Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Map Australia
Current operational sea surface temperature anomaly charts from NOAA — updated daily, with coral bleaching alert, HotSpot and Degree Heating Week maps for Australian waters.
A sea surface temperature anomaly shows how much warmer or cooler the ocean is than normal for the time of year. The maps below are NOAA's current operational 5 km analysis, refreshed daily. Warm anomalies around Australia fuel tropical cyclones, marine heatwaves and coral bleaching; cool anomalies usually mean drier, more stable conditions.
Current SST Anomaly Charts
Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly
How far today's sea surface temperature sits above or below the long-term average for this time of year. Reds show warmer than normal water; blues show cooler than normal.
How to read the SST anomaly colour scale
The colour scale is centred on zero — the long-term average. Whites and pale shades mean the ocean is close to normal. Yellows, oranges and reds mark water that is warmer than average, typically from about +0.5 °C up beyond +3 °C. Blues and purples mark cooler than average water. Because the comparison is against the average for that same calendar date, a warm anomaly in winter does not necessarily mean warm water — just warmer than it should be.
- +0.5 °C to +1 °C: mildly above normal, usually little practical impact.
- +1 °C to +2 °C: significant warmth; extra moisture for rain and storms.
- Above +2 °C: marine heatwave conditions, elevated coral bleaching risk.
- Below −1 °C: notably cool water, often linked with drier onshore flow.
Why warm ocean anomalies matter for Australia
Australia sits between three oceans, so sea surface temperature anomalies shape much of our weather. Warm water in the Coral Sea and Timor Sea deepens the reservoir of heat that tropical cyclones draw on, and the cyclone and wet season outlook leans heavily on those anomalies. Warm anomalies in the Tasman Sea have been linked with heavier east coast rain events, while the Indian Ocean pattern feeds into the Indian Ocean Dipole and southern Australian rainfall.
Basin-wide patterns like El Niño and La Niña show up clearly on these maps as a tongue of warm or cool water along the equatorial Pacific. Read them alongside the other Australian climate drivers and the seasonal weather forecast for a full picture of the months ahead.
Coral Sea, Tasman Sea and Ningaloo focus
For reef watchers, the Bleaching Alert Area chart is the one to check. It converts accumulated heat stress into a simple scale — Watch, Warning, Alert Level 1 and Alert Level 2 — over the Great Barrier Reef, Coral Sea reefs, Ningaloo and the reefs of the Kimberley. Alert Level 1 indicates significant bleaching is likely; Alert Level 2 indicates widespread bleaching and coral mortality are likely.
Boaters, divers and anglers can pair these charts with marine weather forecasts and the interactive weather charts for wind, swell and rainfall detail.
Update schedule and data source
NOAA produces these products once per day, so this page requests the latest image using a daily cache key and re-checks every six hours. You can force an immediate reload with the Refresh chart button. All imagery is courtesy of NOAA Coral Reef Watch and the NOAA Office of Satellite and Product Operations, with methodology documented on the Coral Reef Watch methodology page.
Daily Satellite Analysis
Every chart is built from NOAA's 5 km Geo-Polar Blended sea surface temperature analysis, updated once per day from geostationary and polar-orbiting satellites.
Cyclone & Rainfall Fuel
Warm ocean anomalies around northern Australia feed tropical cyclones, monsoon bursts and east coast rain events. Cool anomalies do the opposite.
Marine Heatwave & Reef Risk
Bleaching alert areas, HotSpots and Degree Heating Weeks show where accumulated heat stress threatens coral reefs and marine ecosystems.
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Resources
Data Source
Data provided by NOAA Coral Reef Watch / Office of Satellite and Product Operations
Update Frequency: Daily