Weather in Australia and Climate Information

Weather in Australia is an important factor with planning a trip.

What is perfect holiday weather in Australia? It depends where you are going and what you want to do.

This photo was taken one evening in Cairns in July after a fabulous trip the Great Barrier Reef. Middle of winter in Australia and we were in our swimsuits swimming in the warm reef waters! It felt warmer in the water than out!

Australia is so big there isn't one type of climate. If you check out the Australian Bureau of Meteorology website they show that the following climates can be found in Australia. These climate zones relate to what grows there based on temperatures and rainfall.

• Equatorial
• Tropical
• Sub Tropical
• Desert
• Grassland
• Temperate

If you check out the BOM climate map, you will see it isn't even easy to divide Australia neatly into climate zones. Which brings me to the key to planning your Australian holiday! Research!

To be thorough with your Australian weather research, I am going to suggest that you try to find a good informational website about the exact area you want to visit. On this website about the Gold Coast, I have used my local knowledge and mixed it with some historical data to try to give a picture of what sort of weather you can expect in any given month on the Gold Coast.

That helps with planning what to do, what to bring and even when to visit. It is really important to research weather in Australia for the area you plan to visit and when you plan to visit.

Australian Seasons

The seasons in Australia are opposite to northern hemisphere. So if are from USA or Europe, it is easy to forget this. I've lived in Australia 20 plus years and I still have to remind myself!

Australian seasons are:

• Winter months in Australia are June, July and August
• Spring months in Australia are September, October and November
• Summer months in Australia are December, January and February
• Autumn months in Australia are March, April and May

If you looked at the climate map you will have seen that I cannot even make generalisations about what to expect in winter or summer. The humidity, temperatures and rainfall vary dramatically dependent upon the climate type. At any given time of the year you might need light clothes in one part of the country and thick jumpers and jackets in another.

Snow And Other Weather in Australia!

Did you know it snows in Australia? Mostly in the southern states, during winter months and on the mountains of New South Wales and Victoria. But it has been known to snow even in central Melbourne!

We have some great snowfields in NSW and in Victoria. The ski season runs from mid June to mid September give or take! And if the snow isn't so good, they even make snow!

Whilst some Australians head to the snow at this time of the year, yet more head north to Queensland for some warmth during the June and July school holidays! Whilst you are on the snow skiing one day, you can be on the Great Barrier Reef the next diving or snorkelling! What a wonderful country!

If you are thinking that perfect blue sky, warmth and sunshine is the only type of Australian weather you are looking for for your holiday in Australia, think again. Trying to sightsee around Sydney in 40C heat and humidity, isn't nearly as comfortable as 25C!

And have you heard that in Melbourne you can have 4 seasons in a day. That is true, when we lived there we would pack the car for the beach in morning, heading out in 38C and have the car heater on on the way home... Seriously, you need to find local sources of information about the weather! Find out what the locals know!

Where To Research For Australian Weather Information

The Australian Bureau of Meterology's website is quite a good place to start. BOM is an Australian Government department that keeps a track of all the weather, weather patterns and historical information. They also have seasonal outlooks for weather in Australia and a state level. It's a bit clinical for me, but it certainly has lots of information.

After that, I would search for very specific local websites about the areas you want to visit. If it is a good content website it should give you that information. If not, if there is a contact page, you could always contact them! If you get really stuck, contact me and I'll see what I can find out!