Weather in Australia in August

Is August a good time to visit Australia?

Australia is firmly in the grip of winter in August, but if you visit the “Top End” – Darwin and the coast of the Northern Territory, around to northern Queensland – you would never guess it. The weather in northern Australia is tropical, hot and summery in August. The weather in Australia in August becomes cooler the further south you go, and it is downright chilly in the south-east, where the mountain ski resorts do brisk business at this time of year. Western Australia is cool and wet.
 

Climate in Australia in August

The average temperature for the whole of Australia in August is 7°C (45°F), but this figure is meaningless because the weather differs vastly across the continent. The warmest weather in Australia in August is to be found along the north and north-east coast, where the Gold Coast experiences an average temperature of 21°C (70°F), and Darwin a broiling 31°C (87.8°F). 

The snow-covered mountains of Victoria and New South Wales are freezing, but the cities of Sydney and Melbourne are simply very chilly, with top temperatures of around 18°C (64.4°F) and 15°C (59°F) respectively. Across in Western Australia Perth is the wettest city in Australia in August with 118mm of rain falling on average during the month, and temperatures ranging between 18°C (64.4°F) and 8°C (46°F).

 

What’s on in Australia in August

August is the perfect month for the multi-cultural Darwin Festival, held over three weeks in the northern city, making the most of the hot weather with a diverse programme of theatre, music, dance, film, workshops and outdoor community events. In Brisbane the Royal Queensland Show takes place … known as the Ekka. There are also numerous country festivals in Australia in August, the biggest and best being the National Country Music Muster in Queensland and the Balingup Medieval Carnival in Western Australia.
 

What to pack for a holiday in Australia in August

Bring a brolly if you are visiting Western Australia in August – and there will be a few showers in chilly Sydney too.  In the south you will need winter woollies and a warm jacket, and if you are heading for the mountains pack some thermals and a ski jacket. In the north it is beach weather, so take along the sunblock, sunglasses, shorts and swimwear.