Australian seasons are the antithesis of those in Europe and North America (because Australia is south of the Equator): summer starts in December (ends in February), autumn in March (ends in May), winter in June (ends in August) and spring in September (ends in November).
Seasonal variations are not extreme and its rare for temperatures to drop below zero on the mainland except in the mountains.
The country occupies the whole continent, so the climate is different in different regions of the country.
Darwin, in the far north, is in the monsoon belt, where there are just two seasons: hot and wet, and hot and dry.
The southern states are popular during the summer months, but the best time to visit is probably the seasons of spring or autumn when the weather in the south is mild. Spring in the outback can be spectacular if rains encourage wildflowers. Average annual temperatures vary from about 27 °C in the north of the continent to 13 °C in the south. Floods and cyclones are rather common along the coast of the continent.
Summer (December-February) can get uncomfortably hot just about anywhere, except Tasmania. If you're in the southern states during these months its great beach weather. Up north, this is the wet season, when it's very, very humid and when the sea abounds with box jellyfish.
From June until August things have cooled down a little and dried up a lot up north. This is a good time to visit Queensland or the outback. If you're here for the skiing, now's the time to head for the snowfields of Victoria and New South Wales. Overall, spring and autumn are probably the safest bets — the weather is reasonably mild wherever you are, and spring brings out the wild-flowers in the outback, while autumn is particularly beautiful in Canberra and in the Victorian Alps.
Between the arid interior and the well-watered coasts lies a wide belt with average annual precipitation of about 760 mm.
Australian seasons are the antithesis of those in Europe and North America (because Australia is south of the Equator): summer starts in December (ends in February), autumn in March (ends in May), winter in June (ends in August) and spring in September (ends in November).
Seasonal variations are not extreme and its rare for temperatures to drop below zero on the mainland except in the mountains.
The country occupies the whole continent, so the climate is different in different regions of the country.
Darwin, in the far north, is in the monsoon belt, where there are just two seasons: hot and wet, and hot and dry.
The southern states are popular during the summer months, but the best time to visit is probably the seasons of spring or autumn when the weather in the south is mild. Spring in the outback can be spectacular if rains encourage wildflowers.
Average annual temperatures vary from about 27 °C in the north of the continent to 13 °C in the south. Floods and cyclones are rather common along the coast of the continent.
Summer (December-February) can get uncomfortably hot just about anywhere, except Tasmania. If you're in the southern states during these months its great beach weather. Up north, this is the wet season, when it's very, very humid and when the sea abounds with box jellyfish.
From June until August things have cooled down a little and dried up a lot up north. This is a good time to visit Queensland or the outback. If you're here for the skiing, now's the time to head for the snowfields of Victoria and New South Wales. Overall, spring and autumn are probably the safest bets — the weather is reasonably mild wherever you are, and spring brings out the wild-flowers in the outback, while autumn is particularly beautiful in Canberra and in the Victorian Alps.
Between the arid interior and the well-watered coasts lies a wide belt with average annual precipitation of about 760 mm.