Australia’s climates.
Brisbane’s Climate and Weather
Brisbane has a subtropical climate with warm or hot weather for most of the year. In summer the humidity can become trying at times. Brisbane’s climate is very sunny, with around 2,800 hours of sunshine annually.
Sydney’s Climate and Weather
Sydney enjoys a temperate, humid climate with abundant sunshine. Sydney’s sunshine is well spread through the year, so even winter has enjoys many days with pleasant weather.
Canberra’s Climate and Weather
Canberra’s inland location and its height above sea level cause its climate to have a drier, more continental flavour than Sydney’s, so its summers are hotter and winters colder.
Melbourne’s Climate and Weather
Melbourne enjoys a temperate climate with plenty of sunshine. Most people find Melbourne’s climate is agreeable all year round, with a cooler climate on average than Australia’s other large coastal cities.
Adelaide’s Climate and Weather
Adelaide has a Mediterranean climate with warm, sunny weather for most of the year. Rainfall comes mainly in winter.
Perth’s Climate and Weather
Perth’s climate is extremely sunny, with around 3,200 hours annually. This is higher than any other major Australian city.
Australia is the driest inhabited continent on earth.
Although Australia’s big coastal cities get more rainfall than the dry interior of the continent, every city can experience drought.
The climate tables below are made up of averages. The old adage of lies, damned lies and statistics applies, so the averages have to be treated cautiously.
For example, in January, the tables show Melbourne and Sydney have almost the same sunshine hours. They also have almost identical average daily maximum temperatures. This might lead us to think they enjoy similar summer weather – but with higher humidity in Sydney.
The reality is that Sydney’s summer temperatures are much less variable than Melbourne’s. Melbourne’s average temperature is made up of more very hot days and more cool days than Sydney’s.
All of Australia’s cities can suffer summer heat-waves, when hot, dry air blows out from the desert. Heat waves invariably lead to water restrictions and a high risk of bush-fires which, in recent years, have caused a great deal of damage and several deaths.