Australia’s spring rainfall 26 percent higher than average, Bureau reports

Record downpours in September has resulted in a higher than average rainfall across the nation during spring, a Bureau of Meteorology report has revealed.

While temperatures hovered around a comfortable 22.5 degrees, spring rainfall was 26 percent above average.

"Following Australia's second-wettest winter on record, record rainfall continued during September, resulting in record rainfall over many areas of eastern and northern Australia for each multi-month period since May 2016," the bureau said today.

"Vigorous cold fronts during September and October brought heavy rainfall and damaging winds across many areas of the southeast."

Most of Victoria, eastern South Australia, western Queensland, all of Tasmania, much of the Northern Territory, parts of northern Western Australia and the Murray-Darling Basin all recorded above average rain.

The amount of rain during winter and spring has sparked warnings about potentially deadly grassfires this summer.

Experts have said with a hotter and drier than average December expected, there is a danger the thick carpet of vegetation spread across parts of the south will dry quickly and provide plenty of fuel for bushfires.

Meanwhile, Victoria, NSW and South Australia had cooler-than-average spring temperatures, while the mercury pushed higher than usual in Tasmania and Western Australia.

"Large parts of southeast South Australia were very much below average, with an area surrounding Port Augusta recording lowest on record for minima during spring," the bureau said.

SPRING WEATHER SUMMARY

Rainfall: 26 percent above average

Wettest day:  November 13, with 204.1mm in Gray, Tasmania

Coldest day:  October 11, with -2 degrees at Thredbo, NSW

Hottest day:  November 5, with 46.2 degrees at West Roebuck, WA