Australia Weather

Being such a large continent, Australia enjoys widely varied weather, from arid deserts to tropical weather in the far north and a temperate climate in the south-west. Though parts of Australia do have snowfall in winter, much of Australia is constantly warm and sunny, making it an ideal year-round holiday destination!

Australia Climate

Australia's climate varies widely with regards to temperature, humidity and rainfall. A large percentage of the country is desert and covered in sand dunes, and generally only around the coastline will you find much greenery.

Australian Climates

There are relatively clearly defined climates found in Australia, including:

South-east - temperate climate
North-east and south-west - a subtropical climate
Northern Australia - a tropical climate
Central Australia - desert

View Australia climate by state for more information:

Australian Rain

Rainfall varies a lot in Australia and there are frequently droughts, which can last for several seasons. Hence water conservation is very important in Australia.

There are four main factors which contribute to the dryness of Australia:

Shape of the country
Cold ocean currents off the west coast
Low elevation of landforms
Dominant high-pressure systems

Compared to other continents, Australia is very dry – only Antarctica has less rainfall. The northern Queensland coast does not experience this dry climate and averages 4,000 milimetres of rainfall each year.

Occasionally Australia experiences dust storms, which can cover a region or even several states. The country can also experience the occasional cyclone or severe thunderstorm (usually during summer).

Australian Snow

In winter, snow can fall in the mountains of Victoria, Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales and Tasmania. The regular snow fall in some areas has even allowed a seasonal ski industry.

On occasion snow has been reported in the mountains of South Australia, Western Australia and Queensland, however this is very rare.

Australia Seasons

Spring: September – November
Summer: December – February
Autumn: March – May
Winter: June – August

The best seasons to travel to Australia (nicest weather) are in either Spring or Autumn.

Australia Temperature

Most of Australia receives over 3,000 hours of sunshine a year. During summer (December to February), the average temperature is 29°C. However northern and central areas can become much hotter.

The hottest temperature ever recorded in Australia was at Cloncurry in Queensland in 1889, where it reached 53°C!

Winter (June to August) is still quite mild over much of the continent, with temperatures averaging 13°. Northern areas still experience warm days with cooler nights, while southern areas become colder and experience rain showers. Even though it's winter there are still many sunny days.