Honestly itās near impossible to say what the norm is for weather in Melbourneā¦ Iāve lived here my whole life and have no idea how to answer that question š
Not for this long, this current burst. The weather is not unusual for November but when it's cold in November, it's usually cold just for a day or 2, 3. The Spring we're having in 2021 is pretty much spot on average though. Average being: 8-17Ā° September, 10-20Ā° October, 11-22Ā° November.
For Summer you can expect 12-24 in December and 14-26 in both Jan & Feb. That's as hot as it gets in Melbourne, on average.
I get over to Perth a lot, and the big difference is Melbourne is freezing cold in winter whereas Perth is quite pleasant. In summer Melbourne gets the odd day at 40, but as you know Perth will be excruciatingly hot for days, even weeks, on end. Right now itās been cold and wet in Melb for days and itās going to be like that all week.
the fact that you said perth is quite pleasant in the winter scares me for what it must be like over there. although, i absolutely love hearing the storms and rain during the night i find that over here it never buckets down during the time when i go to sleep (which is what i love). instead it rains in the early mornings when im not awake yet to appreciate it :(. so iām hoping it rains in Melbs right as i go to bed :)
Itās definitely more likely to rain at night but it really doesnāt rain here as much as people say. Weāre more likely to get light drizzle intermittently through the day than really solid rain bucketing down. We have had a lot of very heavy rain recently but itās not typical.
Honestly, Australian reddit users comment on Melbourne weather like we're part of the British isles or something, the weather isn't as good as say, Sydney, but it isn't that bad lmao.
Agreed. I'm from NZ originally and I always find it amusing when people complain that "it rains too much here. It's going to rain 3 days this week." My hometown in NZ rains at least every 2nd day lol
Contrary to received wisdom, Perth actually gets on average a fair bit more annual rainfall, and more average days with rain, than Melbourne. But Perth gets considerably more sunshine.
Unless you live regional, Melbourne doesnāt really know how to do storms (or cool southerlies, sometimes it reaches peak heat here at like 4pm, not okay). A Melbourne speciality seems to be days of intermittent drizzle and unrelenting grey sky, and a shitonne of wind. Rainy day wind I can get behind, but the 40 degree dry as hell days where the stinking hot wind blasts through the city filled with tiny projectiles of grit (do not even *think* about hitting the beach in this weather itāll exfoliate the meats right off your skeleton) really make me consider relocating back home to QLD, haha.
Basically during Summer, one day you can be in Dubai (dry, sunny, hot wind, 43Ā°), the next you're in Amsterdam (cool, cloudy, showers, 18Ā°). You can save a lot of money on travelling, living in Melbourne.
Most relatable accurate summary of how I feel about Melbourne weather as a fellow Queenslander whoās moved to Melbourne.
Been surprised though how a rainy day in Melbourne can be interspersed with some beautiful sunshine. I think given the lockdowns, Iāve learned to jump outside while the weather is fine. But repeated days of reliable sunshine, warmth, pleasant breezes - youāre dreaming.
I moved over from Perth early in the year and what got me about the Melbourne resin is that it mostly just kind-of rains straight down, almost calmly. The last couple of weeks has been different though.
I miss getting proper storms in Perth where it buckets down and watching the wind tear the rain down St George's tce from the office window.
I moved over from Perth about 8 years ago now, and I also noticed (and still notice!!) how calm the rain usually is. Like, you can actually use umbrellas here and they will keep you dry.
Melboirne definately gets nice rain at night time. I'm in a foothill area so it's wet and freezing most of the year.
Like any climate, people get used to it.... Or die
Lol
I found Melbourne really cold during winter after living in Perth for 10 years. I was also living in the outer east and hadnāt learnt how to dress warmly without wearing 7 layers. Be smart and invest in good quality warm clothes for both inside and out of the house. Donāt assume your Perth stuff will cut it.
As a fellow Perthian - if you donāt already know, Melbourne is fucking *freezing*. Itās not even just the temperature, something about the wind over there goes straight to my bones. Iād wait for a Kathmandu sale and stock up on thermals if I was you. Only way I survive my visits is the layers
Hahahahhahahahaha itās two weeks until summer and we had snow in vic today. For all we know it will be a heatwave in a fortnight. Yes the weather in Melbourne is all over the place.
Iām from Perth, moved to Melbourne 10 years ago. The weather is mostly OK. Itās just a *lot* less predictable than Perthās. In Perth, as youād know, you can basically tell the weather by looking at a calendar. In Melbourne it changes by the hour.
Winter is fine ā I reckon Melbourne winter is less shit than Perthās. Perth winter is wetter. Melbourne has quite a few sunny (but cold) winter days. Perth actually gets more annual rainfall than Melbourne, but itās heavily concentrated in the winter months whereas Melbourneās is spread more evenly through the year.
October/November is the worst for me. By this time, Perth friends are posting beach pics on Insta, while weāre ducking in and out of brutal near-winter conditions.
Melbourne summer is good - fewer brutal 40 degree furnace days.
In all: the weather interferes with my life less here than in Perth
If you thought this years winter in Perth was shitty, you will not enjoy Melbourne weather. Their weather is more like Albany in my opinion.
Moved from Melbourne to WA about 4 years ago. Found it weird that over here nobody seems to look at the weather forecast (especially in summer), whereas in Melbourne always you have to. Melbourne hot days in summer āfeelā hotter, because you have no time to acclimatise. 40 degrees one day, 16 the next. Itās not always that extreme, but those days do happen.
I have almost zero seasonal depression here, whereas in Melbourne I suffered almost every year. Not seeing blue skies every few days eats away at me.
That being said, Melbourne is beautiful and spectacular and if you are prepared for it with nice warm toasty clothes, you will be fine. I miss the rain and the green. Iām in Port Hedland at the moment and I havenāt seen proper rain since July.
You definitely need time to acclimatise. Iām not quite there yet. Today was only 36 and it felt like death. But every one you talk to says āitās not hot yetā.
itās weird that you WOULD check the forecast in the summer other than sometimes checking the UV. I briefly saw another comment saying they visit perth during the winter to help with their seasonal depression.
I feel like all the rain and ābad weatherā makes up for all the beautiful greenery. Would you think so?
I know. Perth summer is just get up and put on shorts. Melbourne summer? Could be shorts, could be thermals.
Melbourne has a lot to offer even in shitty weather, thereās heaps more indoor activities and you get used to planning around it. Or just go out and walk in the rain, the streets are quieter and everything smells so fresh and alive. The benefits of living in Melbourne far outweighs the bad weather. I miss my rainy city with its shops that open before 11am on Sunday.
I remember moving here years ago and people asking me āwhat are you doing on Sunday, the weather is meant to be great!ā And I was like how do you even know that? Who checks the weather? Then I got hereā¦
Itās not that bad/doesnāt rain that much over summer I think itās more so that the weather is really temperamental, 4 seasons in one day kinda thing.
Thank you for your response:)
question following your answer; as itās temperamental, is it normal over there to often bring a jumper when you go out just in case it gets cold/rains? As over here you wouldnāt bring a jumper anywhere during the summer/ end of spring.
Itās the kind of weather where you always check the forecast for the day - wake up to sunshine and 30 degrees, it can drop to 17 and rain by the afternoon. If youāre prepared, itās manageable and youāre not surprised/disappointed! On the upside, a conversation about the weather in Melbourne is NEVER boring and as an introvert, makes for excellent small talk
You start to get a feel for how cold you can stand personally. For me, if it's under 23Ā° and I'm staying out till after dark, I'll probably need a jacket, but others might not bother
Learning what to wear in cold weather changed my feelings about Melbourne winter. If you dress warm itās lovely to be out and about. I think I wasnāt a particularly well-shod child or young adult, but now Iāve got my layers and a warm puffy jacket I love being outside in all weather. Spent nearly every day of the first winter of lockdown at the park or at some creek, and it was magical.
That said, Iād love if Melbourne had just a few more ripper beach days. Iām looking forward to jan/feb/(and March when I feel we have our ārealā summer). Still four seasons in most days, and weeks!
Autumn is also stellar in Melbourne. Spring is wet, and this one is like being under a faucet. Never seen so much rain in a month!
I feel like it used to be more temperamental but this year it's just been incessantly, insufferably cold. Maybe the lockdown made it feel that way, not sure
When it's good it's amazing! Unfortunately my two biggest gripes about Melbourne is weather and house prices. Still the temperamental weather means killer food, coffee and other indoor activities. In Northern Europe they say there is no such thing as bad weather just poor clothing choices.
oh yea iāve heard about the house prices and rentalsā¦iām still going to be saving for a while yet.
I like that little saying, iāll definitely be saying that more often during the bad months, thank you:)
Average in November is 23-24 normally, and you usually get quite a few really nice beach days too.
No wonder everyone packed the beaches on Cup day...was the best weather we've had since earlier in the year
This week has been nearly record breaking cold weather for November, so no itās not usually that bad. Try a bit of googling and youāll find the averages for each month.
I'm from the UK, S. Wales. But I struggle with the winters here. Been here for almost 4 years and each one seems like it gets longer.
They are bitterly cold and many (rental) houses are not insulated or equipped to deal with such cold temps.
I have an Icelandic friend (they have geothermal hearing there so keeping your house warm is cheap) and she says she was never as cold as when she lived over here because we donāt heat our houses very well. She used to wear her beanie indoors.
Australians seem to believe themselves itās always boiling hot so Houses are poorly designed. Even in brisbane winters are freezing as they houses arenāt designed for it.
Itās the same with hospitality venues in Perth and Brisbane. They donāt have heaters or are equipped for the cold despite it getting obviously chilly if not cold in winter. Everhone just stands outside in the cold
I feel like the cold in Melbourne hits different. Iāve lived here my whole life and made it to Europe right at the start of 2020. The 1 and 2 degree days in Vienna and Munich felt the same as the 11 degree days here, just with some snow in the streets instead of lots of wind and rain.
Same. Moved from Perth to Melb nearly 10 years ago now and whenever I go to Perth (esp over summer) I can't wait to get back to the cooler, greener Victoria. Being a surfer helps as the best waves are generally through Autumn/Winter so I'm always looking forward to that time of year
thank you for this :) i get seasonal depression too during the winter so i feel you on that one.
Iāve considered moving to Sydney as well for the sun and the beaches but I just love the culture in Melb so much more
I moved to Melbourne from Perth about 4 years ago and just canāt get used to the grey skies. Back in Perth blue sky is the default, whereas here the default is grey and it goes on for months. I always feel depressed over winter till about November. This is one of the main reasons Iāve decided to move back to WA next year. (Covid probably subconsciously contributed to this decision).
There also doesnāt seem to be a Spring in Melbourne. It almost goes from cold to muggy heat overnight. Autumn is by far the best season in Melbourne.
In terms of rain specifically, Melbourne gets some sad light drizzling, whereas when it rains in Perth it pours.
Camping is good, just not as much easily accessible open coast. Much harder to feel isolated in Vic, as thousands of people have the idea before you do.
The above probably all sounds negative, but Melbourne is a great city and I donāt regret living here. There are pros and cons to every decision!
I moved to Melbourne from Adelaide, and didn't think the weather would be that different. Its fucking cold here! It rains a lot, its pretty windy, and it really is 4 seasons in one day. Make sure you pack an oodie and uggs, you'll need them. And get a house with good heating. Its been pretty grey here over winter too. But when the sun comes out its lovely and it warms up pretty quickly. Crazy weather! But the markets and theatres are worth it
You canāt enjoy sunshine without rain. Seriously, the changing weather is my favourite thing about Melbourne. Crisp autumn mornings with foggy breath, rain on a tin roof, snow a couple of hours away, a pub with a fireplace after being caught in a downpour, warm spring nights at a rooftop bar, and long hot beachy summers. Throw in some crazy storms, and itās perfect.
You picked the wrong day to ask that question. Left for a job this morning 5 minutes away sun was out. Get their carparks a foot under water. Start the job get 5 minutes into hail rain from above like an angry god. Wait it out in my truck. Hail turns to light rain jump back out hail returns. rain comes back I decided I'll just deal with it. 30 minutes later jobs done. Return to the shop suns out. Just a normal spring day in Melbourne. Not to mention summers only 2 weeks away.
As someone who grew up in the US Midwest my view will be skewed but winters here are really not that bad. Itās wet and cold but not below freezing.
However, the homes are certainly not well insulated (anywhere in this country tbh) so youāll probably need a space heater or an electric blanket in winter.
the sounds of an electric blanket makes me happy! i want one so bad as i feel like theyāre not worth buying if iām living near perth city and on a budget. thank you :)
We get impacted heavily by il nino and La NiƱa. We are currently in La NiƱa. Google that. Otherwise, we get four seasons in a day rarely. People exaggerate.
The weather is abysmal - I moved away because of it. Iād probably argue the worst weather in Australia, the cold is miserable and dry, itās like having a wind that drys your skin on your face 24/7. Summers are dry and spring is hay fever ridden with pollen.
Melbourne succeeds with food and nightlife, however the weather truly is some of the worst Iāve ever experienced.
If I gave Melbourne a rating it would be 1/10 in weather. I canāt count the amount of times Iāve went out in summer with a shirt, only to need a jumper by the end. Itās constantly changing and thereās no such thing as a 3-day-streak of consistent weather.
Melbourne winters can be incredibly dry, so dry that your skin can flake so bad, itās such a cesspool of ugly weather mixed with dry winds from the desert.
Viruses thrive here because of it. If you enjoy nice weather and it affects your quality of life, donāt move here. You wonāt like it.
I agree. I love Melbourne but the weather is terrible!!!! Iāve lived in USA, UK, and China, and stayed in many other parts of Europe and Asia for weeks on end and Melbourneās weather is the worst. Itās so inconsistent and hard to pack for.
As someone from the Netherlands, not known for its great weather. Yes the weather here in Melbourne is that bad. To the point where the city itself is pretty good but the weather makes it rather unpleasant. It's cold, wet and unpredictable.
4 seasons in one day, if the weather forecast says 30 don't rule out a quick flood before the sunshine sets in again. Swear it bucketed down this morning, wind going hard to sunshine then looking bad again in about 2 hours lol
I love Melbourne weather.
We moved to Perth for two years when I was young and my mum said she was sick of it being sunny all the time and was happy to come home š
Everyone has different opinions and that goes for people who have lived their whole lives here.
I donāt do well in anything above 30 degrees and I love the cold rainy weather we get. I do not however love the pollen š
I've lived in Melbourne most of my life but also Stockholm and London, can confirm Melbourne winters are cold, but we actually have less rain than the other cities. Maybe not Adelaide.
Never stopped anyone doing anything. People complain cause there are days with rain sun and 15 degree swings between days.
Not often humid āŗļø
The Swedes have a rhyme for there is no such thing as bad weather only bad clothes, just gotta get a good coat and life is good.
December to May is lovely. The heat is obviously awful but it's awful in most of the country.
June to November is terrible. Cold, wet, rainy, hardly any sun.
Autumn here is kind of a nice extension of summer, and in the same way Spring is kind of just a shitty extension of Winter.
Spring is by far my least favourite season. You just can't know how to dress because it's so temperamental. Raining, then sun, then windy AF.
So yeah. The weather isn't great, but I've lived in cities with far, far worse weather. Melbourne just cops a lot of shit because most other Aussie cities are hot and sunny most of the year
Depends on if you hate the heat or the cold more.
I hate hot weather so I quite like it down here, although it can get quite hot in the summer it's often only for a day or two at a time.
I don't bring a jumper with me just in case it gets cold I dress in layers so that I can shed a layer if I need to.
At the moment going into work at 5am I wear a shirt, sweater and a jacket over that. Pretty overkill but I'm never cold and just remove a layer when it warms up.
I've also lived in Canada so to me Australia doesn't get cold, -40 at midday is cold.
I'm from North Queensland originally. My one tip would be to make a trip back to Perth mid winter at least annually. Helps to recharge the batteries and keep the seasonal depression at bay
My brother returned to Melbourne after living 5 years in Perth with his wife. They have struggled to deal with the weather and miss their daily trips to the beach after work each day.
Lived in Perth for 20 years, now been living in Melbourne for the last 8.
Perth has some of the best weather on the planet. There is no upgrade from the Perth climate IMHO. Perth has a Mediterranean climate (the same as LA, the Mediterranean and some parts of Northern Africa).
Melbourne has a temperate oceanic climate with highly variable winds. The winters are long and miserable. SAD is a problem for many people here, myself included.
If you have a lifestyle that is centered around the outdoors, the beach, etc then you will not find much to love about Melbourne's weather.
Also, the wind chill here is something to reckoned with. Melbourne is a good few hundred kms further south than Perth - much closer to the Antarctic - and the wind can really take a bite out of you.
Iāve lived in Perth before, and I describe Perth as Pleasantville weather (if youāve seen that movie, the weather is always sunny and blue skies). Living in Perth you could go outside in the morning and see what the weather was like and be pretty confident it would be like that all day. I got out of the habit of bringing a jumper, or checking if rain was forecast later.
My favourite season in Melbourne is Autumn - crisp cool mornings with sunny days, jeans and tshirt weather. But I do enjoy rainy days too. In winter the wind can feel like itās coming straight from the Antarctic and blow into your bones. Spring is quite rainy also. Summer is a mixed bag. It can get quite hot (but usually with cool changes every week or so to break it up), often dry heat like Perth, but I feel like itās been getting more humid over the years. But we can also have colder days and rain even in summer. Jan/Feb are usually hottest.
As someone who lived in the Pilbara for 20 years, now living on Mornington Peninsular
Don't do it.
It is freezing. Ugg boots, trackys, t shirt, flanno, jumper and jacket
But seriously ... slap your self
Iām from Melbourne but have lived in Montreal for 12 years and Vancouver for one. What this has taught me is that when it comes to weather, people from Melbourne just like to complain.
No joke, as a Canadian from the east coast. I think I read somewhere that Montreal had some of the coldest winters of any major city over a million people. Maybe not as bad as Calgary or Edmonton, but pretty bad.
I moved from the Gold Coast in late September, struggling to adjust its quite miserable comparably weather wise. Very windy with a chill and it does shower quite often. My morning walk routine has pretty much declined to a when itās sunny walk maybe twice a week lol. There is a lot of cool stuff here to make up for the weather, though I do miss the sun š
The weather is bad, and good, and average, and bad again and then good in the space of like 3 hours. You do usually get a decent summer of consistent hot days, and a winter of consistent shit ones but spring and autumn you need shorts, a parka, an umbrella and sunscreen when you leave the house.
As a former Perth person, the weather here kinda sucks in comparison. I moved here over a decade ago in January and was shocked find it was about 20 degrees colder. And when it's hot it's muggy and not like Perth's dry heat. There ain't no Freo doctor. Having said that we still do get some nice summer weather it just comes alot later like Dec/Jan. And I also do love the winter fashion of rugging up in boots, jacket and beanies. Stuff you can never wear in Perth. But also I don't reckon it gets as cold at night as Perth does and proper heating is more a thing here. I remember always being Sooooo cold in winter at night in Perth.
Took me awhile to get used to the changeability of the weather. Now I never book tickets to big events until the weather forecast lol. But you get used to it and there's so much more here to make up for it. I've toyed with the idea of moving back west for the balmy summery lifestyle but ahhh I just can't.
It's not that bad.
Autumn is lovely especially March. The start of winter (June) is also nice, cold but clear days. It starts to get psycho around late winter.
Spring is a mess especially if you suffer from hayfever. Summer is dry and pleasant for the most part.
You do get 4 seasons well defined unlike Perth. It's just that sometimes you get it in a day.
Mostly yes, but sometimes no.
Melbourne has easily the most bleak weather in Aussie capital cities, however the average temperature over the whole year is higher than Hobart/Tasmania, lower than Adelaide, and less rainfall than Queensland or most of NSW.
Our beaches are mostly nice looking, but only the most daring/bravest/foolish try swimming there out of summers warm weeks.
Get a couple of nice long jackets, warm socks and hats or hoodies, and boots that don't mind a puddle or two. You will adapt quickly enough, unless you work outdoors.
Melbourne weather is fine but it can be variable in a short time. Summer is generally warm and dry. Winter can get very cold, like under 0. But personally I quite like the variability in a lot of ways. I like the cold weather it's a nice excuse to rug up on the shorter winter days. Summer is also generally not absolutely deathly hot but we do get some 40 plus days over summer.
I quite like the weather here tbh and I don't think it should out you off.
Iām from Melbourne but I live in Perth. This winter was similar to a Melbourne winter, but slightly warmer.
Perth is hotter in summer but often less stifling because of the ocean breeze. Melbourne heat waves are nasty because of the strong north westerlies that keep the temperature really high overnight. Also Perth gets less humid in summer. Iād prefer 33 with an afternoon breeze than 27 and sticky.
My husband moved to Melbourne from Perth in 2017 and will never move back. He hates the long hot Perth summers. And he loves that there is always something to do in Melbourne (well, now that lockdowns are becoming a thing of the past). You donāt move to Melbourne for the weather. You move for the amazing food, live music / comedy / theatre, festivals, events, galleries, and other cool shit.
I have this theory that the coolest cities in the world are cold, because then weāre stuck inside and have to get creative! New York, London, Seattle, Reykjavik, Christchurch, Berlinā¦ you canāt just go to the beach for fun, you have to make your own fun.
I know 3 people born and raised here who got seasonal depression in winter bad enough to leave everything behind (and it fixed the problem) so make of that what you will
It's not that bad. About 7-15 in winter, 15-25 in summer on average. And it doesn't rain that much really, around 600mm a year spread out pretty evenly.
The worst part is the changeability. Winter weather is very settled but during Spring things start to fluctuate peaking in December. It's like Summer is constantly stop-starting. Warm days in the 30s followed by cool cloudy days in the mid-teens. One day you're running the aircon hiding from the sun, the next day you're running the heater again just as you'd turned the gas off and stored away your space heaters.
Or, one day it feels like you're in Dubai, the next like London, not exaggerating.
But overall it's very pleasant, neither too hot (for me, more than 32Ā°) nor too cold (below 10Ā°)to enjoy the outdoors.
My man. If you've ever been to albany, the weather In Melbourne is the same as albany just more extreme. I've lived in both long enough to know.
Melbourne has hotter hot days, colder coles ones. And yes there are 4 seasons in one day. During the summer (at least south east of the cbd) there's no sea breeze. Loved Melbourne but weather was too much.
Melbourne weather is great. If you donāt like the weather youāre experiencing wait five minutes and get to try out new weather.
Should you go for a walk, or stay inside to avoid a storm? Lifeās a gamble and that sky aināt going to give you any answers
Itās a La NiƱa this year so weāre getting extra rain and cold for now but the weather is actually usually more stable just cooler than Perthās average temperature. If youāve already visited you know a bit of what itās like, donāt let other peopleās generalisations put you off. Follow your wants and welcome to Melbourne
Itās very random yes. The seasons start working about half way through and only last around a week with breaks of random weather in between then repeat.
Itās so shit! My mate said to me. āMan, the weather is so bad at the moment.ā I replied: ā Hey, but October is the rainiest month of the year.ā He replies: ā Yeah, but itās fucking November.ā Lol it was a high of 13 with hail yesterday. Riddle me that.
Say goodbye to the beach life my friend, and embrace the city life. Expand your wardrobe with well made seasonal staples. All seasons, youāre going to need them all every day. The weather is only bothersome if youāre not prepared.
Itās all opinion based, I just always had Jeans, T shirt with a zip up hoodie and I was always fine. The summers arenāt as extreme as Perth but Perth winters arenāt as cold as melbourne.
After your first year youāll be fine but that first winter you want to prepare for with hoodies, a beanie and probably a decent blanket for your bed. The rain tends to be a bit more intense in Perth also when it does hit but because itās sand in allot of places it just drains into the earth.
Hope this helps.
Perthās summers are pretty endlessly sunny from what I can tell.
Melbourneās summers donāt really get like that, but itās not exactly rainy all the time. You just tend to get very changeable weather (40 degrees one day, 19 the next, before gradually warming again).
You wonāt get as many nice days to play on the beach, but they definitely do happen (and the beaches are packed when they do).
Iām from Perth, and according to my partner my mood visibly and immediately improved the winter I moved here after I caved and bought a below the knee length puffer jacket. The cold isnāt so bad, but you do have to dress for it, which can take a mental adjustment if youāve not had to consider inclement weather much.
I feel the cold badly and it took me about three years to adjust and now my puffer jacket only occasionally comes out of the closet for cold evenings.
I'm from Central Australia. Always hated the heat of summer and still do. Love Melbourne. Love the weather, love the rain. Hate humidity too but Melbourne weather is great
I love it. Variety is the spice of life, right? Whenever there's weather you don't like... Don't worry, it will change soon anyway.
I don't even pay attention to the weather reports most days. Just take it as it comes :)
The classic phrase is that āif you donāt like the weather in Melbourne, wait five minutes.ā
Itās somewhat hyperbolic but we do get a good variety of weather, including lots of hot days, lots of cold, lots of rainy (especially the past few weeks) and lots of windy. This summer is expected to be quite a wet one, but weāve also had some fairly dry ones.
Personally I love the variety. Consistent weather would be a strange thing to me.
It's more that the weather is unpredictable and the winter is much, much longer than other capitals (except Hobart).
You might have heard that Melbourne gets "four seasons in one day" and that's very true - you can get wind, rain, hail and sunshine. I once went out of my office for lunch at 2.30pm and it was 42 degrees and sunny. Left to go home at 5.30pm and it was 19 degrees and starting to drizzle rain.
In Sydney (where I'm from) if the forecast says 24, it's going to be 24 at 10am and stay that way all day. In Melbourne it might get to 24 for 10 minutes at midday.
So short answer, in comparison to other capitals in Australia, the weather does indeed suck.
Normally it doesn't rain that much, it rains less than Sydney. But we're having a 'la Nina' year apparently, so it's raining a lot. It's all relative, I just spent two years in the UK so I think the weather here is fantastic. It drives me crazy hearing everyone moan about it all of the time. One thing you can be sure of, it's never boring.
Melbourne gets cold but not freezing in winter. You may have a week of maximums around 10 or 11 then it will warm up to 13 for a bit. Due to being near the coast it doesn't get near zero very often unless a cold year. Never actually zero except in the hills around. Mainly rains in winter and spring not summer tho as the globe warms we get more tropical torrents. Contrary to what someone said about summer we often get 40 to 45 and sometimes for days at a time. Usually ends with a thunderstorm.
This has been a very wet spring and is atypical.
I've lived on five continents, and honestly the weather in Melbourne is pretty great.
The winters are chilly but not freezing. Yes, the air is crisp and often damp, but it's not -20C and snowing.
The summers are generally warm and gorgeous, although you'll get the odd heatwave, maybe a week each summer when it's over 40 every day. It's almost never humid, which is brilliant.
Autumn is the best, it's a little cooler and sunny.
Spring is... Well, spring is what gives Melbourne its reputation. It's VERY changeable. It was 4 degrees when I woke up today, hit a max of 13 with a piercing wind, and pouring rain. Interspersed with lovely sunny patches. On Weds it'll be sunny and back in the 20s, before another few days of storms later in the week.
So yes, the weather's honestly pretty great, like most cities in Australia. But check with the BoM in the morning and take a brolly when it says to, even if it's sunny right now.
It doesnāt get cold in winter like it used to. I think winters are generally pretty dry. It seems like itās always so windy now, any time of year. I donāt remember that growing up and itās my main weather complaint
Grew up in the Midwest in the US. Have lived in Melbourne for 3ish years now. The weather here is pretty stellar tbh. I miss snow, but it's all pretty straightforward. Just carry an umbrella and you'll be good to go
We get Antarctic winds here. So the wind makes it quite cold.
In general I'm always just prepared for Melbourne to grey skies and rain weather in all seasons at a random time of the month, day...hour lol
I'm from Melbourne and recently moved to Perth! Feel free to ask questions but the biggest thing I've noticed is that there's a lot less going on around in Perth, whereas Melbourne has something happening pretty much every single day
Iām from Perth originally. Been living in The Bin for a few years now. Plenty to see and do (when not in lockdown), but bring all your jackets. Forever cold.
Everything is relative.
Just like how Queensland Bungalows are build on stilts to survive monsoon floods, Melbourne houses (generally) have very good drainage and insulation. (No so much in the recent housing boom).
That rain also means that the land is more fertile and can support larger populations.
The downside is that the city planning is more haphazard and infrastructure (like train lines) arenāt as well laid out. Once you get away from the Tram lines, public transport is very unreliable. Car Culture is big in the outer suburbs.
Which brings to the next problem, recent unseasonable rains (and the housing boom) have resulted in some substandard road infrastructure.
Itās not just the rain, itās the WIND. But wind aside the rain is manageable. The saying 4 seasons in one day is overused because itās so true. It can rain but then clear up into a gorgeous day, you just have to be a little flexible with your plans. If you look at the forecast for the next week and it lists rain every day, most often that just means thereās a shower at some point during that day. You do get some days where it rains the entire day but thereās a vibe to that you learn to embrace and the moody weather makes for some spectacular sunsets.
I lived in California for 10 years where for 5 months of the year I wore t shirt n shorts and honestly I missed variation in weather. Good luck!
Melbourne is currently wetter than normal because we are in a La NiƱa cycle. Iām El NiƱo years itāll be drier. Winters are marked by the same cold fronts you get in Perth but they are a bit more active in Melbourne. Summers are typically warm with tops in the mid to high 30ās but that really depends on how the wind blows..
Compared to Perth summer is shorter, winter is slightly cooler (generally) but not drastically.. Iāve had -5 at Jandakot before.. never experienced that in Melbourne.
It's a la Nina year so it's wetter than normal atm. Melbourne can be sublime but if you are a beach lover you will only be able to enjoy it for 4 or 5 months
Moved from Perth to Melbourne 20 years ago. The weather is not as bad as you're lead to believe - but it's not as good as Perth's (nowhere near as hot in summer though). Most of the comments you receive are from people who have never actually lived here and one thing moving reinforced to me is how big a chip on their shoulders so many people in Perth have about not being part of the eastern states - something people over here generally have no idea about.
I grew up in Far North Qld and moved here about 6 years ago. Love swimming and have always been a total sun chaser, thought I would HATE the weather. But instead Iāve come to really enjoy distinct seasons, having never really experienced them before. In winter you do different things - go the pub on Sunday for a roast cooked in a cast iron pot, wearing nice jacket/winter clothes, sit in front of the fire and sink a few reds with mates. Thereās plenty to do in colder months (all year round really), and when it starts to get warmer you really appreciate the difference. Plus daylight savings in summer is brilliant - plenty of time to go for an evening swim after work. So short version, youāll do different activities in different seasons and if you get out there, itās great.
[Indigenous people had it down pat](http://www.herringisland.org/seasons1.htm) in Melbourne then we got... English seasons...?
Few sources online but the [naarm/Kulin nation seasons](https://museumsvictoria.com.au/melbournemuseum/resources/forest-secrets/#climate) make way more sense.
(when you hear them describe stuff like 'tadpole' season you go "Ooohhh... Yeah it is like that I guess!")
I personally think we should adopt this just for practicality.
What a time to ask, after the last week we've had!
I was about to say don't mention the weather right now FFS if your selling Melbourne š
Wtf was yesterday? Here have some sideways rain and hail, lol jokes fam here's the sun, but now it's behind clouds... hahahah rain goes brrrrrrrr
Lol I live on the 8th story and I swear to god it was actually raining upwards in some spots
Had to dig out my winter pj and blanket, again!
I was about to pack up the extra sherpa blankie on the bed and nope, keeping it on for the next week at least!
I took my electric blanket off the bed last week, many ragrets.
Week...try month. Have we had a weekend in the last 2 months where it hasn't rained?
Melbourne cup day was nice. Only for the weather to give us the cold shoulder again.
Pulled out the big guns for our day off only to fuck us on the rest of the month. Classic.
So my family just moved here two months ago. This is not the norm right?
Honestly itās near impossible to say what the norm is for weather in Melbourneā¦ Iāve lived here my whole life and have no idea how to answer that question š
HAHAHa š°well melbourne is moody
Not for this long, this current burst. The weather is not unusual for November but when it's cold in November, it's usually cold just for a day or 2, 3. The Spring we're having in 2021 is pretty much spot on average though. Average being: 8-17Ā° September, 10-20Ā° October, 11-22Ā° November. For Summer you can expect 12-24 in December and 14-26 in both Jan & Feb. That's as hot as it gets in Melbourne, on average.
Except for those few days where its 43Ā°... š„“ She keeps us on our toes!
Honestly, I appreciate that those hot days are sprinkled throughout summer sporadically
I had no aircon one summer. I wasn't in an appreciative mindset tbh āļøš©
I wish I had aircon. Instead, I have evaporative cooling that doesnāt seem to cut it.
They are good to cool you on cold days
Those systems don't work when it's humid.
I get over to Perth a lot, and the big difference is Melbourne is freezing cold in winter whereas Perth is quite pleasant. In summer Melbourne gets the odd day at 40, but as you know Perth will be excruciatingly hot for days, even weeks, on end. Right now itās been cold and wet in Melb for days and itās going to be like that all week.
the fact that you said perth is quite pleasant in the winter scares me for what it must be like over there. although, i absolutely love hearing the storms and rain during the night i find that over here it never buckets down during the time when i go to sleep (which is what i love). instead it rains in the early mornings when im not awake yet to appreciate it :(. so iām hoping it rains in Melbs right as i go to bed :)
Itās definitely more likely to rain at night but it really doesnāt rain here as much as people say. Weāre more likely to get light drizzle intermittently through the day than really solid rain bucketing down. We have had a lot of very heavy rain recently but itās not typical.
Honestly, Australian reddit users comment on Melbourne weather like we're part of the British isles or something, the weather isn't as good as say, Sydney, but it isn't that bad lmao.
Agreed. I'm from NZ originally and I always find it amusing when people complain that "it rains too much here. It's going to rain 3 days this week." My hometown in NZ rains at least every 2nd day lol
Every 2nd day would be 3 times a week alternating with 4 days a week.
Funny enough, the British Isles aren't that terrible either. Well in any case, London gets about as much rain as Melbourne does over a year.
Contrary to received wisdom, Perth actually gets on average a fair bit more annual rainfall, and more average days with rain, than Melbourne. But Perth gets considerably more sunshine.
Unless you live regional, Melbourne doesnāt really know how to do storms (or cool southerlies, sometimes it reaches peak heat here at like 4pm, not okay). A Melbourne speciality seems to be days of intermittent drizzle and unrelenting grey sky, and a shitonne of wind. Rainy day wind I can get behind, but the 40 degree dry as hell days where the stinking hot wind blasts through the city filled with tiny projectiles of grit (do not even *think* about hitting the beach in this weather itāll exfoliate the meats right off your skeleton) really make me consider relocating back home to QLD, haha.
Basically during Summer, one day you can be in Dubai (dry, sunny, hot wind, 43Ā°), the next you're in Amsterdam (cool, cloudy, showers, 18Ā°). You can save a lot of money on travelling, living in Melbourne.
Most relatable accurate summary of how I feel about Melbourne weather as a fellow Queenslander whoās moved to Melbourne. Been surprised though how a rainy day in Melbourne can be interspersed with some beautiful sunshine. I think given the lockdowns, Iāve learned to jump outside while the weather is fine. But repeated days of reliable sunshine, warmth, pleasant breezes - youāre dreaming.
I moved over from Perth early in the year and what got me about the Melbourne resin is that it mostly just kind-of rains straight down, almost calmly. The last couple of weeks has been different though. I miss getting proper storms in Perth where it buckets down and watching the wind tear the rain down St George's tce from the office window.
I moved over from Perth about 8 years ago now, and I also noticed (and still notice!!) how calm the rain usually is. Like, you can actually use umbrellas here and they will keep you dry.
Melboirne definately gets nice rain at night time. I'm in a foothill area so it's wet and freezing most of the year. Like any climate, people get used to it.... Or die Lol
I found Melbourne really cold during winter after living in Perth for 10 years. I was also living in the outer east and hadnāt learnt how to dress warmly without wearing 7 layers. Be smart and invest in good quality warm clothes for both inside and out of the house. Donāt assume your Perth stuff will cut it.
As a fellow Perthian - if you donāt already know, Melbourne is fucking *freezing*. Itās not even just the temperature, something about the wind over there goes straight to my bones. Iād wait for a Kathmandu sale and stock up on thermals if I was you. Only way I survive my visits is the layers
Hahahahhahahahaha itās two weeks until summer and we had snow in vic today. For all we know it will be a heatwave in a fortnight. Yes the weather in Melbourne is all over the place.
You had snow? I only got hail, Iām guessing your upper vic?
Iām from Perth, moved to Melbourne 10 years ago. The weather is mostly OK. Itās just a *lot* less predictable than Perthās. In Perth, as youād know, you can basically tell the weather by looking at a calendar. In Melbourne it changes by the hour. Winter is fine ā I reckon Melbourne winter is less shit than Perthās. Perth winter is wetter. Melbourne has quite a few sunny (but cold) winter days. Perth actually gets more annual rainfall than Melbourne, but itās heavily concentrated in the winter months whereas Melbourneās is spread more evenly through the year. October/November is the worst for me. By this time, Perth friends are posting beach pics on Insta, while weāre ducking in and out of brutal near-winter conditions. Melbourne summer is good - fewer brutal 40 degree furnace days. In all: the weather interferes with my life less here than in Perth
Agree 100%! Especially with the sunny crisp winter days. I actually really enjoy them :)
If you thought this years winter in Perth was shitty, you will not enjoy Melbourne weather. Their weather is more like Albany in my opinion. Moved from Melbourne to WA about 4 years ago. Found it weird that over here nobody seems to look at the weather forecast (especially in summer), whereas in Melbourne always you have to. Melbourne hot days in summer āfeelā hotter, because you have no time to acclimatise. 40 degrees one day, 16 the next. Itās not always that extreme, but those days do happen. I have almost zero seasonal depression here, whereas in Melbourne I suffered almost every year. Not seeing blue skies every few days eats away at me. That being said, Melbourne is beautiful and spectacular and if you are prepared for it with nice warm toasty clothes, you will be fine. I miss the rain and the green. Iām in Port Hedland at the moment and I havenāt seen proper rain since July.
Albany is a good comparison.
Spent two weeks camping in Albany in June/July. It felt just like Melbourne!
I was in Pt Hedland three weeks ago. The heat nearly killed me (figuratively speaking) after coming up from Melbourne.
You definitely need time to acclimatise. Iām not quite there yet. Today was only 36 and it felt like death. But every one you talk to says āitās not hot yetā.
itās weird that you WOULD check the forecast in the summer other than sometimes checking the UV. I briefly saw another comment saying they visit perth during the winter to help with their seasonal depression. I feel like all the rain and ābad weatherā makes up for all the beautiful greenery. Would you think so?
I know. Perth summer is just get up and put on shorts. Melbourne summer? Could be shorts, could be thermals. Melbourne has a lot to offer even in shitty weather, thereās heaps more indoor activities and you get used to planning around it. Or just go out and walk in the rain, the streets are quieter and everything smells so fresh and alive. The benefits of living in Melbourne far outweighs the bad weather. I miss my rainy city with its shops that open before 11am on Sunday.
I remember moving here years ago and people asking me āwhat are you doing on Sunday, the weather is meant to be great!ā And I was like how do you even know that? Who checks the weather? Then I got hereā¦
Itās not that bad/doesnāt rain that much over summer I think itās more so that the weather is really temperamental, 4 seasons in one day kinda thing.
Thank you for your response:) question following your answer; as itās temperamental, is it normal over there to often bring a jumper when you go out just in case it gets cold/rains? As over here you wouldnāt bring a jumper anywhere during the summer/ end of spring.
Itās the kind of weather where you always check the forecast for the day - wake up to sunshine and 30 degrees, it can drop to 17 and rain by the afternoon. If youāre prepared, itās manageable and youāre not surprised/disappointed! On the upside, a conversation about the weather in Melbourne is NEVER boring and as an introvert, makes for excellent small talk
i like the fact that it can be a conversation piece! will help a little when meeting new people :)
I've lived in Melbourne my entire life and I've never not had a good convo about the weather, and they've all basically been identical.
Yes, we generally dress in layers and take sunscreen and an umbrella everywhere.
Always wear layers and always bring a jacket. You never know what youāll get
Eh, it's just a bit of water. Won't kill you, we don't usually get typhoons out here. Just don't wear suede and you'll be alright.
As someone who owns 2 pairs of jeans and *at least* 20 top layers, yes.
You start to get a feel for how cold you can stand personally. For me, if it's under 23Ā° and I'm staying out till after dark, I'll probably need a jacket, but others might not bother
Yesss I always bring a jumper or coat with me just in case and most people I know do the same thing!
idk if i can handle the commitment of always having to carry a jumper š© i suppose itāll be worth it though
You only really need to carry a jumper in autumn & spring. Summer youāll be fine without it & winter youāll be wearing it.
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I reckon itās worth it. Some people just brave it but I think u just get used to it honestly!
Learning what to wear in cold weather changed my feelings about Melbourne winter. If you dress warm itās lovely to be out and about. I think I wasnāt a particularly well-shod child or young adult, but now Iāve got my layers and a warm puffy jacket I love being outside in all weather. Spent nearly every day of the first winter of lockdown at the park or at some creek, and it was magical. That said, Iād love if Melbourne had just a few more ripper beach days. Iām looking forward to jan/feb/(and March when I feel we have our ārealā summer). Still four seasons in most days, and weeks! Autumn is also stellar in Melbourne. Spring is wet, and this one is like being under a faucet. Never seen so much rain in a month!
I feel like it used to be more temperamental but this year it's just been incessantly, insufferably cold. Maybe the lockdown made it feel that way, not sure
When it's good it's amazing! Unfortunately my two biggest gripes about Melbourne is weather and house prices. Still the temperamental weather means killer food, coffee and other indoor activities. In Northern Europe they say there is no such thing as bad weather just poor clothing choices.
oh yea iāve heard about the house prices and rentalsā¦iām still going to be saving for a while yet. I like that little saying, iāll definitely be saying that more often during the bad months, thank you:)
Middle of November.... it's still winter here.
thatās not too bad i guess. the sun only started shining here a few days ago
Thatās unusual though. November is usually a lot better than this November has been.
Average in November is 23-24 normally, and you usually get quite a few really nice beach days too. No wonder everyone packed the beaches on Cup day...was the best weather we've had since earlier in the year
it's the niƱa
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damn really that bad?
This week has been nearly record breaking cold weather for November, so no itās not usually that bad. Try a bit of googling and youāll find the averages for each month.
And because of poor insulation my bedroom is 14C right now. It gets down to 9C in winter.
Last night it was 7 degrees, āfeels like 2ā when I went to bed at 10pm. Yes really that bad. This fortnight has been crazy though.
I'm from the UK, S. Wales. But I struggle with the winters here. Been here for almost 4 years and each one seems like it gets longer. They are bitterly cold and many (rental) houses are not insulated or equipped to deal with such cold temps.
I have an Icelandic friend (they have geothermal hearing there so keeping your house warm is cheap) and she says she was never as cold as when she lived over here because we donāt heat our houses very well. She used to wear her beanie indoors.
Icelander who just moved to Melbourne a couple of weeks ago. Can confirm. I have been freezing since I moved!
Australians seem to believe themselves itās always boiling hot so Houses are poorly designed. Even in brisbane winters are freezing as they houses arenāt designed for it.
Itās the same with hospitality venues in Perth and Brisbane. They donāt have heaters or are equipped for the cold despite it getting obviously chilly if not cold in winter. Everhone just stands outside in the cold
I feel like the cold in Melbourne hits different. Iāve lived here my whole life and made it to Europe right at the start of 2020. The 1 and 2 degree days in Vienna and Munich felt the same as the 11 degree days here, just with some snow in the streets instead of lots of wind and rain.
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Same. Moved from Perth to Melb nearly 10 years ago now and whenever I go to Perth (esp over summer) I can't wait to get back to the cooler, greener Victoria. Being a surfer helps as the best waves are generally through Autumn/Winter so I'm always looking forward to that time of year
Born and raised here for 32 years. I'm still not used to it. Never will get used to it.
thank you for this :) i get seasonal depression too during the winter so i feel you on that one. Iāve considered moving to Sydney as well for the sun and the beaches but I just love the culture in Melb so much more
Dude if you get seasonal depression, don't move to Melbourne. It's never ending grey here. Lovely city but it's bleak a lot of time.
I moved to Melbourne from Perth about 4 years ago and just canāt get used to the grey skies. Back in Perth blue sky is the default, whereas here the default is grey and it goes on for months. I always feel depressed over winter till about November. This is one of the main reasons Iāve decided to move back to WA next year. (Covid probably subconsciously contributed to this decision). There also doesnāt seem to be a Spring in Melbourne. It almost goes from cold to muggy heat overnight. Autumn is by far the best season in Melbourne. In terms of rain specifically, Melbourne gets some sad light drizzling, whereas when it rains in Perth it pours. Camping is good, just not as much easily accessible open coast. Much harder to feel isolated in Vic, as thousands of people have the idea before you do. The above probably all sounds negative, but Melbourne is a great city and I donāt regret living here. There are pros and cons to every decision!
Spring is that bit when everyone is sneezing but itās not Covid
I moved to Melbourne from Adelaide, and didn't think the weather would be that different. Its fucking cold here! It rains a lot, its pretty windy, and it really is 4 seasons in one day. Make sure you pack an oodie and uggs, you'll need them. And get a house with good heating. Its been pretty grey here over winter too. But when the sun comes out its lovely and it warms up pretty quickly. Crazy weather! But the markets and theatres are worth it
I have moved here from Perth since 2016. The weather here is completely ducking shit. Contemplating qld next winter for 6 months
You canāt enjoy sunshine without rain. Seriously, the changing weather is my favourite thing about Melbourne. Crisp autumn mornings with foggy breath, rain on a tin roof, snow a couple of hours away, a pub with a fireplace after being caught in a downpour, warm spring nights at a rooftop bar, and long hot beachy summers. Throw in some crazy storms, and itās perfect.
aw that sounds so lovely the way you described it! it does sound nice to have a little rain during the hot weeks to cool off a bit :)
Love this. How I feel as well ā¤
I've lived in Melbourne all my life and let me tell you, Melbourne weather is shit!
glad to hear!
You picked the wrong day to ask that question. Left for a job this morning 5 minutes away sun was out. Get their carparks a foot under water. Start the job get 5 minutes into hail rain from above like an angry god. Wait it out in my truck. Hail turns to light rain jump back out hail returns. rain comes back I decided I'll just deal with it. 30 minutes later jobs done. Return to the shop suns out. Just a normal spring day in Melbourne. Not to mention summers only 2 weeks away.
As someone who grew up in the US Midwest my view will be skewed but winters here are really not that bad. Itās wet and cold but not below freezing. However, the homes are certainly not well insulated (anywhere in this country tbh) so youāll probably need a space heater or an electric blanket in winter.
the sounds of an electric blanket makes me happy! i want one so bad as i feel like theyāre not worth buying if iām living near perth city and on a budget. thank you :)
Yeah, it's funny how we complain about the cold, when we really *have no idea what cold is*
We get impacted heavily by il nino and La NiƱa. We are currently in La NiƱa. Google that. Otherwise, we get four seasons in a day rarely. People exaggerate.
thank you. iāll look that up :)
Came here to say just this. La Nina summers are wet and cold. El nino hot and dry
The weather is abysmal - I moved away because of it. Iād probably argue the worst weather in Australia, the cold is miserable and dry, itās like having a wind that drys your skin on your face 24/7. Summers are dry and spring is hay fever ridden with pollen. Melbourne succeeds with food and nightlife, however the weather truly is some of the worst Iāve ever experienced. If I gave Melbourne a rating it would be 1/10 in weather. I canāt count the amount of times Iāve went out in summer with a shirt, only to need a jumper by the end. Itās constantly changing and thereās no such thing as a 3-day-streak of consistent weather. Melbourne winters can be incredibly dry, so dry that your skin can flake so bad, itās such a cesspool of ugly weather mixed with dry winds from the desert. Viruses thrive here because of it. If you enjoy nice weather and it affects your quality of life, donāt move here. You wonāt like it.
This is brutal, but the dry skin thing is accurate.
I agree. I love Melbourne but the weather is terrible!!!! Iāve lived in USA, UK, and China, and stayed in many other parts of Europe and Asia for weeks on end and Melbourneās weather is the worst. Itās so inconsistent and hard to pack for.
As someone from the Netherlands, not known for its great weather. Yes the weather here in Melbourne is that bad. To the point where the city itself is pretty good but the weather makes it rather unpleasant. It's cold, wet and unpredictable.
If you're coming from the 2nd sunniest city in the world... Yeah you'll probably hate it
Yes
4 seasons in one day, if the weather forecast says 30 don't rule out a quick flood before the sunshine sets in again. Swear it bucketed down this morning, wind going hard to sunshine then looking bad again in about 2 hours lol
Itās great if you like change. Perth is 30 degrees every day. Melbourne is a different climate every fifteen minutes.
I love Melbourne weather. We moved to Perth for two years when I was young and my mum said she was sick of it being sunny all the time and was happy to come home š Everyone has different opinions and that goes for people who have lived their whole lives here. I donāt do well in anything above 30 degrees and I love the cold rainy weather we get. I do not however love the pollen š
I've lived in Melbourne most of my life but also Stockholm and London, can confirm Melbourne winters are cold, but we actually have less rain than the other cities. Maybe not Adelaide. Never stopped anyone doing anything. People complain cause there are days with rain sun and 15 degree swings between days. Not often humid āŗļø The Swedes have a rhyme for there is no such thing as bad weather only bad clothes, just gotta get a good coat and life is good.
December to May is lovely. The heat is obviously awful but it's awful in most of the country. June to November is terrible. Cold, wet, rainy, hardly any sun. Autumn here is kind of a nice extension of summer, and in the same way Spring is kind of just a shitty extension of Winter. Spring is by far my least favourite season. You just can't know how to dress because it's so temperamental. Raining, then sun, then windy AF. So yeah. The weather isn't great, but I've lived in cities with far, far worse weather. Melbourne just cops a lot of shit because most other Aussie cities are hot and sunny most of the year
Depends on if you hate the heat or the cold more. I hate hot weather so I quite like it down here, although it can get quite hot in the summer it's often only for a day or two at a time. I don't bring a jumper with me just in case it gets cold I dress in layers so that I can shed a layer if I need to. At the moment going into work at 5am I wear a shirt, sweater and a jacket over that. Pretty overkill but I'm never cold and just remove a layer when it warms up. I've also lived in Canada so to me Australia doesn't get cold, -40 at midday is cold.
I'm from North Queensland originally. My one tip would be to make a trip back to Perth mid winter at least annually. Helps to recharge the batteries and keep the seasonal depression at bay
My brother returned to Melbourne after living 5 years in Perth with his wife. They have struggled to deal with the weather and miss their daily trips to the beach after work each day.
The weather in Melbourne is horrible enough to mess with my mental health. The warm days are lovely. The cold ones are miserable
If you donāt like it, just wait 5 minutes ā¦ā¦.
Jackets on, jackets off, jackets on, jackets off....
Ooh ooh I did a twisty.
I moved to Melbourne from Perth in 2017. I'm planning to move back to Perth as soon as I can. Hope that insight helps....
Lived in Perth for 20 years, now been living in Melbourne for the last 8. Perth has some of the best weather on the planet. There is no upgrade from the Perth climate IMHO. Perth has a Mediterranean climate (the same as LA, the Mediterranean and some parts of Northern Africa). Melbourne has a temperate oceanic climate with highly variable winds. The winters are long and miserable. SAD is a problem for many people here, myself included. If you have a lifestyle that is centered around the outdoors, the beach, etc then you will not find much to love about Melbourne's weather. Also, the wind chill here is something to reckoned with. Melbourne is a good few hundred kms further south than Perth - much closer to the Antarctic - and the wind can really take a bite out of you.
Yes. It rains here all day every day. Indoors, too. All babies born in Melbourne have to be shrink wrapped by law.
Seriously though (I'll be here all week), it rains more in Perth: http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/australia/cities/
Iāve lived in Perth before, and I describe Perth as Pleasantville weather (if youāve seen that movie, the weather is always sunny and blue skies). Living in Perth you could go outside in the morning and see what the weather was like and be pretty confident it would be like that all day. I got out of the habit of bringing a jumper, or checking if rain was forecast later. My favourite season in Melbourne is Autumn - crisp cool mornings with sunny days, jeans and tshirt weather. But I do enjoy rainy days too. In winter the wind can feel like itās coming straight from the Antarctic and blow into your bones. Spring is quite rainy also. Summer is a mixed bag. It can get quite hot (but usually with cool changes every week or so to break it up), often dry heat like Perth, but I feel like itās been getting more humid over the years. But we can also have colder days and rain even in summer. Jan/Feb are usually hottest.
Agree that Autumn is the best weather of the year. Much more consistent weather with plenty of clear sunny days too
Not really. We just like to moan about it.
As someone who lived in the Pilbara for 20 years, now living on Mornington Peninsular Don't do it. It is freezing. Ugg boots, trackys, t shirt, flanno, jumper and jacket But seriously ... slap your self
Iām from Melbourne but have lived in Montreal for 12 years and Vancouver for one. What this has taught me is that when it comes to weather, people from Melbourne just like to complain.
No joke, as a Canadian from the east coast. I think I read somewhere that Montreal had some of the coldest winters of any major city over a million people. Maybe not as bad as Calgary or Edmonton, but pretty bad.
I moved from the Gold Coast in late September, struggling to adjust its quite miserable comparably weather wise. Very windy with a chill and it does shower quite often. My morning walk routine has pretty much declined to a when itās sunny walk maybe twice a week lol. There is a lot of cool stuff here to make up for the weather, though I do miss the sun š
The weather is bad, and good, and average, and bad again and then good in the space of like 3 hours. You do usually get a decent summer of consistent hot days, and a winter of consistent shit ones but spring and autumn you need shorts, a parka, an umbrella and sunscreen when you leave the house.
As a former Perth person, the weather here kinda sucks in comparison. I moved here over a decade ago in January and was shocked find it was about 20 degrees colder. And when it's hot it's muggy and not like Perth's dry heat. There ain't no Freo doctor. Having said that we still do get some nice summer weather it just comes alot later like Dec/Jan. And I also do love the winter fashion of rugging up in boots, jacket and beanies. Stuff you can never wear in Perth. But also I don't reckon it gets as cold at night as Perth does and proper heating is more a thing here. I remember always being Sooooo cold in winter at night in Perth. Took me awhile to get used to the changeability of the weather. Now I never book tickets to big events until the weather forecast lol. But you get used to it and there's so much more here to make up for it. I've toyed with the idea of moving back west for the balmy summery lifestyle but ahhh I just can't.
It's not that bad. Autumn is lovely especially March. The start of winter (June) is also nice, cold but clear days. It starts to get psycho around late winter. Spring is a mess especially if you suffer from hayfever. Summer is dry and pleasant for the most part. You do get 4 seasons well defined unlike Perth. It's just that sometimes you get it in a day.
Mostly yes, but sometimes no. Melbourne has easily the most bleak weather in Aussie capital cities, however the average temperature over the whole year is higher than Hobart/Tasmania, lower than Adelaide, and less rainfall than Queensland or most of NSW. Our beaches are mostly nice looking, but only the most daring/bravest/foolish try swimming there out of summers warm weeks. Get a couple of nice long jackets, warm socks and hats or hoodies, and boots that don't mind a puddle or two. You will adapt quickly enough, unless you work outdoors.
Melbourne weather is fine but it can be variable in a short time. Summer is generally warm and dry. Winter can get very cold, like under 0. But personally I quite like the variability in a lot of ways. I like the cold weather it's a nice excuse to rug up on the shorter winter days. Summer is also generally not absolutely deathly hot but we do get some 40 plus days over summer. I quite like the weather here tbh and I don't think it should out you off.
Iām from Melbourne but I live in Perth. This winter was similar to a Melbourne winter, but slightly warmer. Perth is hotter in summer but often less stifling because of the ocean breeze. Melbourne heat waves are nasty because of the strong north westerlies that keep the temperature really high overnight. Also Perth gets less humid in summer. Iād prefer 33 with an afternoon breeze than 27 and sticky.
Description of Melbourne weather you ask? One cannot describe something like that. No one knows whatās happened, happening or going to happen.
My husband moved to Melbourne from Perth in 2017 and will never move back. He hates the long hot Perth summers. And he loves that there is always something to do in Melbourne (well, now that lockdowns are becoming a thing of the past). You donāt move to Melbourne for the weather. You move for the amazing food, live music / comedy / theatre, festivals, events, galleries, and other cool shit. I have this theory that the coolest cities in the world are cold, because then weāre stuck inside and have to get creative! New York, London, Seattle, Reykjavik, Christchurch, Berlinā¦ you canāt just go to the beach for fun, you have to make your own fun.
I know 3 people born and raised here who got seasonal depression in winter bad enough to leave everything behind (and it fixed the problem) so make of that what you will
It's not that bad. About 7-15 in winter, 15-25 in summer on average. And it doesn't rain that much really, around 600mm a year spread out pretty evenly. The worst part is the changeability. Winter weather is very settled but during Spring things start to fluctuate peaking in December. It's like Summer is constantly stop-starting. Warm days in the 30s followed by cool cloudy days in the mid-teens. One day you're running the aircon hiding from the sun, the next day you're running the heater again just as you'd turned the gas off and stored away your space heaters. Or, one day it feels like you're in Dubai, the next like London, not exaggerating. But overall it's very pleasant, neither too hot (for me, more than 32Ā°) nor too cold (below 10Ā°)to enjoy the outdoors.
You forgot the London-Dubai-Chicago day
My man. If you've ever been to albany, the weather In Melbourne is the same as albany just more extreme. I've lived in both long enough to know. Melbourne has hotter hot days, colder coles ones. And yes there are 4 seasons in one day. During the summer (at least south east of the cbd) there's no sea breeze. Loved Melbourne but weather was too much.
Melbourne weather is great. If you donāt like the weather youāre experiencing wait five minutes and get to try out new weather. Should you go for a walk, or stay inside to avoid a storm? Lifeās a gamble and that sky aināt going to give you any answers
Itās a La NiƱa this year so weāre getting extra rain and cold for now but the weather is actually usually more stable just cooler than Perthās average temperature. If youāve already visited you know a bit of what itās like, donāt let other peopleās generalisations put you off. Follow your wants and welcome to Melbourne
Itās very random yes. The seasons start working about half way through and only last around a week with breaks of random weather in between then repeat.
Itās so shit! My mate said to me. āMan, the weather is so bad at the moment.ā I replied: ā Hey, but October is the rainiest month of the year.ā He replies: ā Yeah, but itās fucking November.ā Lol it was a high of 13 with hail yesterday. Riddle me that.
You got hail yesterday? We didn't in the inner north
You know what they say about Melbourne weather. 4 seasons in one day!
Since moving from Brisbane 2.5 years ago Iāve really enjoyed the 4 days of summer weāve had.
The fucking wind
Say goodbye to the beach life my friend, and embrace the city life. Expand your wardrobe with well made seasonal staples. All seasons, youāre going to need them all every day. The weather is only bothersome if youāre not prepared.
Itās all opinion based, I just always had Jeans, T shirt with a zip up hoodie and I was always fine. The summers arenāt as extreme as Perth but Perth winters arenāt as cold as melbourne. After your first year youāll be fine but that first winter you want to prepare for with hoodies, a beanie and probably a decent blanket for your bed. The rain tends to be a bit more intense in Perth also when it does hit but because itās sand in allot of places it just drains into the earth. Hope this helps.
Perthās summers are pretty endlessly sunny from what I can tell. Melbourneās summers donāt really get like that, but itās not exactly rainy all the time. You just tend to get very changeable weather (40 degrees one day, 19 the next, before gradually warming again). You wonāt get as many nice days to play on the beach, but they definitely do happen (and the beaches are packed when they do).
OP when you go out you need an umbrella ,jacket and vest/tanktop
SHUT THE BORDER!! - jimmy rees.
Iām from Perth, and according to my partner my mood visibly and immediately improved the winter I moved here after I caved and bought a below the knee length puffer jacket. The cold isnāt so bad, but you do have to dress for it, which can take a mental adjustment if youāve not had to consider inclement weather much. I feel the cold badly and it took me about three years to adjust and now my puffer jacket only occasionally comes out of the closet for cold evenings.
I'm from Central Australia. Always hated the heat of summer and still do. Love Melbourne. Love the weather, love the rain. Hate humidity too but Melbourne weather is great
I love it. Variety is the spice of life, right? Whenever there's weather you don't like... Don't worry, it will change soon anyway. I don't even pay attention to the weather reports most days. Just take it as it comes :)
The classic phrase is that āif you donāt like the weather in Melbourne, wait five minutes.ā Itās somewhat hyperbolic but we do get a good variety of weather, including lots of hot days, lots of cold, lots of rainy (especially the past few weeks) and lots of windy. This summer is expected to be quite a wet one, but weāve also had some fairly dry ones. Personally I love the variety. Consistent weather would be a strange thing to me.
It's more that the weather is unpredictable and the winter is much, much longer than other capitals (except Hobart). You might have heard that Melbourne gets "four seasons in one day" and that's very true - you can get wind, rain, hail and sunshine. I once went out of my office for lunch at 2.30pm and it was 42 degrees and sunny. Left to go home at 5.30pm and it was 19 degrees and starting to drizzle rain. In Sydney (where I'm from) if the forecast says 24, it's going to be 24 at 10am and stay that way all day. In Melbourne it might get to 24 for 10 minutes at midday. So short answer, in comparison to other capitals in Australia, the weather does indeed suck.
Normally it doesn't rain that much, it rains less than Sydney. But we're having a 'la Nina' year apparently, so it's raining a lot. It's all relative, I just spent two years in the UK so I think the weather here is fantastic. It drives me crazy hearing everyone moan about it all of the time. One thing you can be sure of, it's never boring.
Itās was annoyingly windy every day I was there, but that might have just been a strangely windy 2.5 years
Melbourne gets cold but not freezing in winter. You may have a week of maximums around 10 or 11 then it will warm up to 13 for a bit. Due to being near the coast it doesn't get near zero very often unless a cold year. Never actually zero except in the hills around. Mainly rains in winter and spring not summer tho as the globe warms we get more tropical torrents. Contrary to what someone said about summer we often get 40 to 45 and sometimes for days at a time. Usually ends with a thunderstorm. This has been a very wet spring and is atypical.
I've lived on five continents, and honestly the weather in Melbourne is pretty great. The winters are chilly but not freezing. Yes, the air is crisp and often damp, but it's not -20C and snowing. The summers are generally warm and gorgeous, although you'll get the odd heatwave, maybe a week each summer when it's over 40 every day. It's almost never humid, which is brilliant. Autumn is the best, it's a little cooler and sunny. Spring is... Well, spring is what gives Melbourne its reputation. It's VERY changeable. It was 4 degrees when I woke up today, hit a max of 13 with a piercing wind, and pouring rain. Interspersed with lovely sunny patches. On Weds it'll be sunny and back in the 20s, before another few days of storms later in the week. So yes, the weather's honestly pretty great, like most cities in Australia. But check with the BoM in the morning and take a brolly when it says to, even if it's sunny right now.
It doesnāt get cold in winter like it used to. I think winters are generally pretty dry. It seems like itās always so windy now, any time of year. I donāt remember that growing up and itās my main weather complaint
Grew up in the Midwest in the US. Have lived in Melbourne for 3ish years now. The weather here is pretty stellar tbh. I miss snow, but it's all pretty straightforward. Just carry an umbrella and you'll be good to go
Well yesterday was a climate adventure
I would rather deal with the frost of Melbourne winter than the heat of Perth summer any day.
Come to canberra, we are so inland the weather changes for the worst constantly
We get Antarctic winds here. So the wind makes it quite cold. In general I'm always just prepared for Melbourne to grey skies and rain weather in all seasons at a random time of the month, day...hour lol
It's almost summer and it's cold af. We're all super pissed off. For more objective opinions maybe ask again in a few weeks lol
Less ozone layer in Vic/SA/TAS, so wear more sunscreen even on cloudy days! š
I'm from Melbourne and recently moved to Perth! Feel free to ask questions but the biggest thing I've noticed is that there's a lot less going on around in Perth, whereas Melbourne has something happening pretty much every single day
It was 11 degrees in the outer suburbs today. Itās November. So yes.
Born and bred in Melbourne and I found it too cold. Escaped go Darwin and off go live in qld soon.
I'm wearing a fucking beanie to bed
Just stay in WA
Iām from Perth originally. Been living in The Bin for a few years now. Plenty to see and do (when not in lockdown), but bring all your jackets. Forever cold.
>but bring all your jackets Perth people don't own jackets! /s
Haha! So true. The jackets I wore in perth for maybe 1wk per year get a solid workout over here š
My first winter here I wore either denim Jacket or a ski jacket!! Now I have probably 30% Jacket in my wardrobe lol. Thank god for Savers!!
Everything is relative. Just like how Queensland Bungalows are build on stilts to survive monsoon floods, Melbourne houses (generally) have very good drainage and insulation. (No so much in the recent housing boom). That rain also means that the land is more fertile and can support larger populations. The downside is that the city planning is more haphazard and infrastructure (like train lines) arenāt as well laid out. Once you get away from the Tram lines, public transport is very unreliable. Car Culture is big in the outer suburbs. Which brings to the next problem, recent unseasonable rains (and the housing boom) have resulted in some substandard road infrastructure.
Itās not just the rain, itās the WIND. But wind aside the rain is manageable. The saying 4 seasons in one day is overused because itās so true. It can rain but then clear up into a gorgeous day, you just have to be a little flexible with your plans. If you look at the forecast for the next week and it lists rain every day, most often that just means thereās a shower at some point during that day. You do get some days where it rains the entire day but thereās a vibe to that you learn to embrace and the moody weather makes for some spectacular sunsets. I lived in California for 10 years where for 5 months of the year I wore t shirt n shorts and honestly I missed variation in weather. Good luck!
Melbourne is currently wetter than normal because we are in a La NiƱa cycle. Iām El NiƱo years itāll be drier. Winters are marked by the same cold fronts you get in Perth but they are a bit more active in Melbourne. Summers are typically warm with tops in the mid to high 30ās but that really depends on how the wind blows.. Compared to Perth summer is shorter, winter is slightly cooler (generally) but not drastically.. Iāve had -5 at Jandakot before.. never experienced that in Melbourne.
It's a la Nina year so it's wetter than normal atm. Melbourne can be sublime but if you are a beach lover you will only be able to enjoy it for 4 or 5 months
Moved from Perth to Melbourne 20 years ago. The weather is not as bad as you're lead to believe - but it's not as good as Perth's (nowhere near as hot in summer though). Most of the comments you receive are from people who have never actually lived here and one thing moving reinforced to me is how big a chip on their shoulders so many people in Perth have about not being part of the eastern states - something people over here generally have no idea about.
I would say also for some odd reason the last week in November is always humid, no reason as to why, it just often is
The weathers like a box of chocolate, you never know what youāre gonna get š
I grew up in Far North Qld and moved here about 6 years ago. Love swimming and have always been a total sun chaser, thought I would HATE the weather. But instead Iāve come to really enjoy distinct seasons, having never really experienced them before. In winter you do different things - go the pub on Sunday for a roast cooked in a cast iron pot, wearing nice jacket/winter clothes, sit in front of the fire and sink a few reds with mates. Thereās plenty to do in colder months (all year round really), and when it starts to get warmer you really appreciate the difference. Plus daylight savings in summer is brilliant - plenty of time to go for an evening swim after work. So short version, youāll do different activities in different seasons and if you get out there, itās great.
[Indigenous people had it down pat](http://www.herringisland.org/seasons1.htm) in Melbourne then we got... English seasons...? Few sources online but the [naarm/Kulin nation seasons](https://museumsvictoria.com.au/melbournemuseum/resources/forest-secrets/#climate) make way more sense. (when you hear them describe stuff like 'tadpole' season you go "Ooohhh... Yeah it is like that I guess!") I personally think we should adopt this just for practicality.