Australian weather conditions, although hot in the summer are mild even in the winter in comparison to many other countries. If you're planning to visit Australia and you come from the northern hemisphere, you must remember that the seasons are reversed. In Australia our winter months are June, July and August. Furthermore, when I speak of the northern parts of Australia, you can expect the weather to be much more humid and the seasons far less pronounced. For example, the northern coastline around Darwin lies only about 1100 kilometres south of the equator. So you can expect that the day time maximum temperatures won't go much below 30°C at any time of the year. In comparison, the most southerly capital city in Australia is Hobart. Hobart is approximately 4200 kilometres south of the equator and for that reason this area has four distinct seasons much like those that occur in Europe, China and North America. However, there's one main difference. Southern Australian weather conditions aren't nearly as cold in the winter. Northern Australian weather
In the coastal areas of northern Australia, the best time to travel is from May-October since these months will coincide with the dry season. Since almost no rain occurs during the dry season, it's highly unlikely that you'll encounter any bad weather that will ruin your holiday experience. During the wet season (November-April) there's always the possibility that your trip may be hampered by floods. Rainfall The other parts of northern coastal of Australia receive between 1500 to 2000 millimetres every year and again you'll only see this rain if you travel here in the summer and early autumn months. Humidity levels The extremely humid northern Australian weather conditions in the summer can be quite uncomfortable and so you'll need to limit the number of strenuous physical activities you hope to pursue. Obviously, if you plan to spend a lot of time outdoors, then your best bet is to visit the northern parts of Australia in the drier and cooler months (May-early October).
Typical temperatures in far northern Australia For most of the year in northern Australia, the wind blows in from the southeast. However, with the arrival of the monsoon, the wind changes direction and comes in from the northwest. This brings with it frequent thunderstorms and heavy rain. One thing that you'll notice in the tropics is that there's hardly any twilight. One minute the sun is setting, the next, it's dark. So whatever you do, don't go for a bush walk around sunset without a torch. Darwin is the most northern capital city in Australia and attracts great numbers of travellers during the dry season.Darwin was in the spotlight back in December 1974 when severe tropical cyclone Tracy made a direct hit on the city in the early hours of Christmas day. Sixty five people were killed and 70 percent of the city was destroyed since most of the housing back in those days wasn't designed to withstand such high winds. Outback Australian weather  Well now you can forget about the humidity...there's none in central Australia. Only sparse vegetation, red dirt interspersed with sand dunes,plenty of sunshine and the occasional dust storm.Rainfall In the last two decades, most areas of arid Australia have seen a doubling of their rainfall since the Australian weather patterns have altered. For this reason, you can expect to see some rain from afternoon thunderstorm activity during the summer months. Temperatures in the outback In fact the highest official temperature in Australia is 50.7°C (123.3°F) at a desert town called Oodnadatta on the 2nd January 1960. That was the actual air temperature taken in the shade, so you can imagine how hot it can get in the full sun. Most of the Oodnadatta's population lives underground since the surface is simply too hot to live on. So just beware that the Australian weather conditions in most inland regions are always hot from November-March. The best time to travel out here is in the cooler months (May-August). In the winter it can get quite cold at night often falling below zero degrees celsius and rising to around the high teens (°C). If you're thinking of walking up Ayres Rock you may be surprised to know that it occasionally snows on the summit in the winter. The very top of Ayers Rock is 867 metres above-sea-level. Southern Australian weather
A beautiful photo of the famous 'Twelve Apostles' in all their glory. You can travel around southern Australia at anytime of year. The only thing that you'll need to be watching out for (particularly during January and February) is the arrival of bushfires and hot weather spells. However, cold weather can hit this region, particularly in the mountains of northeast Victoria, central Tasmania and southern New South Wales. So what do I mean by cold? Well...The coldest temperatures in Australia normally occur in southern New South Wales in the Snowy Mountains. On a typical winter day, the maximum daytime temperature doesn't exceed 0°C (32°F) and the minimum nighttime temperatures commonly drop down to -7°C (19.5°F). The lowest recorded temperature in Australia is -23°C (-9.4°F) at the snow resort of Charlotte Pass in the Snowy Mountains. Such low temperatures are rare thankfully. Even during the summer, the Snowy Mountains have daytime temperatures that reach around 17°C (63°F). However, given that this region is well above sea level, you can expect the temperatures to fluctuate widely. For example, if the wind is from the north west, the temperatures may rise to 30°C (86°F). Within 30 minutes, the temperature drops to 7°C accompanied by gale-force south westerly winds. So for that reason you'll definitely need to bring some warm clothes even during the summer if you're thinking of visiting the Snowy Mountains. The Snowy Mountains is home to Mount Kosciuszko, Australia's highest mountain which rises to 2230 metres above-sea-level. This area is covered in deep snow from June through to September. During the summer, you'll enjoy hiking through this region as the whole area is covered in a blaze of colour from all the wildflowers. Like all mountainous areas of southern Australia in the summer months, you have to keep your eyes open for any distant smoke since you don't want to be caught in a bushfire! Overall the southern Australian weather conditions is controlled by the regular arrival of cold fronts that move in from the south west. These cold fronts bring much needed rain in the winter months to the south western parts of Western Australia as well as southern South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania. You can be assured that drizzle will be common feature of southeastern Australian weather in the winter months. You'll find this drizzle a bit of a nuisance since you won't be sure what to wear. Most of the locals just bring their wet weather clothing with them wherever they go... (just in case). The temperatures in Tasmania and southern Victoria hover near freezing at night in the winter but warm up to around 10-13°C (50-55°F) by day. Although up in the mountains, you'll find the temperatures are much cooler and it's highly likely you'll see some snow falling if it's winter. Rainfall In the summer, most of the mountains have a quick bursts of rain associated with localised afternoon thunderstorms. You need to be very careful if you plan to bush walk up in the mountains since cloud-to-ground lightning strikes are common in the warmer months. Tasmania has a wide variation in rainfall. The south western coastline of Tasmania receives a little over 3000 millimetres annually. It's quite common in the winter for fog and drizzle to hang around for weeks. So you'll be very fortunate if you do see the sun at all in the winter months in south western Tasmania. In comparison, the north eastern parts of Tasmania has mostly sunny weather and much lower rainfall totals. The wettest time of year in Tasmania is in the winter just like it is in southern Western Australia. This of course leads me into the next and final topic: Southern Western Australia The temperature in the winter months hover around 17-19°C (63-66°F) by day. In the summer, you can expect temperatures to regularly rise above 40°C (104°F) for days on end until a cool change brings relief. The locals in part of the world call this cool change (i.e. sea breeze) the "Freemantle doctor" since it appears that the cool weather has just arrived in time to save the heat-weary locals. Return from this page to main Australian weather page 
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It's true that the far northern Australian weather is always very warm no matter what time of year it is and that the temperatures remain the same nearly every day. But as you travel further south, you'll find that the southern Australian weather can be hot one day and quite cold the next.
