It is often said that Melbourne has "four seasons in one day". This is particularly common in late Autumn and early Spring, when the weather is quite changeable, although major extremes are rarely felt in one day. Statistically, Melbourne receives only about half of the average rainfall of Sydney, and generally receives about 600mm (24 inches) of rainfall annually, which is scattered throughout the year - October is usually considered to be statistically the wettest month. You can expect an average summer's day (December, January & February) in Melbourne to be sunny with temperatures hovering around 26-30°C (79-86°F) with the warmest temperatures tending to be in the inland suburban locations and the coast tempered by a refreshing southerly seabreeze. Heatwaves are common during the summer and daytime temperatures can often exceed 40°C (104°F) with hot northerly winds. The highest maximum temperature recorded in Melbourne was 46.4°C (116°F) in 2009 (The 'Black Saturday' bushfires occured on this day). Despite the warm days Melbourne experiences in summer, humidity is rarely a problem and temperatures at night remain mildly comfortable with an average summer low usually about 16°C (61°F). Thunderstorms are more common in summer than winter but usually bring refreshing relief from the occasional stifling daytime temperatures. Winter (June, July & August) is usually cool - with a mix of clear, sunny weather and cold & damp conditions. Temperatures in winter can range from chilly overnight lows as low 2°C (36°F) to daytime highs as high as 19°C (66°F) at times. The coldest temperature recorded in Melbourne was -2.8°C (27°F) all the way back in 1869. Light snow has been recorded in and around Melbourne during the winter months only a couple of times over the last century, the hills east of the city however usually see a snow shower or two every winter. It is best advised to visit Melbourne in the autumn and spring - temperatures during these periods are usually very pleasant, without being unbearably warm and daytime highs are usually in the 20s Celsius (70s Fahrenheit).
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Melbourne
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Melbourne - updated May 2024
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Melbourne Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
