Credit:Jason South Western Australia was less remarkably warm compared with most other regions of the country.

The biggest state had only had one year in the past 16 that recorded – narrowly – a below-average year for mean temperatures. Rain view WA was notable, though, for its rain, with 2017 coming in at its ninth-wettest on record. Nationally, rainfall was about 8 per cent above average at 504.06 millimetres, with the east relatively dry especially in inland regions.

"The middle of the year was notably dry, with June the second-driest on record nationally, and September the driest on record for the Murray-Darling Basin," Dr Braganza said. "The last three months of 2017 took a wetter turn, with above-average rainfall in many areas." Extremes For 2017, Australia's hottest place was Tarcoolain South Australia, which recorded 48.2 degrees on February 9. NSW had the coolest recording, with Perisher Valley's minus 12.1 reading on August 27. Cyclone Debbie helped deliver Queensland two unwanted extremes.

It brought the strongest wind gust of the year with 263km/h recorded at Hamilton Island on March 28, and the wettest day, with 635 millimetres dumped on Mt Jukes two days later. East Gresford cattle farmers Peter & Rosalie Lawrence were among those battling dry conditions in parts of eastern Australia in 2017. Credit:Max Mason-Hubers Heating up the greenhouse Australia's unusually warm temperatures were in line with global ones. International agencies will likely confirm 2017 as the second or third-warmest on record in coming weeks based on average land and sea-surface temperatures going back to the 19th