v256.0 · climate · AU · verified 2026-04
Australia climate profile
Climate profile for Australia — Köppen climate zones, seasonal temperature + rainfall, humidity, extreme weather, climate-change trajectory, air quality, best months for visiting + relocation, water security, and recent climate-policy changes.
Climate classification (Köppen)
Highly varied — Tropical (Aw) north · Subtropical (Cfa) east coast · Mediterranean (Csa, Csb) south · Semi-arid (BSh, BSk) inland · Arid (BWh) outback · Oceanic (Cfb) Tasmania
Temperature + rainfall by season
| Winter temperatures | Sydney: 13°C avg (9-17°C) · Melbourne: 10°C (7-14°C) · Brisbane: 16°C (10-22°C, mild) · Perth: 13°C (8-19°C) · Darwin: 25°C (20-31°C, dry season) · Hobart: 8°C (5-12°C) · Cairns: 22°C (18-26°C) |
| Summer temperatures | Sydney: 23°C avg (19-27°C) · Melbourne: 20°C (15-26°C, heatwaves 40°C+) · Brisbane: 25°C (21-29°C, humid) · Perth: 24°C (18-30°C, dry) · Darwin: 28°C (24-32°C, wet season cyclones) · Hobart: 17°C (12-22°C) · Outback: 35-45°C |
| Annual rainfall | Sydney: 1,220 mm · Melbourne: 600 mm · Brisbane: 1,150 mm · Perth: 730 mm · Darwin: 1,720 mm (wet season Nov-Apr) · Cairns: 1,990 mm · Outback: 200-400 mm · Tully QLD: 4,000 mm (wettest) |
| Humidity | East coast 60-80% · Tropical north 70-90% wet season · Mediterranean south 50-70% · Outback 20-40% |
Climate zones within the country
Tropical north (Darwin, Cairns) · Subtropical east coast (Brisbane, Sydney) · Mediterranean south (Perth, Adelaide) · Oceanic south (Melbourne, Hobart) · Semi-arid + arid interior · Alpine NSW + VIC + Tasmania
Extreme weather + risks
| Extreme weather events | Bushfires summer (Black Summer 2019-20 catastrophic) · Cyclones tropical north (Jasper Dec 2023, Kirrily Jan 2024) · Floods east coast (NSW/QLD 2022, 2024 cyclone Jasper) · Droughts multi-year · Heatwaves extreme · Earthquakes minor |
| Air quality | Generally excellent · Major cities PM2.5 ~5-8 µg/m³ (at/below WHO target) · Bushfire smoke episodes catastrophic (Sydney/Canberra Dec 2019-Jan 2020 hazardous) · Rural pristine |
| Water security | Highly stressed historically · Murray-Darling basin critical · Climate-Change-driven drought-severity increasing · Desalination expanding (Perth, Sydney, Melbourne) · Northern wet-season storage |
Climate change trajectory
Annual mean +1.5°C since 1910 · Projected +2-4°C by 2100 · Bushfire season lengthening · Drought severity increasing · Great Barrier Reef bleaching · Sea-level rise threats
Best months for visiting + relocation
| Best for visiting | Sep-Nov + Mar-May shoulder seasons most regions · North dry season May-Oct · South summer Dec-Feb · Tasmania Dec-Mar · Outback Apr-Sep |
| Best for relocation | Sep-Nov arrival ideal for southern cities (Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide) · May-Oct for tropical north |
Recent changes (2023-2026)
2024-25: Cyclone Jasper Dec 2023, Kirrily Jan 2024 · Cyclone Alfred March 2025 SEQ/NSW first cyclone in 50 years that far south · Insurance crisis QLD cyclone zones + bushfire-prone areas · National Innovation Visa replacing SIV July 2024 · Net-Zero 2050 commitment
Source: official Australia meteorological agency · Last verified 2026-04
See also: Australia country profile · climate atlas