Australia - Sydney weather forecast

Australia has at least three different landscapes in three different regions due to the climatic differences across them.

Northern Australia has a sub tropical climate and the weather largely follows a pattern. There are simply two seasons - wet and dry. The wet season lasts from October to April - the rainfall is heavy and this explains the presence of lush tropical forests here. In winter, there is almost no rainfall and the temperature during the day is anywhere between 20° C and 24° C. This, incidentally, is the most pleasant time to visit the Great Barrier Reef and the beaches and tropical islands of Queensland. The dry season lasts from May to September.

Central Australia is hot, dry and arid. It is the desert region of Australia, and inhabitation here is very, very sparse. Half the population in Central Australia is made up of the indigenous Australians or the Aboriginals.

The first rains in the North are preceded by some awesome thunder and lightning, a spectacle that is best enjoyed at sunset along the beach.

Down South, the weather is temperate and less predictable. The South receives its winter rains from May to September, and the temperature ranges from 13° C to 24° C. In summer the temperatures could soar up to 41° C but generally remain within the moderate and manageable range of 25° C to 33° C.

It is paradoxical that while it snows very rarely in the South - maybe once in ten years - there are finely equipped ski fields in the Australian Alps, in the Great Dividing Range, just a few hours away by road from the Southern States of Melbourne and Hobart! August is the best season to ski, but it is often so crowded in Australia that many skiers prefer to go to New Zealand where there is more snow and the cost of skiing is more reasonable.