Queensland Climate
Australia is the driest continent on earth, and this gives us a climate that it makes "down under" a
great holiday destination all year round.
In the Australian winter you can ski in Victoria one day and go diving on the Great Barrier Reef in
Queensland the next.
Christmas at the beach or skiing in August may seem strange, but Australia's seasons are the opposite of
the northern hemisphere - summer officially starts in December and winter in June. But even in winter the
weather is often warmer than northern European summers.
Temperature
The Queensland coast has a climate ranging from hot and humid in the far north to cool and temperate
in the southeast.
In Cairns summer day temperatures can exceed 32ºC with humidity often exceeding 75%. Night temperatures
average 22ºC. During winter the range is 26ºC during the day with 16ºC at night. The water temperature
ranges from 29ºC in summer to 24ºC in winter.
In Brisbane the summer highs average 30ºC and the lows 20ºC - and for winter highs are 20ºC and lows
are 10ºC. Water temperature ranges from approximately 25ºC during summer to 20ºC in winter.
Ideal for budget travel, backpacking and camping - you can swim at any beach along the entire 7,500 kms
of coastline of the state at any time of the year!
Sunburn!
However, fair skinned people (which includes many backpacking visitors) need to be very wary of the sun
at all times because they can experience sunburn in a few minutes. Budget travel can easily include hats,
cool but protective
clothing, sunscreen and common sense which are the essentials to enjoying Brisbane and the Sunshine
State. Australia has the highest rate of skin cancer in the world. The sun is very strong and as the
ozone layer is thin here it is recommended that you use good protection whenever in the sun.
Seasons
There are really only two seasons in Queensland - the summer from about October to February or March and
the rest of the time winter with the coldest months being July and August. The seasonal difference is more
pronounced in the south than the north, and the inland regions see the biggest temperature variations.
There should be a wet season of mid-December to the end of February. This varies from year to year, and
is more pronounced in the north of the state. These months experience the highest rainfall and can
sometimes include thunderstorms and occasionally tropical cyclones in the north.
The period from March to September is generally regarded as the most pleasant time to visit Queensland
with low rainfall, comfortable sunny days and cool pleasant nights. Even though we call it "winter"
it is still hotter than some places in the northern hemisphere during their summer.
Time zones
There are three time zones in Australia, in order from east to west:
- Eastern Standard Time (EST) for Qld, NSW, ACT, Vic and Tas
- Central Standard Time (CST) in SA and NT
- Western Standard Time (WST) in WA
EST is GMT +10 hours - CST is one half hour behind EST (GMT +9½ hrs) - WST is two hours behind EST (GMT +8 hrs).
Daylight saving
Some Australian states and territories have daylight saving during summer. In New South Wales,
Australian Capital Territory, Victoria and South Australia daylight saving runs from the end of October
through to the end of March. In Tasmania, it saving runs from the beginning of October through to
the end of March. The Northern Territory, Western Australia and Queensland do not have daylight saving.
The Bureau of Meteorology
Obviously there is a wide range of weather in Australia at any one time, and the Australian Bureau of
Meteorology is the national authority. Please check the BoM website for up to date detailed weather
information.
