Canberra Climate

Canberra is located in the south east corner of New South Wales, in the Australian Capital Territory. Though it has a marine west coast climate, the inland location of the city creates quite dry conditions throughout the year and the surrounding forest can often be affected by bushfires during the hot summer months. Canberra experiences a lot of sunshine throughout the year, with a yearly average of 7.6 hours per day, making it a pleasant city to live in and visit.

Canberra’s climate is affected by the coastal weather patterns, the city’s latitude, elevation and the sub-tropical ridge of high pressure systems that stretch across Australia, generating mild easterly and north-westerley winds. The area has four distinct seasons – with dry, hot summers and chilly winters.

As with the rest of Australia, the seasons in Canberra are the opposite to the Northern Hemisphere – with summer in December, January and February, winter in June, July and August, spring in September, October and November and autumn in March, April and May. It receives about 630 mm of rain each year, coming in the form of thunderstorms in summer and cold fronts in winter. October is generally the wettest month, June the driest and August the windiest. The west of the city tends to receive heavier rainfall throughout the year than the east, due to the barrier created by the Brindabella Ranges.

July is the coldest month in winter, with average maximum temperatures around 12 degrees Celsius. The coldest temperature ever recorded in Canberra was -10 degrees Celsius on the 11th July 1961. The CBD sometimes experiences light snowfall, though this is very rare and the snow usually melts quickly. The Brindabella Ranges experience snow more frequently and the white-capped peaks are visible from the city. Winter days are often clear and sunny with light westerly winds, creating ideal conditions for overnight frosts and heavy fog.

Canberra summers can be quite hot, often reaching above 30 degrees Celsius in January – though the elevation of the city and easterly winds result in quite cool summer evenings, usually around 13 degrees Celsius. The highest temperature ever recorded in Canberra was 42.2 degrees Celsius on the 1st of February 1968.
The inland location of Canberra results in low humidity, even in summer – hot days are generally more comfortable here than on the coast. Summer rain is very variable, usually in the form of heavy thunderstorms and occasional hail.