that fell over the NSW South Coast on Thursday and Friday has edged north overnight, with over 100mm falling in the 24 hours to 9am Saturday over the Moruya and Ulladulla regions, with 80mm over parts of the Illawarra.
Extremely heavy rain has fallen on the far South Coast of New South Wales and in Victoria’s East Gippsland region overnight, as a low pressure system formed off the NSW South Coast.
A widespread and dynamic thunderstorm outbreak continues to lash eastern New South Wales and Victoria on Thursday evening, while in the state’s southwest, extremely heavy rainfall along a section of the Great Ocean Road and adjacent ranges caused afternoon flash flooding.
A large portion of Western Australia is currently under the grip of a heatwave, with maximum temperatures soaring above the already scorching January average in many regions.
Parts of New South Wales that have barely seen a drop of rain in the first half of January 2026 will see showers and storms this Wednesday as a trough crosses the state.
Famous for its wildly fluctuating weather, Melbourne is turning on a run of uncharacteristically stable temperatures in the lead-up to the start of the 2026 Australian Open tennis this Sunday.