Here’s the latest on Tasmania’s May temperature records.
- Hobart set a May-day high record in late April 2026, with Hobart city reaching around 26.9°C and Hobart Airport at 27.5°C, eclipsing the previous May record by about a degree. This marked one of the warmest May days on record for Hobart and added to unusually high May readings across multiple sites in the state.[2]
- Launceston and other towns also posted historic May highs, with Launceston recording around 24.3°C at Tea Tree Bend and Launceston Airport at 23.5°C, surpassing long-standing May records in several locations.[2]
- The warmth was attributed to a slow-moving high-pressure system over the Tasman Sea delivering hot air from the mainland.[2]
Context and implications
- The episode fits a pattern of late-season warmth noted in Tasmania, with May temperatures reaching record or near-record levels in multiple sites as a high-pressure influence persisted over the region.[2]
- While these events are notable, they occur within a broader climate context where Tasmania has shown increased variability in warm-season records in recent years, reinforcing the importance of monitoring fire risk and water resources as autumn gradually settles in.[1][2]
If you’d like, I can pull more details (site-by-site records, dates, and official BoM notes) or summarize official statements from the Bureau of Meteorology.
Sources
Liawenee just registered its third consecutive night below -12°C, setting a new record for Tasmania. This week’s weather in southeastern Australia is being dominated by an abnormally strong high pressure system. In Tasmania, this high is causing very stable, dry, calm and clear conditions, creating an ideal environment for profuse radiative cooling at nighttime. Under the influence of this strong high pressure system, temperatures have been plummeting on Tasmania’s Central Plateau during the...
www.weatherzone.com.auKing Island recorded the state’s highest temperature at 26.4…
pulsetasmania.com.auLaunceston is on target to more than double the record for consecutive days above 30 degrees with three more days to go. Today was the sixth day in a row that Launceston has exceeded 30 degrees. The previous longest run in 33 years of records was four days in a row, set in January 2006. This stretch includes a record March temperature of 33 degrees. Launceston is likely to reach 30 degrees for the next three days, more than doubling the previous record. Butlers Gorge has also been very warm,...
www.weatherzone.com.auTasmania has experienced its hottest may day on record. Temperatures have been smashed right across the island with at least 12 cities and towns reaching new highs.
www.dailymotion.comTasmania is well into autumn, but firefighters remain on alert as late-season bushfires have threatened communities. This Friday marks the first day of May, and with it could come one of the state's…
www.abc.net.auThe state has recorded its hottest day of the year so far, with temperatures soaring above the 30°C mark. On Tuesday, Hobart reached a peak of 31.2°C at 3:05pm, while Launceston recorded 26.5…
pulsetasmania.com.auThe temp is just 0.7°C from the state record and comes after recent -12.9°C and -10.8…
pulsetasmania.com.auFour states break May heat records on Friday, May 1, 2026, with Hobart having its hottest May day by well over a degree.
www.weatherzone.com.au