Weather Locations in Australia
Top 20 Locations in Australia
Australia Weather Overview
At almost 3 million square miles, Australia is the sixth largest country in the world and encompasses a wide geography and climate. Much of Australia’s land mass is desert but the diverse land also includes rainforests, snow-capped mountains. The island of Australia makes up the majority of the Oceania continent.
There are many different climates to be found across the country; from arid desert climate, to tropical, to coastal temperate to alpine. The majority of the population lives in the coastal regions.
The one thing Australia is renowned for is sunshine and the country certainly receives a lot of this.
South East Australia
This region of Australia experiences a temperate climate. The climate and relative fertility of the region make it easily the most populous area of the country and it includes most of Australia’s largest cities: Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Brisbane and Adelaide. The temperate climate region covers mainly Victoria, New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, but also the south east of Queensland and the south east of South Australia.
The climate here is typified by warm summers and mild winters. Rainfall has a fairly even spread across the year, though it is a bit higher in the first part of the year than the second.
Sydney’s climate sees summer highs averaging 26C and winter lows averaging 8C or 9C. (Remember Australia is in southern hemisphere so the seasons are reserved from what we experience in the northern half of the globe). It can commonly reach into the 30s during good summer weather and heat waves may even see temperatures rise to 40C. Rainfall averages about 1200mm a year, or put another way there are about 140 days with rain each year. January to June is the wettest period with monthly rainfall between 100 and 130mm, while the rest of the year is slightly drier. September is the driest month with about 70mm average. You can see a detailed overview of Sydney’s weather across the year here and find monthly weather averages here.
Sydney’s climate is typical of the region, though as you move north summer temperatures can be a little hotter and as you move south winters get a little cooler. Melbourne, the most southerly city of mainland Australia, can see winter lows drop to 5 or 6C. The cooler temperatures are due mainly to the cooler sees further and cold snaps happen when cold currents travel up form the Antarctica. Extreme cold snaps are rare but can occur and in 2005 Melbourne saw snow land on its beaches.
Sunshine is abundant in this part of the world and summers are long and hot; hence the sun, sea and surf reputation of the region.
Inland from the coast, temperature extremes can be greater and most especially winter temperatures can be cooler. Due to the lack of the temperate sea breezes, it can sometimes drop to freezing point. Canberra, the capital, sees winter lows averaging 0C or 1C while summer highs are a touch higher than on the coast. Snowfall is much more common inland compared to the coast, and in the hilly areas such as the Blue Mountains west of Sydney it is a common occurrence each winter.
The main mountains of the country, the Australian Alps, lie further south, to the northeast of Melbourne straddling the border between Victoria and New South Wales. The highest mountain Mt. Kosciuszko, at 2228m, is not particularly tall but is high enough to see snow cover for a few months each year. There are even ski resorts in the area such as Thredbo and the ski season can last from June to September.
Central Australia
Central Australia experiences a harsh desert climate and supports just a tiny proportion of Australia’s population. Deserts occupy almost 45% of Australia’s land and are prominent in the centre and North West.
Summers are extremely hot, with temperatures generally between 32C and 40C during the warmest months. Winters are warm with temperatures between 18C and 23C.
Rainfall in the desert is very low – around 200mm to 250mm per year.
Western Australia
Western Australia is predominantly arid desert, experiencing the same climate as central Australia. The coast enjoys more comfortable weather as temperature doesn’t get as high in summer and more frequent rainfall makes the area more fertile. Perth sees summer highs above 30C and winter lows around 8C. Rainfall is low except for in winter when a short rainy period prevails. For an overview of Perth’s weather look here and for average temperatures look here.
Northern Australia
This is another sparsely populated region of Australia. A tropical climate prevails here, with high temperatures and more abundant rainfall. Being relatively close to the equator temperatures are high year round with little seasonal fluctuation. In Darwin, the main city of the Northern Territory, average temperatures vary between 25C in winter and 30C in summer. Rainfall is abundant but very seasonal; it’s high in the summer months – up to 400mm a month, but very low in winter.
Rainforests cover the northern part of Queensland where rainfall is amongst the highest in the country.
Tasmania
The island of Tasmania lies around 240kms off Victoria’s south coast. It is Australia’s most southerly region and therefore sees the coldest temperatures; average temperatures in the capital Hobart are 8C in winter and 17C in summer. Cold snaps can occur when cold weather comes up from the Antarctic. Weather can be variable due to the exposure to winds and seas. The highest temperature recorded on the island is 40C in Hobart and the lowest -13C. Rainfall is greater than on the mainland, and is at its highest in winter in the hilly central regions, which can average more than 2500mm per year. The north coast, where most of the population resides, is the driest place on the island with around 700mm per year. In the central hills snow falls each year and temperatures can drop below zero quite often.
Natural Disasters
Several weather related natural disasters can befall Australia. The most common and problematic of these are droughts and bush fires caused by long dry summer spells. Eastern Australia is the most susceptible to bush fires. Dry summers can be a common occurrence in Australia and water supply is a constant worry. Also regions come under drought risk when there have been particularly dry winters and springs, the seasons normally relied on for most of the rainfall. As the population increases, drought becomes more and more of a risk as this predominantly dry island struggles to cope with the water demands of a growing population.
Tropical cyclones are a risk in the coastal regions of the northern part of the country. These violent storms can cause severe flooding and great damage and loss of life. Although they are not particularly common, they are a threat each year between December and April.