While most of Australia is rated as having normal bushfire potential during spring, the Australasian Fire and Emergency Services Authorities Council (AFAC) warns that residents should be alert as destructive and deadly fires can still occur.

In south-east Queensland and northern New South Wales, grass and crop growth is creating above normal fire potential conditions as Australia heads into spring, as is plentiful grass and dry soil in the north of WA.

“The tendency for ... elevated fire danger to occur earlier and later in the season is a clear trend in Australia's climate,” the AFAC Outlook for Spring 2021 said.

This year has so far seen above average rainfall, except in the central coast Queensland area and south-east SA extending into western Victoria.

The ACT, most of NSW and Victoria are evaluated to have below normal potential for fire this spring as the recovery of vegetation from the summer 2019 bushfires proceeds slowly and recent rainfall has added to soil moisture and stream flows across large parts of eastern Australia.

The rainfall outlook for September to November shows that a wetter than average spring is likely for most of the eastern two thirds of Australia, except western Tasmania.

The Bureau of Meteorology says that after the wettest winter since 2016, spring is likely to bring above average rainfall for people living in the east of the country as well as cooler days and warmer nights, though the outlook remains dry for those living in WA. Spring days are tipped to be warmer for the Top End and Tasmania.

Australia's average winter temperature was expected to be one of the ten warmest on record, particularly in the tropical north, Bureau climatologist Andrew Watkins said.