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Melbourne Weather and Climate Guide: What to Expect Year-Round
From the famous four-seasons-in-one-day variability to the cold winters and scorching summer northerlies, here is a complete guide to Melbourne's climate.
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Melbourne's weather is famously variable: the city's position between the warm north and the cold Southern Ocean means that cold fronts can push warm air north quickly then be replaced by cold Antarctic air within hours, producing the "four seasons in one day" phenomenon that Melbourne residents accept as a defining city characteristic. Planning for Melbourne weather means layering and carrying a jacket regardless of the morning forecast.
Summer (December to February), Melbourne summers are characterised by a sequence of hot days (30 to 45°C) when the wind comes from the north across the hot interior, followed by a dramatic cool change when the cold front arrives from the south-west, dropping temperatures by 10 to 20°C within minutes. The 2009 Black Saturday bushfires followed an extreme 47°C day; the 2019-20 summer smoke events from the Victorian bushfires affecting Melbourne air quality for weeks. Melbourne CBD summer averages around 26°C maximum but the extreme temperature range (from 15°C to 45°C in one day is not unprecedented) requires always having a backup layer.
Autumn (March to May), Melbourne's most settled season, with temperatures moderating to 18 to 22°C and the extreme hot-cold variability of summer reducing. The autumn light in Melbourne's deciduous tree streets (Kew, Camberwell, Brighton) is genuinely beautiful, with European plane trees and elms providing golden autumn colour rare in Australian cities.
Winter (June to August), Melbourne winters are cool and frequently grey, with average maximum temperatures of 13 to 14°C and overnight lows of 5 to 7°C. Rain is frequent but rarely heavy; the drizzle-grey overcast of a Melbourne winter day is a cultural touchstone. Snow falls in the Dandenong Ranges and the You Yangs on the coldest winter days, visible from the city. The Yarra Valley and the Dandenong Ranges are 30 to 45 minutes from the CBD and receive regular snow in June to August.
Spring (September to November), Melbourne spring is variable but generally excellent from October: temperatures rise from 15°C in early spring to 22 to 24°C in November, the flowering trees (ornamental cherries, wisterias, freesias) provide exceptional colour, and the cricket season begins. Spring is Melbourne's windiest season and the most variable for outdoor event planning.