Was fun while it lasted

BureauTuesday Oct 18 20:59 AEST

Get ready for a hot summer, the Bureau of Meteorology has warned.

In its latest seasonal temperature outlook, covering the November to January period, the bureau said there was a 60 per cent chance most of the country would experience above-average temperatures.

This calendar year is already shaping up to be one of the warmest on record, with the January to September period the hottest since records were first kept.

The bureau said there was a 60 to 65 per cent chance of above-average temperatures for most of Queensland, NSW, Victoria, and parts of South Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory. While days will be warmer, get set for even more uncomfortable nights.

The bureau says there is up to a 75 per cent chance of above-average night-time temperatures for parts of southern Queensland and parts of northern NSW.

Our last outlook was suggesting quite a high chance of below-normal rainfall, particularly in parts of south-eastern Australia, and this outlook has backed off a little bit," he told ABC Radio.

"It's still leaning slightly towards a higher chance of drier conditions in parts of south-eastern Australia - 55 per cent to 60 per cent but that's backed off from the 60 per cent to 70 per cent we were seeing last month."