Record September heat as north-east misses the rain

Parts of Tasmania’s north-east have recorded their highest average September daytime temperatures on record and less than a fifth of their usual rainfall, with one east coast farmer cutting stock as feed and water run short.

Preliminary Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) data to September 28 show areas around St Marys and Scamander received less than 10mm for the month.

In contrast, most of the west and south recorded more than 100mm, though the bureau says totals were below average across most of the state.

Mayfield Estate owner Bruce Dunbabin said that his Swansea farm received 160mm of rain in June but only “a few millimetres here and there before that and since”.

“It’s seriously impacted wool production - we’ve had to cut stock numbers by about 20 per cent because feed is getting tight,” Mr Dunbabin said.

“This has been a tough, dry spring - we’ve basically missed three spring rains in a row - and dam levels are down to half already when they should be full.”

BOM senior climatologist Jonathan Pollock said parts of the north-east and Flinders Island have received less than 20 per cent of their average September rainfall.

“Including the forecast to the end of the month, rainfall totals for September 2026 are tracking very much below average for parts of the north-east and the Bass Strait Islands, close to average for parts of the south-east, and below average for most of the rest of the state,” Mr Pollock said.

“Mean maximum temperatures have been highest on record for September for parts of the north-east, and very much above average elsewhere.

“Mean minimum temperatures have been above average for most of the state.”

Mr Pollock said rainfall totals for September 2025 were above average to very much above average across the west, centre and south, but below average to very much below average for parts of the east coast.

Meanwhile, rain levels for the same period in 2024 were above average to very much above average for most of Tasmania, but below average for a patch of the east coast.

The BOM said that below-average-trending to neutral rainfall is likely for most of Tasmania for the remainder of Spring.

The official climate summary for Tasmania in September 2026 will be published on October 5.