Australia - weather in October

October is a spring month in Australia, and it is a very hot month in the north, hot during the day in the center (but with quite cool nights), and mild in the south, but with cold and windy periods. After the dry season, the rains start to increase again in the north and on the east coast, while they are very rare in the desert areas.

In the tropical north, October is a very hot month in the Top End of the Northern Territory (see Darwin), and somewhat less hot on the north-east facing coast of northern Queensland (see Cairns).
On the east coast (see Brisbane, Sydney), the weather is quite warm during the day, but with cool nights, and gradually cooler as you go south.
In the Outback, the vast arid or desert inland area (see Alice Springs, Oodnadatta), the days are already very hot and the sun shines, while nights are still quite cool.
In the south, in the areas where the climate is Mediterranean (see Perth, Adelaide), it is a pleasantly warm month, with rainfall already quite rare.
In the south-east, in the areas where the climate is oceanic (see Melbourne, Tasmania), the temperature is by now very mild, but the weather is variable, sometimes even cold and windy, and with quite frequent rains.

As regards to the temperatures, the daily average is 29.5 °C (85 °F) in the Top End of the Northern Territory (see Darwin), 25.5 °C (78 °F) in Northern Queensland (see Cairns), and 23/24 °C (73/75 °F) in the desert areas south of the Tropic (see Oodnadatta, Meekatharra). On the east coast, the average is 20.5 °C (69 °F) in Brisbane and 19 °C (66 °F) in Sydney, further south. In Perth, on the south-west coast, the average is 17.5 °C (63.5 °F), while it drops to 14.5 °C (58 °F) in Melbourne, in the south-east, and to 13 °C (55 °F) in Hobart, Tasmania.
In arid and desert inland areas, heat waves can occur, during which temperatures can reach and exceed 40 °C (1041 °F). More rarely, the hot wind can reach the central-southern coasts, bringing the temperature up to around 35 °C (95 °F).
Instead, in the south, air masses of Antarctic origin can bring cold at night, especially in the first half of the month, with lows close to freezing, and slightly below freezing in the capital, Canberra.

As for the rain, as mentioned, the dry season ends in October in the tropical north and on the east coast, where rainfall is not yet very frequent.
In the vast arid areas of the Outback (see Alice Springs, Oodnadatta), rainfall is very rare.
In the south, in the areas where the climate is Mediterranean (see Perth, Adelaide), the rains are decreasing and, as mentioned, are by now quite rare.
In the south-east, with an oceanic climate (see Melbourne, Tasmania), the rains are quite frequent, and in the western part of Tasmania they are quite abundant.

In October, the sea in Australia is warm enough for swimming in the center-north. In the tropical north it is very warm, on the east coast it is quite warm approximately up to the Sunshine Coast. In the main cities of the south (see Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney) the sea is cold.




See also: Australia, the weather in September - November
The climate of Australia