Climate and Weather of Australia
Australia is a vast continent with a wide variety of climates. The largest part of the country has desert or semi-arid climate and most of the country receives more than 3000 hours of sunshine a year. Generally, the north is hot and tropical, while the climate of the southern coastal regions is "Mediterranean" with hot dry summers and cool mild wet winters. Most rainfall is seen around the coast.Because Australia is relatively close to the equator, it is quite warm. In the north, temperatures are still well above 28°C during the local winter, and only in some parts of southern Australia there is a chance of frost or snow. It is also a fairly dry country, with over half of the land area receiving less than five hundred millimeters of precipitation on an annual basis.
As Australia is in the southern hemisphere the winter is from June to September while December-February is summer. Winter is the dry season in the tropics, and summer is the wet season. In the southern parts of the country, the seasonal temperature variation is greater and most of the rainfall occurs during winter.
An easy answer to the question "what is the best time to travel to Australia?" is not really possible. Actually, you can go to Australia all year round. It depends on your specific destination what the best travel period is. Will you go to the tropical north, visit the outback or stay in southern Australia? That determines when you should travel to this diverse country.
If you travel between October and January our recommendation is to start your travels in the South (Melbourne), before heading to the North. If you travel between June and September we recommend you begin your travels in North Australia and make your way down south slowly.
Are you interested in more detailed information for various cities in Australia?
Please select the city you plan to visit, or one closest to your destination. For each selected city, you will see the following graphs:
1. Yearly average minimum and maximum temperatures
2. Monthly averages of precipitation throughout the year (rainfall, snow etc)
3. Monthly average hours of sunshine throughout the year
Additionally, some pages provide historical weather data such as humidity, wind speed, and water temperature.