The climate of Australia is the second driest of any continent, after Antarctica. According to the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM), 80% of the land receives less than of rainfall annually and 50% has even less than .Climate of Australia As a whole, Australia has a very low annual average rainfall of .
This dryness is governed mostly by the subtropical high pressure belt (subtropical ridge), which brings dry air from the upper atmosphere down onto the continent. This high pressure is typically to the south of Australia in the summer and over the north of Australia in the winter. Hence Australia typically has dry summers in the south and dry winters in the north. The Intertropical Convergence Zone also moves south in Australia's summer, bringing the Australian monsoon to parts of northern Australia. The climate is variable, with frequent droughts lasting several seasons, caused in part by the El Niño-Southern Oscillation. Australia has a wide variety of climates due to its large geographical size. The largest part of Australia is desert or semi-arid. Only the south-east and south-west corners have a temperate climate and moderately fertile soil. The northern part of the country has a tropical climate, varying between grasslands and desert, and subject to some of the largest interannual rainfall variability in the world.How will southern hemisphere subtropical anticyclones respond to global warming? Mechanisms and seasonality in CMIP5 and CMIP6 model projections Australia holds many heat-related records: the continent has the hottest extended region year-round, the areas with the hottest summer climate, and the highest sunshine duration.
Because Australia is separated from polar regions by the Southern Ocean, it is not subject to movements of frigid polar air during winter, of the type that sweep over the continents in the northern hemisphere during their winter. Consequently, Australia's winter is relatively mild, with less contrast between summer and winter temperatures than in the northern continents–though the transition is more dramatically marked in the far inland areas, particularly west of the Great Dividing Range. Seasonal highs and lows can still be considerable. Temperatures have ranged from above to as low as . Minimum temperatures are moderated.
The El Niño–Southern Oscillation is associated with seasonal abnormality in many areas in the world. Australia is one of the continents most affected and experiences extensive droughts alongside considerable wet periods. Occasionally a dust storm will blanket a region and there are reports of the occasional tornado. Tropical cyclones, heat waves, bushfires and frosts in the country are also associated with the Southern Oscillation. Rising levels of salinity and desertification in some areas is ravaging the landscape.
Climate change in Australia is a highly contentious political issue.Scientists Trace Extreme Heat in Australia to Climate Change 29 September 2014 NYT Temperatures in the country rose by approximately 0.7 °C between 1910 and 2004, following an increasing trend of global warming. Overnight minimum temperatures have warmed more rapidly than daytime maximum temperatures in recent years. The late-20th century warming has been largely attributed to the increased greenhouse effect.
States and territories Australian Capital Territory
Because of its higher general elevation of over , southern latitude and entirely landlocked location, winters are exclusively cool to cold in the Australian Capital Territory. Canberra has warm, dry summers with cool nights and some thunderstorms. Heavy frosts are commonplace and radiation fog often occurs. Many of the higher mountains to the territory's west are snow-covered for a large part of the winter and early spring. Severe thunderstorms can occur between October and March, and annual rainfall is , with rainfall highest in spring and summer, and lowest in winter. The region is dry throughout its entirety due to its position on the leeward side of the Brindabella Ranges.
The highest temperature recorded in the ACT was at Canberra Airport on 4 January 2020. The lowest temperature was at Gudgenby on 11 July 1971.Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2002 Yearbook of Australia . Retrieved 22 July 2007.
New South Wales
Over half of New South Wales has an arid or semi-arid climate. The eastern portion has a temperate climate, ranging from humid subtropical from its northern border to the Central Coast and most of Sydney, and oceanic to the south coast. The Snowy Mountains region in the south-east falls in the alpine climate or subpolar oceanic climate zone, with cool to cold weather all year around and regular heavy snowfalls in the winter and spring. Further inland, the climate is semi-arid and a desert climate towards the western part of the state.
The weather in the southern half of the state is generally warm to hot in summer and cool in the winter. The seasons are more defined in the southern half of the state, especially in the South West Slopes, Central West and the Riverina regions. On the coast and anywhere east of the dividing range, a summer rainfall peak is observed throughout its entire latitudinal span. On the ranges and farther inland, rainfall usually peaks in spring in most parts of the state; though the South West Slopes region, in the south-central part of the state (bordering Victoria), has a distinct winter rainfall peak; whereas the New England and North West Slopes regions have a summer rainfall peak. On a hot summer day, a southerly buster may at times moderate the extreme heat experienced in the coastal New South Wales region, from Port Macquarie southwards to Nowra.Southerly Busters Explained . The Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology. Retrieved 21 February 2012.
The warmest region by annual maxima is the Upper Western, where summers are extremely hot, but winters relatively cooler and dry. The weather in the northeast region of the state, or the North Coast, bordering Queensland, is moderately hot, humid and rainy in the summer, and mild in winter with more sunshine; and little seasonal temperature difference. The Northern Tablelands have relatively milder summers and colder winters, due to their high elevation and inland location on the Great Dividing Range. The southeast coastal plain, which lies on the leeward side of the Great Dividing Range, experiences foehn winds, particularly between winter and spring, which can elevate fire danger.
The coldest region is the Snowy Mountains where the snow and ice continues for a long period during the winter months. The Blue Mountains, Southern Tablelands and Central Tablelands, which are situated on the Great Dividing Range, have mild to warm summers and cold winters, although not as severe as those in the Snowy Mountains. The areas situated in the valleys of the range, such as Bathurst, Goulburn, Bowral and Cooma, among other places, have recorded freezing and/or near-freezing lows even in the summer months, unlike other places of similar latitude and altitude in the northern hemisphere.
The highest maximum temperature recorded was at Wilcannia in the state's north-west on 11 January 1939. The lowest minimum temperature was at Charlotte Pass on 29 June 1994 in the Snowy Mountains. This is also the lowest temperature recorded in the whole of Australia excluding Australian Antarctic Territory.
Rainfall varies throughout the state. The far northwest receives the least, less than annually, while the east receives between of rain.
PlaceClimate typeJanuary mean max. tempJanuary mean min. tempJuly mean max. tempJuly mean min. tempNo. clear daysAnnual precipitationAlbury Cfa 111.4 Armidale Cfb 118.9 Broken Hill BWh 137.3 Charlotte Pass Cfc/Dfc 77.5 Coffs Harbour Cfa 122.1 Orange Cfb 99.8 Penrith Cfa 102.6 Sydney (capital) Cfa 112.8 Wagga Wagga Cfa 124.3 Wollongong Cfb 107.4
Northern Territory
PlaceClimate typeJanuary mean max. tempJanuary mean min. tempJuly mean max. tempJuly mean min. tempNo. clear daysAnnual precipitationAlice Springs BWh 191.5 Darwin Aw 119.0 Katherine Aw 140.8 Tennant Creek BSh 181.0
The Northern Territory has two distinctive climate zones. The northern end, including Darwin, has a tropical savannah climate (Köppen Aw) with high humidity and two seasons, the wet (October to April) and dry season (May to September). During the dry season nearly every day is warm and sunny, and afternoon humidity averages around 30%. There is very little rainfall between May and September. In the coolest months of June and July, the daily minimum temperature may dip as low as , but very rarely lower, and frost has never been recorded.
The wet season is associated with tropical cyclones and monsoon rains. The majority of rainfall occurs between December and March (the Southern Hemisphere summer), when thunderstorms are common and afternoon relative humidity averages over 70% during the wettest months. On average more than of rain falls in the north. Thunderstorms can produce spectacular lightning displays.
The rest of the territory lies in the desert centre of the country; it includes Alice Springs and Uluru, and is arid or semi-arid with little rain usually falling during the hottest months from October to March. Its seasons are more defined than the northern parts, with summers being very hot, with average temperatures often exceeding , and winters relatively cool with average minimum temperatures dipping as low as , with a few frosty nights. Central Australia receives less than of annual rainfall.
The highest maximum temperature recorded in the territory was at Finke on 1 and 2 January 1960. The lowest minimum temperature was at Alice Springs on 17 July 1976.
Queensland
Because of its size, there is significant variation in climate across the state. Low rainfall and hot summers are typical for the inland west, a monsoonal 'wet' season in the far north, and warm subtropical conditions along the coastal strip. Inland and in southern ranges cooler temperatures are experienced, especially at nights. The climate of the coastal strip is influenced by warm ocean waters, keeping the region free from extremes of temperature and providing moisture for rainfall.BOM – Climate of Queensland
There are five predominant climatic zones in Queensland,BOM – Australian climatic zones based on temperature and humidity: hot humid summer (far north and coastal) warm humid summer (coastal elevated hinterlands and coastal south-east) hot dry summer, mild winter (central west) hot dry summer, cold winter (southern west) temperate – warm summer, cold winter (inland south-east, e.g. Granite Belt)
However, most of the Queensland populace experience two weather seasons: a winter period of rather warm temperatures with minimal rainfall, and a sultry summer period of hot, sticky temperatures and more rain.
The highest maximum temperature observed in the state is at Birdsville on 24 December 1972. The temperature of at Cloncurry on 16 January 1889 is not considered official; the figure quoted from Birdsville is the next highest, so that record is considered as being official.
The lowest minimum temperature is at Stanthorpe on 23 June 1961 and at The Hermitage on 12 July 1965.
PlaceClimate typeJanuary max. tempJanuary min. tempJuly max. TempJuly min. tempNo. clear daysAnnual precipitationBirdsville BWh 220.9 Brisbane (capital) Cfa 133.4 Cairns Am 97.0 Gold Coast Cfa 111.0 Mackay Cwa 110.0 Mount Isa BSh 175.4 Rockhampton Cfa/BSh 125.0 Stanthorpe Cfa/Cfb 82.2 Toowoomba Cfa 107.2 Townsville Aw 112.4 Weipa Aw 54.1
South Australia