Australia's wettest El Niño year on record
2026 is on track to be Australia's wettest El Niño year ever, with winter and spring rainfall above the long-term average.
This year is breaking records despite El Niño normally bringing drought to Australia. October has been particularly wet, with Sydney drenched by more than 100 millimetres of rain, central Queensland hit by severe flash flooding, and destructive storms reaching Alice Springs.
A high-pressure system stalled in the Tasman Sea is feeding warm, humid air across the eastern states. Storms are forecast to affect more than half the country over the next week.
Queensland faces the biggest risk, with some inland areas likely to exceed 50 millimetres. Parts of the Maranoa and Warrego districts could possibly reach 100 millimetres, about four times the October average.
November is also expected to be wetter than normal across most of Australia.
- More than 100 millimetres
- Sydney rainfall this week
- Southern Tasman Sea
- High-pressure system location
- 35 years of dry El Niño conditions
- Pattern break
Why it mattersFlooding poses an immediate risk to homes, roads and crops. The unusually wet pattern breaks a 35-year pattern of dry conditions during El Niño years.
AustraliaHeavy rain and flash-flood warnings across eastern Australia this week and next; infrastructure, travel and agriculture face disruption. Record-breaking rainfall could ease drought pressures in some regions but increase flood risk.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 2 h ago
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