Sun spot numbers have for nine months now been forming a shoulder in the 60 to 90(RI) range – November RI number was 70.1 and December 78.
Sunspot chart updated through December –

The much predicted and ballyhooed 2014 El Nino hopes remain just that – warmista dreams – as SOI numbers remain as I said muddling around beneath the El Nino threshold. No one doubts another El Nino will arive sometime – but despite the $Billions spent on warmista climate research facts are nobody knows when the next El Nino arrives. Note: The Nov 2014 post has been listed private because it turned out to be a spam magnet attracting 5,000+ per day spam comments. Who understands it.

The BoM has jumped out of the blocks to say 2014 was the third hottest year for Australia after 2013 and 2005. Of course it helps to realize the BoM is talking about their stroked tweaked and warmed ACORN data series. You can make maps at this BoM site but it is AWAP data not ACORN I think. Note how 2005 map is blighted with the “National Night Time Hotspot” in the SW of NT. Love that error ridden BoM data.
The ABC has an article where you can load annual mean temperature decile maps going back 100 years.
But RSS satellites are saying the 36 year trend for Australia warms less than the Indian Ocean. Fascinating.