When is the best time to visit Melbourne?

The weather in Melbourne, month by month

Daytime and night-time temperatures, then rainfall. Records 2015-2024 (Hosier Lane). The exact figures are in the table below.
The table of records, month by month
Real 2015-2024 records at the reference point "Hosier Lane" (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo; sea: 2023-2024 averages (Open-Meteo Marine) on the nearest coast (Hosier Lane)). Published as open data.
MonthHighLowRainfallRainy daysSeaBest
January26°15°72 mm8 d22°
February25°15°32 mm6 d22°
March24°14°38 mm7 d21°✓
April20°11°65 mm9 d17°✓
May16°9°61 mm11 d15°
June14°7°61 mm11 d12°
July13°6°56 mm13 d11°
August14°7°60 mm13 d12°
September17°8°67 mm12 d13°
October20°9°80 mm12 d16°
November22°11°81 mm11 d19°✓
December24°13°67 mm9 d21°✓

The four seasons in Melbourne, in figures

What the 2015-2024 records (Hosier Lane) show, season by season, to compare at a glance instead of reading twelve rows of a table.

Summer

Dec → Feb
24 to 26°
nights 13 to 15°
  • 8 rainy days · 57 mm
  • sea 22°
1 month recommended

Autumn

Mar → May
16 to 24°
nights 9 to 14°
  • 9 rainy days · 55 mm
  • sea 18°
2 months recommended

Winter

Jun → Aug
13 to 14°
nights 6 to 7°
  • 12 rainy days · 59 mm
  • sea 12°
Not recommended

Spring

Sep → Nov
17 to 22°
nights 8 to 11°
  • 12 rainy days · 76 mm
  • sea 16°
1 month recommended

Book early for March to April and November to December

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.

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Daylight in Melbourne, month by month

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.

14h30Jan
13h33Feb
12h26Mar
11h09Apr
10h07May
9h33Jun
9h47Jul
10h41Aug
11h55Sep
13h09Oct
14h14Nov
14h46Dec

Calculated for the latitude of the reference point "Hosier Lane" (-37.82°). Values on the 15th of each month, local solar time.

What to do in Melbourne, month by month

ActivityJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Beach & swimming
Sightseeing & walks
Long days
Events1211

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's on in Melbourne, month by month?

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.

Travelling off-peak

Month by month, in detail

January

Fair
26°15° at night
  • 72 mm · 8 d
  • sea 22°

Busy, without the crush

February

Fair
25°15° at night
  • 32 mm · 6 d
  • sea 22°

Low season, lower prices

March

Recommended
24°14° at night
  • 38 mm · 7 d
  • sea 21°

High season, book early

April

Recommended
20°11° at night
  • 65 mm · 9 d
  • sea 17°

Busy, without the crush

May

Fair
16°9° at night
  • 61 mm · 11 d
  • sea 15°

Low season, lower prices

June

Not recommended
14°7° at night
  • 61 mm · 11 d
  • sea 12°

Low season, lower prices

July

Not recommended
13°6° at night
  • 56 mm · 13 d
  • sea 11°

Low season, lower prices

August

Not recommended
14°7° at night
  • 60 mm · 13 d
  • sea 12°

Low season, lower prices

September

Not recommended
17°8° at night
  • 67 mm · 12 d
  • sea 13°

Low season, lower prices

October

Fair
20°9° at night
  • 80 mm · 12 d
  • sea 16°

Low season, lower prices

November

Recommended
22°11° at night
  • 81 mm · 11 d
  • sea 19°

High season, book early

December

Recommended
24°13° at night
  • 67 mm · 9 d
  • sea 21°

High season, book early

Read the twelve months in detail

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.

Same season, other ideas

Their best time overlaps with this one: worth comparing before you book.

Frequently asked questions

When is the best time to visit Melbourne?

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).

Which month should you avoid in Melbourne?

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).

What is the hottest month in Melbourne?

January, with 26 °C on average in the afternoon and 15 °C at night. 2015-2024 records (Hosier Lane).

What is the coldest month in Melbourne?

July, with 13 °C at best during the day and 6 °C at night. 2015-2024 records (Hosier Lane).

What is the driest month in Melbourne?

February: 32 mm over 6 days of rain, against 81 mm in November, the wettest month.

When can you swim in Melbourne?

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).

Plan this trip

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Photos: Trippy Clicker / Pexels · Jjm2311 / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons) · Jimmy Liao / Pexels · JY Lee / Pexels · Matteus Silva / Pexels · Mitchell Luo / Pexels