Summer
Dec → Feb- 8 rainy days · 57 mm
- sea 22°
RecommendedFairNot recommended· afternoon temperature
| Month | High | Low | Rainfall | Rainy days | Sea | Best |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 26° | 15° | 72 mm | 8 d | 22° | |
| February | 25° | 15° | 32 mm | 6 d | 22° | |
| March | 24° | 14° | 38 mm | 7 d | 21° | ✓ |
| April | 20° | 11° | 65 mm | 9 d | 17° | ✓ |
| May | 16° | 9° | 61 mm | 11 d | 15° | |
| June | 14° | 7° | 61 mm | 11 d | 12° | |
| July | 13° | 6° | 56 mm | 13 d | 11° | |
| August | 14° | 7° | 60 mm | 13 d | 12° | |
| September | 17° | 8° | 67 mm | 12 d | 13° | |
| October | 20° | 9° | 80 mm | 12 d | 16° | |
| November | 22° | 11° | 81 mm | 11 d | 19° | ✓ |
| December | 24° | 13° | 67 mm | 9 d | 21° | ✓ |
What the 2015-2024 records (Hosier Lane) show, season by season, to compare at a glance instead of reading twelve rows of a table.
The timing is right, so it is right for everyone: in these months the best places to stay and the small-group tours go first. Here is where to start.
Some links are affiliate links: we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. The selection does not depend on these links.
The time between sunrise and sunset, from shortest to longest. Not to be confused with the sunshine hours in the table above, which count clear skies. In December there are 14h46 of daylight, in June 9h33, a difference of 5h13.
Calculated for the latitude of the reference point "Hosier Lane" (-37.82°). Values on the 15th of each month, local solar time.
EventsAustralian OpenJanuaryAustralian Grand PrixMarchMelbourne International Comedy FestivalMarch to AprilMelbourne CupNovemberDetails ↓
favourablewith compromisesunfavourable
Grid derived from the records (temperature, rainfall, sea), not from an opinion.
What comes back every year, and when. These events fill the hotels and push prices up: something to aim for or to avoid, depending on what you want.
The first of the Grand Slam tournaments is played at Melbourne Park for two weeks, in the full heat of the southern summer.
Formula 1 races around Albert Park Lake, a few minutes from the centre, over three days in March.
Hundreds of comedy shows play in theatres and back rooms for nearly four weeks.
The horse race on the first Tuesday of November is a public holiday in the state: hats are a must and the city grinds to a halt.
Busy, without the crush
Low season, lower prices
High season, book early
Busy, without the crush
Low season, lower prices
Low season, lower prices
Low season, lower prices
Low season, lower prices
Low season, lower prices
Low season, lower prices
High season, book early
High season, book early
January. 26 °C in the afternoon and 15 °C at night. Expect 8 days of rain in the month (72 mm). The sea is at 22 °C: pleasant swimming. Busy season, without the crush.
February. 25 °C in the afternoon and 15 °C at night. Rain stays light: 32 mm over 6 days. The sea is at 22 °C: pleasant swimming. Low season: fewer people, lower prices.
March. Mild, 24 °C in the afternoon and 14 °C early in the morning. Rain stays light: 38 mm over 7 days. Cool sea (21 °C), for the brave. High season: book early.
April. Mild, 20 °C in the afternoon and 11 °C early in the morning. Expect 9 days of rain in the month (65 mm). Sea at 17 °C, too cold to swim. Busy season, without the crush.
May. Cool: 16 °C at best, 9 °C at night. Expect 11 days of rain in the month (61 mm). Sea at 15 °C, too cold to swim. Low season: fewer people, lower prices.
June. Cool: 14 °C at best, 7 °C at night. Expect 11 days of rain in the month (61 mm). Sea at 12 °C, too cold to swim. Low season: fewer people, lower prices.
July. Cool: 13 °C at best, 6 °C at night. Expect 13 days of rain in the month (56 mm). Sea at 11 °C, too cold to swim. Low season: fewer people, lower prices.
August. Cool: 14 °C at best, 7 °C at night. Expect 13 days of rain in the month (60 mm). Sea at 12 °C, too cold to swim. Low season: fewer people, lower prices.
September. Cool: 17 °C at best, 8 °C at night. Expect 12 days of rain in the month (67 mm). Sea at 13 °C, too cold to swim. Low season: fewer people, lower prices.
October. Mild, 20 °C in the afternoon and 9 °C early in the morning. Expect 12 days of rain in the month (80 mm). Sea at 16 °C, too cold to swim. Low season: fewer people, lower prices.
November. Mild, 22 °C in the afternoon and 11 °C early in the morning. Expect 11 days of rain in the month (81 mm). Cool sea (19 °C), for the brave. High season: book early.
December. Mild, 24 °C in the afternoon and 13 °C early in the morning. Expect 9 days of rain in the month (67 mm). Cool sea (21 °C), for the brave. High season: book early.
Their best time overlaps with this one: worth comparing before you book.
March to April and November to December: over these months, recorded highs range from 20 to 24 °C, with 9 days of rain a month on average (2015-2024 records, Hosier Lane).
September: it is the wettest of the months to avoid, with 67 mm over 12 days of rain on average, according to 2015-2024 records at the reference point (Hosier Lane).
January, with 26 °C on average in the afternoon and 15 °C at night. 2015-2024 records (Hosier Lane).
July, with 13 °C at best during the day and 6 °C at night. 2015-2024 records (Hosier Lane).
February: 32 mm over 6 days of rain, against 81 mm in November, the wettest month.
The water reaches 22 °C or more in January, February (warmest 22 °C in January), measured in 2023-2024 on the nearest coast (Hosier Lane).
Photos: Trippy Clicker / Pexels · Jjm2311 / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons) · Jimmy Liao / Pexels · JY Lee / Pexels · Matteus Silva / Pexels · Mitchell Luo / Pexels