Annual climate statement 2018

This statement comments on Australia's climate in 2018. The statement has been prepared using the homogenised Australian temperature dataset for area-averaged temperature values and the observational dataset for area-averaged rainfall values and mapped analyses for both temperature and rainfall. The Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology collects, manages and safeguards Australia's climate data archive. 

Key findings of the statement are as follows:

• It was the third-warmest year on record; mean temperature +1.14 °C
• Maximum temperatures were particularly warm; second-warmest on record (+1.55 °C)
• Annual rainfall was 11% below average at 412.8 mm
• Much of Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, and eastern South Australia were affected by drought
• Pacific Ocean ENSO neutral most of the year; positive Indian Ocean Dipole in spring
• Sea surface temperature above average for the Australian region; very much warmer than average for the eastern half