Spring roars in with near-record temperatures across Victoria
After a mild winter, temperatures across Victoria are continuing to climb, with the state experiencing a warmer-than-average start to spring.
Spring is beginning with unusually high temperatures across Victoria. The season started off wet and mild, considered one of the warmer winters in the state's recent history. Farmers anticipate that the lingering winter rain will sustain their crops during the anticipated hotter, drier spring season. The average top temperature in Melbourne for September is 17.3 degrees Celsius; however, yesterday's reading of nearly 22 degrees Celsius surpassed this norm.
East Gippsland, a temperate region, experienced a lunchtime temperature of 24.1 degrees Celsius, which is more than 6 degrees above the typical September average. Across the entire state, temperatures are being observed that are rarely encountered. Forecaster Chris Kent from the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) described these conditions as exceptionally rare.
The fire outlook for Victoria is among the most severe in the past 25 years, with East Gippsland and parts of southwestern Victoria at heightened risk of bushfires starting in October. An established El Niño climate pattern might contribute to continued warmer and drier conditions across Australia in the coming months. Despite the worries about a drier, hotter spring, the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES) predicts that grain production in Victoria, New South Wales, and South Australia could be exceptionally high.
Jane Carney, a beef cattle breeder in North-east Victoria, stated that she and other farmers are capitalizing on the favorable conditions while also preparing contingency plans. While acknowledging the potential for a sudden and severe downturn, Carney emphasized the importance of seizing the current opportunities to generate income.
The BOM forecasted that severe weather events would become more frequent across Australia during the upcoming spring. Senior meteorologist Jonathan How remarked that the winter of 2026 will be remembered for its unprecedented warmth. He noted that preliminary data indicated it was among the 10 warmest winters on record across Australia.
Climate change expert Andrew Watkins from the Climate Council emphasized that the burning of fossil fuels would continue to elevate temperatures. He stated that the El Niño-induced dry and warm weather would be compounded by the climate change-driven dry and warm conditions, resulting in a particularly hazardous combination.
Written by urgent.news from ABC News AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
