Australia is a country of continental size with a varied range in climates and temperatures, specifically if someone embarks on a complete tour of Australia and experiences the seasons in Australia. Our brief description of the seasons in Australia is below for information on the weather pattern that a new traveller can expect during the visit. I hope this article will help you plan your next travel itinerary.

Australia is a country of continental proportion, which is located south of the equator in the southern hemisphere. Its season patterns are quite different from the rest of Europe or the US, which is in the north hemisphere. It is a distinctive character of climate and seasons in Australia.

1. Seasons in Australia And The Months

• The Australian Summer season starts from the month of December to the month of February.
• The Autumn season starts from the month of March to the month of May.
• The Winter season is from the month of June to the month of August. June, July and August, months are the coldest months of the year.
• Lastly, the Spring Season in Australia is from September to the month of November.

Therefore it can be said that seasons in Australia follow a pattern of four seasons, which is just opposite to the month usually associated with the seasons in the northern hemisphere. Seasons in Australia are exceptional in this regard.

2. Northern Australia

Northern Territory in Australia has an overall arid climate and semi-desert. Extreme northern territory can be termed tropical areas because it is intersected by the Tropic of Capricorn. These areas have two seasons pattern, which are dry and wet seasons.

The average temperature range is hot and humid in the northern part of Australia throughout the year, from the northern part of the Queensland coast above Mackay to the coast of the Northern Territory and Western Australia coast north of the town of Broome.

Wet Season

Summer in Australia that is, from November to April, are called the wet season because the weather during this time of year is marked by high temperatures, monsoonal rains, and sweltering humidity, which can also be termed tropical climate. This monsoon season lasts for about six months of the year; it’s a specific quality of the seasons in Australia.

During this wet season, occurrences of tropical storms are quite common. These tropical storms are usually accompanied by heavy rains, which increase the humidity of the area during the daytime, and the temperature is much lower, which makes cool nights.

This occurrence gives the area a monsoonal type of climate; this trait is due to Australia’s remarkable pattern of seasons.

Dry Season

The Winter months in northern Northern Australia, which are from May to October, are called the dry season because the weather is dry. The temperature is warm but not hot, and sunny days are followed by pleasant and cool nights. It is yet another unique feature of seasons in Australia.

3. Western Australia

Western Australia has a warm temperate climate, with a slight difference because it is located in a hot temperate zone.

Western Australia’s wet season is from the month of October to the month of March, and the dry season is from the month of April to the month of September.

Wet Season

In the “Wet Season”, which is the summer, the climate is full of humidity and hot. The temperatures average around 30°celcius and sometimes close to 40° Celcius. Its sweltering heat and high humidity climate give the typical tropical type of weather to the area, even though it is located in the warm climatic zone. 

Dry Season

In the “Dry Season”, which is Winter, the climate has warm days, and the temperature usually ranges from 24° Celsius to 34° Celsius. But the average temperature depends upon the location of the place in Western Australia. The average temperature in coastal areas, the average temperature is more or less stable throughout the year, making a temperate type of climate.

In contrast, in the interior areas of Western Australia, the climate is of the continental type, with hot days and freezing nights when the daytime temperature may rise to 40° celsius and dip to the freezing point or very close to it at 0° celsius.

Therefore it can be explained that both Northern Territory and Western Australia have a pattern of wet and dry seasons, that is, Summer and Winter. Still, except for extreme Northern territory, which has an equatorial type of seasons and weather patterns, these occurrences can be attributed to seasons in Australia.

So, we can say that the intersection of important meridians such as the tropic of Capricorn also contributes to the creation of unique seasons in Australia.

4. Central Australia

Central Australia can be termed another name for Alice Springs. Central Australia’s seasons are arid and desert-type and sparse, with a very low rate of precipitation which averages around 283 Mm per annum.

5. Southern Australia

Southern parts of Australia’s distinct seasons from the tropical north. The southern states of Australia are the exact opposite of the tropical north of the country. In the southern temperate areas of Australia (very roughly the southern two-thirds of the continent, plus Tasmania), which is a cold temperate zone, there is four seasons pattern:

• Autumn – starts 1 March
• Winter – starts 1 June
• Spring – starts on 1 September
• Summer – starts 1 December

The Summer-Autumn-Winter-Spring pattern is based on heavily populated areas of the Northern hemisphere with very different latitudes to Australia. It is again sometimes described as the English Summer type and can be summarised as another feature in the pattern related to seasons in Australia.

6. Autumn Season-Holidays

Important holiday dates during the Autumn season in Australia are as follows:

• Commonwealth Day on the second Tuesday of March.
• Canberra’s Day on the third Monday of March.
• April Fool’s Day on 1 April.
• Anzac Day on 25 April.
• Labour Day on 2 May.
• Mother’s Day on 8 May.

7. Winter Season-Holidays

Important holiday dates during this season in Australia are as follows:

• Mabo Day is on 3 June.
• Foundation day on the first Monday of June.
• On the second Monday in June, the Queen celebrates her birthday.

8. Spring Season Holidays

Important holiday dates during the Spring season in Australia are as follows:

• Father’s Day on the first Sunday of September.
• Another important day is the Melbourne Cup, which is a famous horse race event held on the first Tuesday in the month of November. Other such sporting events are during the spring season, and many other funfair events also take place during this spring months.

9. Summer Season Holidays

Well-known holiday dates which usually fall in the winter season in the northern hemisphere, are summer season holiday dates in Australia due to its geographical location of being in the southern hemisphere. It also emphasizes the uniqueness of seasons in Australia.

• Holidays such as Christmas and New year fall during the summer season in Australia.
• Other holidays such as Australia’s Day are celebrated on 26 January every year.

Australian state such as Queensland is a massive attractions for tourists and travelers. With its very good beaches and watersports such as surfing, sailing summertimes are very popular here.

Best Place To Visit In Australia During The Summer Season

Arnhem Land has an amazingly rich Aboriginal culture. It provides visitors with the opportunity to see some of Australia’s last unspoiled tropical paradise, a pristine coastline that is unknown to many that are rich in biodiversity.

Arnhem Land is the best place to visit in Australia year-round. Still, this area is incredible during the summer season or the famous wet season, which takes on a more sophisticated dimension during the summer seasons.

The exciting monsoonal storms are almost always on the list of ‘pros’ for the wet season. There’s something special about the relief that rain brings, as well as the vibrant colours that emerge as the earth soaks the rain in, and the musty aroma of dry earth when it’s watered are just fabulous for any nature-loving traveller to this place in Australia, it’s just fabulous aspect of seasons in Australia.

10. Mediterranean Climate Zone Of Australia

Areas with Mediterranean climatic conditions in Australia are much of southern coastal Australia from Melbourne, Adelaide, and Perth. Its characteristics are quite similar to the warm temperate climate zone, except the precipitation occurs in the winter seasons, which can be termed as the wet season, with warm days in the summer months with very little precipitation during this season which can be termed as the dry season. It’s another identifying feature of seasons in Australia.

11. Cool Temperate and Alpine Climatic Zone Of Australia

Tasmania, Canberra, and the ACT, all high mountain areas including the Granite Belt of South East Queensland, the high areas of the New South Wales plateau, etc.

This climatic zone experiences cold winters, and the most appropriate time to visit this area is the spring months and the summer months are mild and warm. This spectacular weather pattern is related to the seasons in Australia.

12. Warm Temperate Zones Of Australia

The zone includes various areas of Australia’s mainland territories. The warm temperate zone areas encompass inland Queensland, the tablelands of New South Wales, and the coastal region of Sydney and north to Coffs Harbour. 

Characteristics of warm temperate climates and cold winters with a light frost, which are almost absent along the coast. As the ocean maintains temperature, the coastal areas in warm climate zones can grow a wide variety of plants which includes subtropical ones.

Rainfall is consistent all year; the average annual low temperature is 5°C. The warm days of summer, with a January maximum temperature of less than 30°C on average. Temperate zones have four seasons, yet another distinct quality of seasons in Australia, in general.

13. Peculiar Aspects of Australia Seasons

• It’s not based on Equinox. Australia defines the seasons to start on the First Day of certain months rather than on solstices and equinoxes like everywhere else, solely because of climatological concerns. The climatological seasons are almost always six weeks behind the astronomical seasons. It’s another notable marker for seasons in Australia.
• Another Epic peculiarity of Australian weather is that the spring season can be a transitional period between the winter and summer months. Generally speaking, this type of transition doesn’t take place in any other continents or any other countries, as in Europe, Asia or elsewhere in the world.

During the spring season, the daytime temperature increases rapidly and has an average of 20 degrees Celsius. The nighttime temperature generally ranges from around 14 Degree to 20 Degree Celsius, which is pleasant but warm compared to the climate of countries in the northern hemisphere in the spring season.

The occurrence of spring showers is quite common in the Australian south in cities like Melbourne, but it’s much drier in the Northern states, which are tropical in character.

These definitions for seasons of Australia account for the apparent lag in heating and cooling as the sun moves southward and northward across the equator. They’re also useful for compiling and presenting climate-related statistics on time scales like months and seasons. In short, defining seasons by months makes it easier to package up the stats neatly.

14. Best Time To Visit

Many visitors believe that the appropriate time to visit is during the end of the extremely wet season or the initial days of the dry season when the place is still green and lush. Daily temperatures in North Queensland are lower, they still rise up to the 20s (low 80s) and rarely goes below 17 degrees (62 degrees Fahrenheit). The rainfall is relatively low, and sunny days are expected, making this the most important to visit the region.

Despite the lack of a traditional four-season breakdown, Australia is best known for its tourist attractions due to its relatively consistent temperatures. Seasons in Australia are divided into the following time frames of the year for areas with four seasons: Summer lasts from December to February. Autumn lasts from March to May. Winter lasts from June to August. Spring lasts from September to November.

It is fascinating to those who live in the western parts of the northern hemisphere, where the seasons are the polar opposite of these months. It’s strange for many people to believe that Christmas falls during the summer; this prominent specific quality makes the seasons in Australia incredible.

Last Updated on March 1, 2024 by Maity