Prosper in a dynamic world
Search

‘Australia’s hottest place’ almost 6 degrees above average in October

 

Onslow, a coastal town in Western Australia’s Pilbara region with a population of around 900, holds half of a significant Australian heat record – equalling Australia’s highest recorded temperature when the mercury reached a searing 50.7°C in January 2022.

On average, Onslow is not quite as hot as several other WA towns such as Marble Bar, which sits 200 km inland from the Pilbara coast, but it’s still plenty hot enough, and the heat in October 2023 was quite remarkable.

In October 2023, Onslow’s average maximum was a whopping 5.7°C above the long-term monthly average from 1943-2023.

  • Onslow’s long-term average max in Oct is 32.9°C
  • Onslow’s average max in Oct 2023 was 38.6°C

The remarkable anomaly of almost six degrees was caused by higher-than-normal air pressure which lingered over central Australia during October due to the active El Niño and positive IOD.

This directed persistent southeasterly winds to the Pilbara coast, pushing hot desert air to the coast and delaying sea breezes most days.

Image: Another beautiful scorching day in Paradise. iStock.

Meanwhile across Australia, October average maximum temperatures were much warmer than usual in almost all areas, with seven of the eight capital cities recording above-average max temps.

The list below shows how far each capital city’s October 2023 max temps were above or below the long-term monthly average:

Sydney +3.5°C (3rd-hottest Oct on record for max temps)

Perth +2.9°C (2nd-hottest Oct on record for max temps)

Darwin +1.3°C

Hobart +1°C

Canberra +0.7°C

Brisbane +0.5°C

Adelaide +0.1°C

Melbourne -0.5°C

If you’re in Melbourne and you thought October was a little chilly overall, even by local standards, you’re right.

OpticastTM V5 is Weatherzone’s cloud-based, consensus forecasting solution that delivers precise weather data to your business, both nationally and globally.

Independently verified to significantly outperform other industry models, Opticast gives you a strategic advantage if weather impacts your enterprise. Armed with the most accurate nowcasting and forecasting data, you can mitigate operational and safety risks, and plan to make the most of severe weather windows.

Opticast is powered by machine learning, intelligently adapting to the local conditions of your site area. Gain a world-leading forecasting system that rapidly responds to changing conditions.

We give you the foresight to make quick and powerful decisions when you need to protect your valuable team and assets, and ensure maximum productivity. For more information, please contact us at apac.sales@dtn.com

Latest news

Satisfy your weather obsession with these news headlines from around the nation, and the world.

How Victoria just had its warmest autumn on record

Victoria just experienced it’s warmest autumn on record, but why? Average temperatures across Victoria were 1.90°C above average throughout autumn 2025, which narrowly exceeded the old record set in 2016. Image: Temperature anomalies in Victoria from 1910 to 2025. Source: BoM. Australia as a whole was 1.41°C above average in autumn 2025, which made it […]

Perth’s wettest day in 11 months as thunderstorms slam western WA businesses

Perth just registered its wettest day since July last year and more rain is in the way for Australia’s west coast in the coming days. The first five months of 2025 were unusually dry in Perth. The city only received 96 mm of its 170 mm average for the period from the start of January to […]

Powerful storms lash New Caledonia and South Pacific

Intense rainfall and thunderstorms impacted New Caledonia early this morning, with more to come for other South Pacific islands to the east. Flooding rainfall and intense thunderstorms in New Caledonia The satellite imagery below shows an area of convergence into a low pressure trough moving over New Caledonia early on Wednesday, June 4. This convergence […]

Big wintry week of rain, snow and frost for Australia’s energy market and hydropower

Rain, storms and winds will move over western WA, while two significant lows and cold fronts will send a deep chill, rain and snow driving energy demand across Tasmania and southeastern mainland Australia, in an unmistakeable sign that winter is now here. Southwest WA Perth appears set for its heaviest rain of 2025 to date […]