Australia’s land surface has warmed by 1.5°C since 1910, according to the Bureau of Meteorology’s long-term temperature records.
This finding is highlighted in the bureau’s annual climate statement, noting that 2023 was tied for the eighth warmest year on record, with national temperatures 0.98°C above the 1961-1990 average.
Global efforts aim to limit warming to 1.5°C relative to pre-industrial levels (1850-1900), including land and ocean temperatures.
However, the Bureau’s figure of 1.5°C pertains only to land temperatures in Australia and has a margin of error of ±0.23°C. It is not directly related to the global temperature goals.
2023 saw the warmest winter on record and the driest August-October period.Dr. Simon Grainger from the Bureau explained that the land warming in Australia, which recently hit the 1.5°C mark, is in line with the broader global warming trend, with 2023 being the hottest year on record globally.
This warming is primarily driven by fossil fuel emissions and deforestation, which have increased atmospheric CO2 by about 50% since the 18th century. Dr. Andrew King from the University of Melbourne noted that Australia is warming faster than the global average, with land temperatures rising more quickly than ocean temperatures.
A study last year, using official and historical data, found that Australia’s land had warmed by around 1.6°C since 1850-1900, about 1.4 times the global average increase. Dr. Linden Ashcroft emphasized that even small temperature increases are significant and concerning.
Major Australian cities experienced some of their highest temperatures on record. Sydney, for example, had its second warmest year for maximum temperatures. Other cities like Canberra, Hobart, Brisbane, Perth, and Darwin also recorded top-10 maximum temperatures.
Sea surface temperatures around Australia were the seventh warmest on record, 0.54°C above the 1961-1990 average. Since 1995, sea temperatures have been above average every year. The warming trend extends to the ocean, with temperatures rising by 1.05°C since 1900, and nine of the ten warmest years on record occurring since 2010.
In 2023, the climate was influenced by a transitioning La Niña system to El Niño, leading to the warmest winter and driest August-October period on record. Grainger highlighted that climate change is affecting temperatures year-round, not just in summer.