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State and Territory - Weather and Season Australia |
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Australia has a diverse range of climatic zones. Climate vary from the tropical
regions in the north, through the arid expanses of the centre of the continent,
to the more temperate regions in the south. Following information outlines the
varied climatic regions found throughout Australia and what can be expected at
different times of years. More information can be had from the Commonwealth Bureau of Meteorology. |
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National
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Australia's varied climatic regions, offer something for everyone. The temperate
zones has distinct seasons, making it a favourite region for the year-round
living and touring. Springtime, can on occasion, bring very windy conditions,
due to the deep low in the Southern Ocean (the southern parts of Australia are
located right in the Roaring Forties). Summer, autumn and winter can bring balmy
weather, with the afternoon coastal sea breezes from October through to May.
Some parts of the south east coast and Tasmania have the more cool temperate
climate.
As you go north through Australia, you will experience the hot dry summer and
cold winter found throughout the centre of Australia, stretching to the west
coast. The further north you go, you will still experience the hot dry summer,
but winter tends to be warmer.
The top end of Australia is hot and humid. There are some warm humid regions
on the east coast of Australia, northern New South Wales and southern
Queensland. Courtesy of the Commonwealth Bureau of Meteorology,
we present a colour map of the
climatic zones of Australia.
Sources include: Commonwealth Bureau of Meteorology
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Climate of Australia |
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Completely surrounded by New South Wales, the ACT is located on the tableland part of the Southern Tablelands.
Spring time in Canberra is enjoyably cool, with warm days. During summer
temperatures have been known to reach over 30°C,
followed by a glorious cool autumn. Winter is cold and often windy, with
occasional snow. Night
temperature during winter are cold, and frost is also common. |
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New South Wales is considered a temperate zone, with climates being generally
mild and mostly free from extremes of heat and cold, although very hot
temperatures occur in the northwest and very cold temperatures on the Southern
Tablelands. The Great Dividing Range running roughly north to south along the
east side of New South Wales, has a large impact on the climate, creating four
distinct climatic zones: the coastal strip, the highlands, the Western Slopes
and the flatter country to the west. The mountains of the Great Divide reach a
height of 2,228 metres at Mount Kosciusko. Travelling from east to west across
the range, the elevation abruptly increase away from the coastal plain, and then
on the west of the Divide, it gradually descends into the Western Plains. Winter
snowfalls are experienced over what is known as the Tableland regions, with the
Snowy Mountain regions being popular in the 'snowy season'.
As you travel westward, the land flattens out and these dry inland plains are
notable for cold nights. It is the far northwest where the hottest temperatures
in the State commonly occur during summer, and where the annual mean rainfall
drops below 200 mm.
The way in which the climate changes across the State is reflected by changes
in the vegetation, which ranges from the subtropical rainforest of the northeast
to the fragile alpine heathlands in the Southern Alps, through the dry forests
and undulating pasturelands of the mid west to the dry plains of the northwest.
Outdoor activities also vary across the State, with mild winters along the
North Coast favouring bush and beach activities, whilst the snow fields of the
Southern Alps becoming a favourite winter playground for the skiers.
Sources include: Commonwealth Bureau of Meteorology
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Climate of New South Wales |
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The climate in the Northern Territory is distinctly different from that
of southern Australia. It also varies greatly between the Territory's northern
part, also known as the 'Top End' and the southern parts of the Territory.
Four-fifths of the Territory lies north of the Tropic of Capricorn. The
Territory
within about 150 km of the coast is mainly flat or undulating up to about 200 m
elevation, with extensive coastal swamps or wetlands in some parts. The interior
of the 'Top End' is dominated by the rocky Arnhem Land plateau, with the rugged
hills of the southern Katherine region to the southwest and to the east is the
gentle hilly country of the Roper-McArthur District and the grassy plains of the
Barkly Tableland.
The traditional Aboriginal owners of the 'Top End', identify at least six
separate seasons.
Towards central Australia, the land rises steeply into higher plateau and
rocky ranges, then decline steeply toward the sand dunes of the Simpson Desert
in the southeast, whilst the Lake Amadeus trough separates it from the lower
ranges of the far southwest.
The northern and to a lesser extent, central parts of the Territory
experience two distinct seasons: 'the wet' (October to April) and 'the dry' (May
to September). The change between the seasons is usually gradual, with the
transition months of October and November (often called the 'buildup') at the
start of the wet, and April at the end. During the wet season, weather in the
north is largely determined by the position of the monsoon trough, which can be
in either an 'active' or an 'inactive' phase.
In the central parts of the Northern Territory, the contrast between wet and
dry is not generally as marked as in the north.
The Alice Springs district is dry for much of the year, with erratic rainfall
patterns, although if there is any rain, you are most likely to experience it during summer.
Sources include: Commonwealth Bureau of Meteorology
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Climate of The Northern Territory |
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Enjoying the title of 'The Sunshine State', Queensland experiences considerable variation in climate
due to it's size.
There are low rainfall and hot summers in the inland west, a monsoon season in
the north, warm temperate conditions along the coastal strip, and low minimum
temperatures experienced inland and about the southern ranges. The mountains
of the Great Dividing Range rise up to 1,622 m at Mount Bartle. Along sections
of the Great Divide, the elevation abruptly increases away from the coastal
plain, whilst west of the Divide it gradually descends onto the western plains. On
the western side of the Great Divide, the rainfall drops quickly to an annual
median of about 700 mm, and then gradually decrease further west. At the same time,
average maximum temperatures gradually increases the further you go from the
coast.
Further to the west the land flattens out to dry inland plains, making for cold
nights. During winter, night temperature is known to drop below zero. It is also here
during the summer period, that the hottest temperature in the State most commonly
occur, reaching as high as 50°C.
The marked climatic changes across the State is reflected by marked changes
in vegetation, ranging from tropical rainforest of the coastal zone of north
Queensland to the cooler forests of the southern highlands, the pastoral belt of
areas such as the Darling Downs, and to the dry saltpans of the western inland.
Tropical cyclones are a natural hazard from about November through to May in
the coastal regions, bringing devastating winds, heavy rain and the threat of
coastal inundation from tidal surges. Outback stations and areas can be effected
by flash floods and rain falling many kilometres away.
Sources include: Commonwealth Bureau of Meteorology
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Climate of Queensland |
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South Australia climate varies from hot and dry in the interior to the milder,
wetter climates of the southern Mount Lofty Ranges and the southeast of South
Australia. The annual rainfall varies, from 100 mm in east of Lake Eyre to more
than 1,000 mm on the higher parts of the Mount Lofty Ranges. The state
occupies the central third of the southern half of Australia, with the Great
Australian Bight to the south. Large parts of the state are relatively flat or
slightly undulating, with half the state being less than 150 m above sea level.
To the south, the Spencer Gulf and Gulf St Vincent have a moderating influence
on temperature along the coast.
The most significant mountain ranges are the Flinders and the Mount Lofty
Ranges that extends from Cape Jervis in the south to the northern end of Lake
Torrens. North of Peterborough there is a divergence from the main range that
stretches via the Glary Ridges to the Barrier Range and Broken Hill in New South
Wales. These ranges influence the climate by enhancing the rainfall in their
immediate vicinity. Temperature also decreases with increasing altitude. The
western half of the State is largely occupied by a low plateau, over which an
intermittent series of low ranges stretches from the Flinders to the somewhat
higher Musgrave Ranges in the far northwest.
Sources include: Commonwealth Bureau of Meteorology
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Climate of South Australia |
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Tasmania enjoys a very temperate climate. With no place more than 115 kms from
the sea, Tasmania climate is classified as temperate maritime. Mountain ranges
cover a large area of Tasmania, reaching heights of 1,617 m at Mount Ossa from a
central plateau. The central plateau includes several peaks in excess of 1,500
m. A smaller mountainous region in the northeast of Tasmania culminates with Ben
Lomond, at an elevation of 1,573 m.
The island can almost
be divided into 4 regions, the north west, where you disembark the ferry at
Devonport, the north east, with beaches and mountain peaks, the south west, with
World Heritage region of rainforest and river system, and the south east with
the Port Arthur penal settlement and coastline.
Prevailing westerly winds causes the
variation of west to east cloudiness and rainfall, although temperature is
governed more by the elevation and distance from the coast. In winter and early
spring, westerly winds reach their greatest strength and persistence, causing
high rainfall in the west and northwest. In the east and southeast, rainfall is
more evenly distributed throughout the year. Summers are generally mild.
Sources include: Commonwealth Bureau of Meteorology
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Climate of Tasmania |
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Victoria has a range of different climate zones, from the
hot, dry Mallee region of the northwest to the alpine snowfields in the
northeast of Victoria. The mountains of the Great Divide attain a height of some
1,986 metres at Mount Bogong. The Great Divide extends westwards, almost to the
South Australia border, dropping in height to below 600 metres, except for the
area called the Grampians, where Mount William's summit is 1,167 metres.
To the west and north of the Great Divide the land flattens
into dry inland plains. It is here in the Mallee that the temperature is usually
the hottest during the summer period.
The coastal strip, south of the ranges, is wetter, except
for the far east where the Strezlecki Ranges shelter the East Gippsland District
from the moisture-laden westerly winds. The climatic differences in different
part of the state is evident in the changes of vegetation ranging from mallee
scrub in the northwest, through irrigated plains in the north and the wetter
grazing lands of the south, through to the forested mountainous country of north
eastern Victoria. Sources include: Commonwealth Bureau of Meteorology
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Climate of Victoria |
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Due to the vast area, Western Australia has a number of climatic zones, ranging
from the north Kimberley, where heavy rains are experienced in the summer wet
season, through the mostly dry interior, with high summer temperatures, to the
southwest with its Mediterranean climate. During winter, snow is also known to
fall in the far south, particularly on the Stirling Range. As a general rule,
the further you travel inland from the coast, the less rainfall and an increase
in the range of temperatures experienced.
Sources include: Commonwealth Bureau of Meteorology
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Climate of
Western Australia |
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