12.9°C in Liawenee, Tasmania, Ties its July Highest Temperature on Record

Amid ongoing episodes of anomalous winter warmth in the Southern Hemisphere, Tasmania has just recorded another historic temperature milestone, as Liawenee — one of the coldest places in Australia — tied its all-time July high with a maximum temperature of 12.9°C.

Known for its harsh frosts and regular sub-zero lows, Liawenee sits on Tasmania’s Central Plateau at an elevation of over 1,000 meters and often records the lowest temperatures in the country. A July maximum near 13°C is exceptionally mild by local standards, and matches the site’s warmest July day ever recorded.

This unusual warmth is part of a broader pattern of winter temperature anomalies seen across Tasmania and southeastern Australia in recent weeks. A persistent northwest airflow, driven by high pressure over the Tasman Sea and enhanced by subtropical moisture advection, has brought well-above-average temperatures across the island state. These conditions have also led to suppressed frost formation and above-normal minimums, further emphasizing the intensity of the warm spell.

The repeat tying of such a record at Liawenee — a station considered a benchmark for cold in Australia — underscores the changing nature of winter extremes, where record warmth now challenges traditional cold strongholds.

Illustration picture: https://i2.au.reastatic.net/800×600/4806bf654fac58b858a15fe49b25fd72cf15e53e362ed780cebfe14278b5fc54/image.jpg