Not just one climate
Due to the sheer size of Australia there isn’t just one climate zone, there are several. So if you’re travelling across a large part of Australia, you'll no doubt pass through several different climate zones. It's difficult to nail down the best time of year to travel if you are visiting many different areas of the country, but truth be told, any time is a good time to be somewhere in Australia. The area south of Sydney has the same sequence of four seasons as northern Europe, but 6 months out of sync. The tropical north of the country switches between its two seasons – wet and dry – with no dramatic change in temperature.
Northern Australia (Darwin and Kakadu)
The area around Darwin has a wet, tropical climate. It's warm here year round and there are two distinct seasons: May to October: Tropical winter. Temperatures range from a minimum of 21c to a maximum of 31c. Days are warm and dry, skies are blue and the nights are cool. The perfect weather for visiting Kakadu National Park. November to April: Tropical summer. Temperatures range between a minimum of 25c and a maximum of 32c. There is more rain during this time of year, especially between January and March, and thunderstorms are more common. One advantage of travelling during this time of year is that the waterfalls are at their best, you'll see more birds and nature is much more colourful and vibrant. Some parts of Kakadu can be closed though and safaris become more rigorous and adventurous.
North East (Queensland and the Great Barrier Reef)
The climate does differ from Northern Queensland to Southern Queensland, but generally the weather here is fantastic all year round. Inland temperatures tend to be a few degrees cooler. October through December: Bright, clear, warm days with some thunderclouds late in the afternoon and some rain at night. Temperatures on the coast range from 22-36 C.
January through March: Warm days and nights but this is when you can expect the most rainfall. Temperatures on the coast range from 22-36 C.
April through May: This is the mildest time of year. The rain will stop falling, the days are warm and sunny and there's a cool sea breeze from time to time. The nights are comfortably cool. Temperatures on the coast range from 18-30 C.
June through July: These are the coolest months in the tropics. However they are also the months with the least amount of rain, so you'll have the best chance of sitting by a campfire beneath a clear night sky. Temperatures on the coast range from 12-26 C.
August through September: This is when it starts to warm up again and you'll have plenty of sunny days and a cool sea breeze at times. Temperatures on the coast range from 15-30 C.
Western Australia
The central area, has hot, dry summers (average temperature 30 C) and wet, very mild winters (average temperature 10 C). The semi-arid desert spanning from Halls Creek to Broome and from Geraldton to Albany is hot (38 C) in the summer from December through February and mild in the winter from June through August (19 C), however nights can get quite cold.
The northern area has dry tropical winters with clear sunny days and cool comfortable nights. This is the most appropriate time to travel here. The summer here is not the best time to travel, although it is nice and warm, there is also lots and lots of rain.
The southwest is temperate year round, with warm, dry summers and cold, wet winters. Winter temperatures range from a high of 18 C to a low of 5 C and summer temperatures range from 16 C to 30 C.
South East Australia (Sydney and Melbourne)
The winter month in Sydney can be quite cool and do drop below 10 C between July and August. During other months, and especially during the summer from December through March, temperatures can rise up to 25 - 30 C.
Further south around Melbourne, you get your four seasons, just like we do in the UK. The summer months of November to February, temperatures rise to the mid 30s, with an average of around 28 C. At night temperatures are usually around the mid teens. In the winter however, between June and September, temperatures can get very low, down to single figures and even below freezing on Tasmania. Day time temperatures are usually around 10 – 20 C.
Rainfall is quite low year round, with more rain in the first half of the year from Jan to June.
Central Australia (Ayres Rock and Alice Springs)
Winter between June and August is the best time to visit the outback as the temperatures here are more bearable than in the summer. Temperatures can get quite low at night, down to single figures, but the days are warm (20 C) and with clear skies. The summer months between December and February can be unbearably hot, up to 40 C during the day and still over 20 C during the night. Return to the top For more information, have a look at the following web sites: www.weather.com or www.worldclimate.com |
