Climate in Perth (Australia)

In Perth, a city located in south-western Australia (in the state of Western Australia), at 32 degrees south latitude, the climate is mediterranean, with mild, rainy winters and hot, sunny summers. Being in the Southern Hemisphere, it has reversed seasons in comparison to Europe or North America.
The average temperature ranges from 13.5 °C (56 °F) in July to 25 °C (77 °F) in January and February. Here are the average temperatures.

In autumn, in April and May, temperatures are pleasant. In May, however, the rains become quite abundant, and sometimes, especially in the second half of the month, it can get quite cold.

Winter, from June to August, is mild, although the rains are frequent and abundant, since in this season, the flow of western disturbances moves to the north and reaches Southern Australia. However, with climate change, the flow is moving further south, so winter has become less rainy than in the past.
With the warm wind from the north, the temperature can exceed 20 °C (68 °F) even in winter.
At other times, a bit of cold air of Antarctic origin can arrive here, lowering the night temperature almost to freezing (0 °C or 32 °F). Outside the town, at some distance from the sea, even slight frosts may occur; in addition, houses generally do not have heating and are poorly insulated, so the feeling of cold is greater than one might expect. During the day, however, the temperature remains fairly mild also in these cases. The coldest record is -1.3 °C (29.7 °F) and was set in June 2006.

Spring goes from September to November; it is usually mild and a bit unstable in September and October, with some chance of rain and wind, but over the weeks, the rains gradually become rarer, so much so that November is already a pleasant month, and with scarce rainfall.



Summer, from December to March, is hot and sunny, with quite cool nights. The rains are rare, although some thunderstorms may occasionally occur. The wind is frequent: it regularly blows from the ocean, as an intense afternoon breeze, called "Fremantle Doctor", so much so that many people prefer to go to the beach in the morning, when the wind is weak and the sea is calm. Fremantle is a coastal town, where the maximum temperature in summer does not exceed 30 °C (86 °F).
This wind carries away the heat and makes the temperature generally acceptable, so it is welcomed despite its strength; as a matter of fact, when it doesn't blow, it is replaced, fortunately for short periods, by the hot and dry wind from the north-east, which comes from the desert: in these cases, the heat can become really intense, with highs above 40 °C (104 °F). This can occasionally happen also in November, while in October and April, the temperature with this wind can reach 35/37 °C (95/99 °F). The highest record is 46.7 °C (116.1 °F) and was set in February 1991.

The ocean temperature is never warm for swimming, even though it becomes acceptable from January to May, when it reaches 22/23 °C (72/73 °F). In summer, on sunny days, the afternoon breeze can be so intense as to make the sea rough, especially in December and January.

Best Time

The best times to visit Perth are spring and autumn, in particular, in April-May and September-October, since in this way you can avoid both the winter rains and the waves of scorching heat that can occur in summer. It must be said that May and September are quite rainy, and sometimes it can get cold at night.
If it were not for heat waves, which do not necessarily occur in a given period but are still a risk, you could very well enjoy the summer weather, which is generally not too hot, and sunny.

Perth - Climate data