Climate - Australia

The climate in detail

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• The seasons
• Hot arid Outback: Port Hedland, Alice Springs, Oodnadatta
• Mediterranean south: Perth, Adelaide
• Tropical north: Darwin, Cairns
• Subtropical East Coast: Brisbane, Sydney
• Oceanic southeast: Canberra, Melbourne, Australian Alps, Tasmania
• Cyclones
• El Niño and La Niña
• When to go
• What to pack

The seasons

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Winter is warm in the north, very mild in the desert areas, but with cold nights, mild in the main cities of the central-south, and cold in the mountains. In July, the coldest month, the average temperature is around 25 °C (77 °F) in Darwin, 15 °C (59 °F) in Brisbane, 12/13 °C (54/55 °F) in the desert area, but also in Perth and Sydney, 10 °C (50 °F) in Melbourne, 8.5 °C (47 °F) in Hobart (Tasmania), and 6 °C (43 °F) in Canberra (at 600 meters or 2,000 feet above sea level).
Although the winter is mild, the center-south, where almost all the main cities are located, can be affected by cold winds of Antarctic origin, and since some houses have no heating or are poorly insulated, the feeling of cold can be greater than you might expect. In any case, on the coldest nights, the temperature can drop to around 0 °C (32 °F) in the southern coastal cities and even in the desert.

Summer is hot and muggy in the north and on the east coast, and torrid in the desert areas, while it is milder in the extreme south-east and in Tasmania.
The average temperature of January, the warmest month, is around 28 °C (82.5 °F) in the tropical north (see Darwin), while it exceeds 30 °C (86 °F) in the central and western desert area. In south-central cities (see Brisbane, Sydney, Perth) it is around 24/25 °C (75/77 °F), while in the south, it is around 21.5 °C (70.5 °F) in Canberra, 20 °C (68 °F) in Melbourne and 18 °C (64.5 °F) in Hobart.
In summer, the coasts can be affected by heat waves caused by torrid winds blowing from the desert, sometimes accompanied by sand, with temperatures of 40 °C (104 °F) and more. The wind, associated with drought, can cause more or less widespread fires.
In the warm season, central and northern Australia, especially the coasts, can be affected by tropical cyclones.

Hot arid Outback

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In the vast area, generically called "Outback", the climate is arid: it is considered desert where precipitation is between 150 and 250 millimeters (6 and 10 inches) per year (see the area inside the burgundy line) and semi-desert in the area where annual precipitation is between 250 and 400 mm (10 and 16 in) per year (the area within the orange line).
In Australia, there are several deserts, such as the Great Sandy Desert, the Gibson Desert, the Great Victoria Desert, and the Simpson Desert. In this area, there are no large cities and population density is low.
Rainfall usually occurs in the form of thunderstorms during the warm period, except in the southernmost area, facing the coast (Great Australian Bight), where it falls in winter.
Temperatures vary depending on areas: winter is milder in the northern part and on the west coast, while summer is very hot almost everywhere, except in the southernmost part. Heat records are close to 50 °C (122 °F).
In winter, it can get cold at night, especially in inland areas.

On the north-west coast of Western Australia (see Eighty Mile Beach, Port Hedland, Onslow), the heat is intense even along the coast.

Port Hedland

For example, in Port Hedland, the average daily temperature in January, the hottest month, is 31 °C (88 °F). During the day, the temperature can exceed 40 °C (104 °F) from September to April, and the highest record is 49 °C (120 °F). Here are the average temperatures.

Alice Springs

Moving inland, in the central-western part of the desert, the summer heat, although very intense, is slightly tempered by the altitude, which often exceeds 400 metres (1,300 feet).
For example, in Alice Springs, located in the state of the Northern Territory, just south of the Tropic of Capricorn and practically at the center of Australia, in the summer months the heat records are around 45 °C (113 °F). On the other hand, on winter nights the temperature can drop to a few degrees below freezing, although during the day, with the sun shining, the temperature rises a lot and the air becomes pleasantly mild. Here are the average temperatures.

In the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park (see Yulara), where the famous sandstone monolith Uluru (or Ayers Rock) is located, but also the rock formation called Kata Tjuta, the average altitude exceeds 500 meters (1,600 ft).

Oodnadatta

Further southeast, the Oodnadatta Track (which crosses the towns of Marla, Oodnadatta, William Creek and Marree), mostly located below 200 meters (650 ft) above sea level, is particularly hot and dry. In fact, the heat record is around 48 °C or 118.5 °F (although, according to some sources, it would exceed 50 °C or 122 °C), and less then 200 mm (8 in) of rain fall per year.
About 100 km (60 mi) northeast od Oodnadatta is the Simpson Desert. About 150 km (100 mi) to the southeast, on the other hand, is Lake Kati Thanda (or Lake Eyre), a large, often dry, endorheic salt lake located in a depression that reaches up to 15 meters (50 ft) below sea level. Once every few years it can be partially filled, and sometimes in a century, following particularly abundant rains, generally in the years of La Niña strong, it can be completely filled. In March 2019, it hit its highest level in 50 years.

Mediterranean south

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In the south-western part of the states of Western Australia and South Australia (see Perth, Adelaide), the climate can be defined as Mediterranean, in fact, the winters are mild and rainy and the summers are hot and sunny. However, compared to the areas located in the Mediterranean Sea, the climate here is more unstable and windy, due to the proximity of both the ocean and the desert.

Perth

In Perth, Western Australia, the daily average temperature ranges from 13.5 °C (56.5 °F) in July to 25 °C (77 °F) in January and February. In a typical year, 700 mm (27.5 in) of rain fall, most of which occur from May to August.
The temperature never drops below freezing, although in the metropolitan area there may be slight frosts at night in the winter months. From November to March, the hot wind from the desert can raise the temperature to around 40 °C (104 °F) for a few days, with peaks of 45 °C (113 °F), but highs are normally around 30/32 °C (86/90 °F) and lively sea breezes blow from the ocean in the afternoon. Here are the average temperatures.

The ocean temperature in Perth is cool all year round, but all in all, it becomes acceptable for swimming from January to May, when it reaches 22/23 °C (72/73 °F).

South of Perth, in the south-western tip of Australia, in towns such as Denmark and Pemberton, the rains reach 1,000/1,200 mm (39/47 in) per year, but still with a Mediterranean pattern (ie with rainy winters and dry summers); summers are a bit cooler, but short waves of intense heat are possible here as well.

Adelaide

In Adelaide, South Australia, the climate is similar to that of Perth, although summer is slightly cooler and winter less rainy. The average temperature ranges from 22.7 °C (74 °F) in February to 11.3 °C (52.3 °F) in July. Here, too, the summer heat is cooled by sea breezes, and here too, from November to March, short heat waves are possible, with peaks around 40 °C (104 °F).

Tropical north

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The vast northern area of Australia has a tropical climate, with a dry, sunny season ("the dry", usually from May to October) and a rainy and muggy season ("the wet", usually from November to April). Annual rainfall exceeds 400 mm (15.5 in), and it's more abundant along the northernmost and the eastern coasts, where it generally ranges from 1,200 to 2,000 mm (47 to 80 in). The tropical rains mainly occur in the form of downpours or thunderstorms.
In the driest areas, we find savanna-type vegetation, while in the wettest areas of the north-eastern coast, we find rainforests.
The sea is warm all year round, but especially in summer, when the energy from the sea can cause the formation of tropical cyclones.
In the far north, in Arnhem Land and the Cape York Peninsula, the weather is hot and summer-like all year round, while the more you go to the south, the greater the difference is between the seasons.

Darwin

In Darwin, the capital of the Northern Territory, there is intense heat throughout the year, but it's muggy and sweltering in the rainy season, while it's more bearable in the dry season, especially from June to August, when the maximum temperatures are around 31 °C (88 °F). Here are the average temperatures.

In Darwin, 1,830 millimeters (72 inches) of rain fall per year, the majority of which occur from November to early April. The rainiest month is January, with 470 mm (18.5 in) of rain. On the contrary, from May to September it almost never rains. Here is the average precipitation.

Cairns

Along the north-eastern coast, in cities like Cairns (Queensland), the rains are abundant, in fact, almost 2,000 mm (80 in) of rain fall annually, including more than 100 mm (4 in) from December to April. In any case, the sun shines quite often throughout the year, since the rains, however intense, generally do not last long. Here, too, summer is hot and humid, while winter is the driest season. Since it sits more to the south, the city is also more temperate in winter, with a daily average of around 22 °C (72 °F) in July.

South of Cairns we find Australia's wettest area, where the winds from the ocean meet a mountain range. Mount Bellenden Ker is rain-soaked, so much so that at the top, at 1,593 meters (5,226 feet) above sea level, up to 8 meters (315 inches or 26.2 feet) of rain fall every year! Nearby we find some very rainy small towns, where there is no dry season because it rains enough even in winter: in Innisfail, an average of 3,500 millimeters (138 in) of rain falls per year, while in Babinda, it reaches as much as 4,200 mm (165 in), with a maximum of 800 mm (31.5 in) in March and a minimum of 115 mm (4.5 in) in August.
At some distance from the east coast of Queensland, in the Coral Sea (belonging to the Pacific Ocean) we find the Great Barrier Reef, the world's largest coral reef, up to 2,300 km (1,400 miles) long.

Subtropical East Coast

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Proceeding towards the south-east, on the east coast, in Queensland (see Mackay, Sunshine Coast, Brisbane, Gold Coast) and New South Wales (see Byron Bay, Port Macquarie, Sydney), the temperature gradually decreases, so the climate is more enjoyable, and can be defined as humid subtropical.
The winds usually blow from the east, from the ocean, also bringing a good amount of rain, especially in summer, when thunderstorms are quite frequent. Rainfall ranges from 1,000 to 1,500 millimeters (40 to 60 in) per year.
Winter, from June to August, is very mild, with many sunny days, sometimes, however it can get cold at night, to the point that the temperature can approach freezing.
Waves of scorching heat from the desert are rarer than in other zones of Australia, but they are still possible from October to March.

Brisbane

Here are the average temperatures of Brisbane, the capital of Queensland.

Near Brisbane, the sea is warm in the summer months: it exceeds 24 °C (75 °F) from December to April, so it's good for swimming, while in winter, from June to September, the sea is cool, around 21 °C (70 °F), but all in all, it's not impossible to enjoy the water. Here is the average sea temperature in the nearby city of Gold Coast.

Sydney

Sydney is located further south, and therefore has a slightly cooler climate: here, the average temperature ranges from 24 °C (75 °F) in January to 13 °C (55.5 °F) in July. Rainfall amounts to 1,000 millimeters (40 in) per year, and it is well distributed over the seasons, even though the rainiest season is autumn. In summer, the rains can occur in the form of downpours or thunderstorms.
Waves of scorching heat are not so rare, and are possible from November to March, often accompanied by strong gusts of dry wind that can spread fires in the hills surrounding the city.

Oceanic southeast

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El Niño and La Niña

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Australia's climate is also affected by the phenomenon known as El Niño, which is associated with drought more or less severe throughout the country, particularly along the north and east coast, where it reduces the summer rains, and in the south, where droughts are accompanied by hot winds from the desert, which can cause fires.
The opposite phenomenon, La Niña, brings rainfall more abundant than usual in the north and east, especially in spring and summer, and also an increase in the number of cyclones.

When to go

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If you plan to visit all of Australia, not just the south but also the vast arid Outback and the tropical north, you may prefer winter, from June to August, which allows you to avoid the heat, which can be intense in the other seasons, especially in the north-central, and in summer in the south. Going in winter would also permit you to avoid the rains (and sometimes the cyclones) that can affect the north in summer. Of course, winter in the south is quite cold, it can be very rainy in Perth and in western Tasmania, but if you don't like the heat this is the best solution.
If you intend to visit mainly the southern areas, where the major cities are located, and maybe you want to make a quick tour to the central and northern regions, trying to avoid the heat as much as possible, you can choose spring and autumn, and in particular April-May or September-October.
You can visit the southern areas also in late spring and summer, especially in November-December in Sydney, and from November to February in Melbourne, taking into account that sometimes there may be some scorching days.

What to pack

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Winter (June to August).
In the tropical north and Darwin, bring lightweight clothing of natural fibers, a hat for the sun, a scarf for the breeze, and a light sweatshirt for the evening and air-conditioned places.
In the desert, bring spring/autumn clothes (light for the day), a sweater, a wind jacket, a warm jacket for the night, and a scarf for the sand.
In the north-east (see Cairns, Innisfail), pack light clothes for the day, a sweatshirt for the evening, and possibly a raincoat for the rain showers. When going to the reef, you can bring snorkeling equipment, including water shoes or rubber-soled shoes.
In the center-south and the major cities, pack spring/autumn clothes, a sweater, a warm jacket for the evening and for windy days, and a raincoat or umbrella. In the southern mountains, bring warm clothes, such as a fleece, a down jacket, and gloves.
In Canberra and Tasmania, warm clothes, such as a sweater, a down jacket, and a hat.

Summer (December to February).
In the tropical north and Darwin, and in the north-east down to Brisbane, bring lightweight clothing of natural fibers, a scarf for the breeze, a light sweatshirt for the evening and for air-conditioned places, and a light raincoat for thunderstorms. When going to the reef, you can bring snorkeling equipment, including water shoes or rubber-soled shoes.
For the desert, bring lightweight, loose-fitting clothing made of natural fabric (cotton or linen), a desert turban, sunglasses, a light sweatshirt for the evening, a sweatshirt for the night, a sleeping bag for outdoor overnight stays, and desert boots.
In the center-south and the major cities, pack light clothing, a sweatshirt for the breeze and for cool days, a scarf for the wind-borne sand and dust, possibly a light jacket and an umbrella, especially in Canberra, Sydney and Melbourne.
For Tasmania, spring/autumn clothes, a sweater, and a jacket.

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