Australia has experienced its hottest January on record, with the nation’s mean temperature exceeding 30 degrees last month.

The Bureau of Meteorology says records were broken for both heat duration and individual daily extremes. A high-pressure system in the Tasman Sea blocked cold fronts and cooler air from reaching the south, while a delayed monsoon reduced moist air in the north.

Every state but Queensland experienced below or far-below-average rainfall for the month, with Tasmania and northeast NSW experiencing the driest January on record.