Australian Capital Territory
Australian Capital Territory severe weather & warning links.
Check ACT Emergency Services Agency and BOM warnings, then open the Canberra area forecast and radar. Include NSW information when your trip crosses the border.
Current Bureau of Meteorology warnings for New South Wales and the ACT
5 current warnings listed by the Bureau of Meteorology.
| Type | Warning | Issued |
|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm | Severe Thunderstorm Warning for parts of Northern Rivers Forecast District. | |
| Flood | Minor Flood Warning for the Warrego River (NSW) | |
| Flood | Initial Minor Flood Warning for the Paroo River (NSW) | |
| Flood | Final Flood Warning for the Weir River | |
| Marine and coastal | Marine Wind Warning Summary for New South Wales |
Warning titles and issue times from the Bureau of Meteorology's public warnings feed, © Commonwealth of Australia (terms), shown with links only: read each warning on the Bureau's site. Checked every 10 minutes; last received . Atmosphr is not affiliated with the Bureau.
Official information first
This page is a directory, not a live warning feed. Open BOM to check the current warning area and issue time, and ACT Emergency Services Agency for local information. Atmosphr does not issue or reproduce official emergency warnings here.
ACT weather hazards and when they occur
Canberra’s hazards follow its inland, elevated setting: bushfire and storms in the warmer months, frost and very cold nights in winter.
| Hazard | Typical season | Where in the state | Official source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | The ACT bushfire season runs from 1 October to 31 March, unless the ESA Commissioner varies it | Namadgi, rural areas and suburbs at the city-rural interface | ACT ESA: bushfires |
| Bushfire smoke | During the fire season | Across the city; the ESA warns smoke can make driving very dangerous | ACT ESA: bushfires |
| Severe storms and hail | Most thunderstorms form from September to March | Canberra and Queanbeyan | BOM severe thunderstorms |
| Frost and cold nights | Winter | Suburbs and valleys; the coldest night of winter 2025 was -7.8 °C at Tuggeranong on 22 June | BOM: ACT in winter 2025 |
ACT events worth knowing
- Canberra bushfires, January 2003. Lightning, high temperatures, low humidity and gusty winds started fires in the surrounding national parks. On 18 January two fronts combined into a 25 km front, and the firestorm reached Duffy at about 3 pm. Four people died, more than 435 were injured and about 160,000 hectares burned.
- Hailstorm, 20 January 2020. Hail of 4 to 6 cm fell from Belconnen through the city to the inner south in a storm that lasted about 15 minutes. Canberra Airport recorded a 117 km/h gust, and the ESA received about 2,100 requests for help.
Official ACT channels
- ACT Emergency Services Agency: the ESA website carries ACT incidents, warnings and bushfire season information.
- ACT SES: call 132 500 for storm and flood help, and 000 if life is at risk.
- Warning levels: emergency services use the Australian Warning System. the Queensland Government’s explanation of the national system sets out the three levels: Advice (yellow), meaning an incident has started with no immediate danger; Watch and Act (orange), a heightened threat where you should start taking action; and Emergency Warning (red), the highest level, where you may be in danger and need to act immediately.
- Fire danger: since 1 September 2022 Australia has used the Australian Fire Danger Rating System. Its four levels are Moderate (plan and prepare), High (prepare to act), Extreme (take action now to protect your life and property) and Catastrophic (for your survival, leave bush fire risk areas).
- Across the border: Queanbeyan and surrounding areas are in NSW, where NSW SES and NSW Rural Fire Service information applies.
Using Atmosphr in the ACT
Canberra is on UTC+10 and observes daylight saving, like Sydney. On summer storm days, compare the hourly forecast with recent radar and keep the BOM warnings open. On winter mornings the overnight minimum matters for early starts and frost on roads. Use the ACT forecast hub and check NSW information for trips over the border. Atmosphr shows Open-Meteo model forecasts and RainViewer radar frames from the recent past. It does not issue warnings, and a quiet map is not an all-clear.
Canberra and cross-border weather checks
Use Canberra for the ACT starting point and Queanbeyan for a separate nearby NSW forecast. Confirm the region shown in the detailed view so that saved links open the place you intended.
For travel beyond the Canberra area, add the next town using the location search. A short distance on a map does not guarantee that the same forecast or warning area applies.
Keep ACT ESA information for the Territory and NSW SES information for NSW beside your weather checks. For elevated or remote destinations, use their specific official forecasts and access advice rather than assuming the urban forecast applies.
Local forecasts and rain radar
| Location | Model weather | Recent radar |
|---|---|---|
| Canberra | Canberra 7-day forecast | Canberra radar |
| Queanbeyan | Queanbeyan 7-day forecast | Queanbeyan radar |
Today’s forecast for Australian Capital Territory towns. Each forecast link opens that town’s 7-day forecast page. The radar link opens recent RainViewer composite imagery, including an old BOM-style layout. It is not a station-specific BOM product.
Search another town or suburb · Understand radar coverage and colour