Winter 2026 was exceptionally warm across southeastern and eastern Australia, with all capital cities between Brisbane, Hobart and Adelaide registering one of their top three warmest winters on record.

A lack of strong cold fronts passing over southeastern Australia during the last three months allowed temperatures to run well above average throughout winter. While there were still periods of cold weather, there was a noticeable absence of polar outbreaks and prolonged cold spells this season.

Warmest winter on record for Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra

Australia's two most populated cities, Sydney and Melbourne, and the nation’s capital, Canberra, all set new winter warmth records this season. These three cities collectively account for around 11.5 million people, which is more than 40% of Australia's population.

Sydney’s mean temperature in winter 2026 was around 15.29°C, which is the city’s highest winter mean temperature on record, beating 14.95°C from 2013. The city’s average maximum temperature of 19.64°C was also a new record for winter. Data for Sydney dates back to 1859.

Melbourne’s mean temperature this winter will come in at around 12.18°C, just above the previous record of 12.17°C from 2013. This makes 2026 the city’s warmest winter since observations commenced in 1855.

Canberra also had its warmest winter on record, with a seasonal mean temperature of about 8.14°C. The previous record for the nation’s capital was 7.94°C in 2013, with data available back to the 1920s.

Top three warmest winters for Brisbane, Adelaide and Hobart

Hobart had its second warmest winter on record, with a mean temperature of around 10.51°C, putting the season behind 10.62°C in 2023. Hobart’s Ellerslie Road weather station has records dating to 1882 (but there are a few years missing in the early 1900s).

Brisbane’s mean temperature in winter was around 17.63°C, which falls just below 17.64°C from 2019 and 17.68°C from 2023. Brisbane is another location with winter temperature records stretching back into the 1800s, with observations commencing in 1887. It was also Brisbane’s driest winter since 2004.

Adelaide’s seasonal mean of around 12.90°C will also come in at third place behind 12.92°C in 2009 and 13.03°C in 2023. Adelaide’s observational history also begun in 1887. Despite being so warm, Adelaide also registered its wettest winter in 30 years.

It’s likely that this will have been one of Australia's warmest winters on record based on the national mean temperature. However, that figure won’t be available until early September, once all the data from the final day of winter has come in.

The statistics mentioned in this article are provisional seasonal averages based on observations up to 9am on Monday, August 31, combined with the forecast maximum temperatures on Monday. The final official seasonal values will become available after 9am on Tuesday, September 1.