What Are The 4 Seasons?

Nature is such a beauty that not only brings comfort but gorgeous sights to see. A large part of admiring nature is experiencing its various seasons.

However, how the seasons transpire throughout the world is not equal. This is what makes nature so unique and travelling so thrilling. Any travel to another location around the world will not only expose people to different cultures but also emerges them in witnessing the seasons differently as well.

This is especially true for Australia, where the seasons are a bit different from other places, especially on the western side of the world. Even those who live in Australia may not see the seasons the same in one place over another. But why?

Various regions throughout Australia have varying seasons. To better assess the seasons of Australia, These are different from other parts of the world, even within Australia.

The traditional 4 seasons of Australia are Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter, just not within the same months. Not all parts of Australia have 4 seasons. Northern top ends of the states have only what is considered to be a wet and dry season. This is mostly because it’s in a tropical climate overall.

To fully examine how fascinating the seasons are throughout Australia, it is necessary to also take a look at the varying climates that are throughout the entire continent.

Climates Throughout Australia

Everyone assumes that all of Australia is just terribly hot all of the time. However, the climates throughout the continent prove that some lower temperatures can exist and some seasons even offer cooler temperatures! Australia is made up of the following climates:

Based on where these particular climates are within the continent will dictate what kind of seasons transpire there. For example, out of the above climate areas, only the Temperate, Grassland, and Desert experience all 4 seasons.

This is a large part of the continent with the Northern Territory sitting within the other climate sectors like Equatorial, Tropical, and Subtropical.

These three experience the wet and dry seasons rather than the traditional 4 season structure. Even though they don’t have the usual 4 season breakdown, the areas are most known for their tourist attractions due to their pretty consistent temperatures.

For the areas that have 4 seasons, the seasons are separated into the following time frames of the year:

This is especially fascinating to those from the western parts of the world where the seasons are basically the exact opposite of these months.

It is strange for them to think that Christmas (Catholic) is during a warm summer month! This factor is what makes travelling so incredible.

What a treat to experience seasons in a whole new light! The reason behind the drastic change in what months the seasons occur is due to the hemispheres of the earth and how they are tilted at the sun.

For the seasons to happen during the above months in Australia, which sits in the southern hemisphere, the southern hemisphere is tilted at the sun during those months.

That means the other side of the world, the opposite side in the northern hemisphere is experiencing the exact opposite type of season structure!

The 4 Seasons of Australia

As previously stated, the only parts of Australia that have 4 seasons are the Temperate, Desert, and Grassland areas. The states that are directly within these climate categories are Queensland, Melbourne, New South Wales, Western Australia and Southern Australia.

While parts of Queensland and Western Australia can be grouped among the northern end tropical, subtropical, and equatorial areas, the majority of them fall into the seasonal sectors.

The Northern Territory is also a state and some of it can include seasons as well. However, the Northern Territory is largely considered to be within the wet and dry seasons.

Another large aspect of inspecting the varying seasons is to examine what is considered “The Outback” which is considered to be up to 70% of the continent. But more importantly, what are the 4 seasons like?

Below are the average temperatures throughout the various 4 seasons:

These temperatures are what people can expect throughout these seasons in these regions of Australia. Summers are dry in Australia and quite warm but January can offer anywhere between 40 and 60mm of rainfall during this particular season.

The summer is when Christmas is celebrated in Australia along with Australia’s Day in January, making the summertime quite the holiday season!

When it comes to autumn in Australia, it is similar to other places in the world in its characteristics, just within other months as expressed before. What makes autumn so majestic is its cooler temperatures and the transformation of the natural world.

Autumn brings on the beautiful melding of golds, reds, yellows, and browns that is nature’s way of painting the landscape.

This season is known for its wine festivals which are absolutely wonderful to attend while gazing among the falling leaves of colour!

There are also various holidays associated with the autumn season as well including Easter, Commonwealth Day, Canberra’s Day, April Fool’s Day, Anzac Day, Labour day, Harbour Day and Mother’s Day. Autumn is a delight for holiday celebrations just like summer.

Winters in these regions of Australia can reach up to 20 degrees Celcius, which is pretty warm for other parts of the world. However, it is possible to get quite cold and even under 0 degrees Celcius, though it is rare.

These temperatures are considered to be enjoyable for some and there are visitors during these months. Even the wildlife find the cooler temperatures desirable.

While there are not many holidays in the winter, there are some. These include Mabo Day, Foundation Day and the Queen’s Birthday.

Winter offers up some exciting things to do including experiencing wildlife like crocodiles, penguins, and marine life through the coral reef diving areas.

Spring in these areas of Australia is most favoured and quite remarkable. The milder temperatures are a blessing and the trees start to regain their lush green life.

One of the greatest experiences of springs in Australia includes watching all the blossoming flora bring bursts of colours to mainland Australia.

Beachgoers start venturing out to the shorelines again since winter has passed and the waters will be a bit warmer. While diving is done year-round, it does slow down in the winter months.

Spring has three main holiday celebrations including Father’s Day, Day of Remembrance and the Melbourne Cup. The Melbourne Cup is a treat in November where horse racing takes place.

This event is the biggest adventure throughout the spring season in Australia.

Each of these 4 seasons offers something special to these areas of Australia. However, what is the wet and dry seasons like where all 4 seasons do not occur?

Wet and Dry Seasons: Northen Ends of Australia

These two seasons are quite interesting as they are located in the subtropical, equatorial and tropical areas in Australia.

This is around the northern end of the continent where the temperatures stay pretty consistent hence the need for only two distinct seasons.

Even with consistent temperatures, each one of these seasons within the northern ends of Australia offers up its own characteristics that make them stand out.

Wet Season In Australia

The wet season occurs from November to April and is characterized the most by its high humidity. In this region, during this season, the humidity can reach a whopping 80%.

This makes for hot sticky weather that can be uncomfortable.

It is critical during this season in this region to wear proper clothing to protect from the sun but mostly to also remain as cool as possible.

With such high humidity, thinner clothing is suggested to keep skin cooler. The temperatures throughout this season are anywhere from 25 degrees Celcius to 33 degrees Celcius.

Another big characteristic of the wet season in the northern ends is monsoonal rains and tropical storms.

Flooding usually occurs during these periods, especially in places like the Poona National Park where the wetlands in the forested areas can get pretty deep. This makes for unsafe walking areas.

However, it is important to note that even though monsoonal rains and tropical storms frequent this region during this season, there is still plenty to do and enjoy while visiting these parts of Australia!

In fact, some of the tropical storms add even more stark beauty to the natural landscape and seascapes in the region.

These storms are quite the gem to behold before and after their downpours. Those who enjoy camping would find this season particularly favourable since camping is an immersive way to experience nature!

Dry Season In Australia

While tropical storms intensify the landscape, the dry season has its perks as well. This season in the northern ends of Australia is characterised by clear and vibrant skies and runs from May to October.

The season is known for its warm days and comfortably cool nights (as low as 16 degrees Celcius sometimes!) The overall temperature breakdown of the dry season is somewhere between 20 degrees Celcius to 33 degrees Celcius.

While the temperatures between the dry and wet seasons do not vary that much, the stark difference is the humidity level. The dry season in this region has around a 20% drop from what is typical of the wet season.

This brings the humidity for the dry season to be around 60 to 65% which means fewer sticky days for visitors.

A 20% drop may not seem like much but it really is a more comfortable way to enjoy the warmer temperatures. The rain in the wet season is what contributes to the higher humidity.

The dry season in this region brings forth many festivals for guests to enjoy. One of the most exciting festivals in the dry season is the Darwin Festival. This favourable festival is the most beloved one and celebrates multicultural aspects of the region.

From musical performances to delicious food and beverages, there are literally all sorts to explore! It is a huge 18-day event during the month of August and makes the dry season in the Northern Territory even more enjoyable!

Seasons Exclusive To Outback Australia

While Australia has the major breakdown of seasons being the 4 seasons identifiable in the Temperate, Grassland, and Desert areas and the wet and dry seasons. However, Australia is known for having “The Outback“, which is exclusive to Central Australia.

It is estimated this can be around 70% of the continent. This particular area does have its own seasonal weather patterns. It is not considered to have a traditional autumn or spring season.

Winter and summer temperatures are mostly experienced in these regions and in certain parts of the Outback even subzero temperatures can occur.

When people visit the Outback they often are misguided by the stereotypes of the Outback and come unprepared to be properly dressed.

When people think of desert areas, they automatically assume it’s consistently hot all of the time. However, on the nights in the Outback, especially in winter temperatures, the chill is quite drastic!

What makes the Outback so spectacular is that has its own climate grid different from other parts of Australia. This is a huge contributor to the area not having real autumn or spring.

The three climates associated with the Outback are semi-tropical, arid, and desert.

Each of these three zones is even slightly different from the other. Below are the key factors to each climate grid for the Outback.

Australia Semi-Tropical Grid

This grid has incredible summer rains reaching averages of around 400mm. It is known for its grassland trees and hotter temperatures. Winters in this grid are not known to go below 6 degrees Celcius.

This particular grid is considered most desirable for camping during the winter since the season here is not quite as cold as it is in the regions where all 4 seasons pop up.

However, it is important to note that the nights can get chilled and anyone venturing there should be prepared with clothing, etc.

Australia Arid Grid

Close to Alice Springs, this grid is the heart of all things associated with the Outback. The summers in this grid are very long and hot running from October to the middle of March.

These long summers warrant some rainfall (around 300mm a year) and only experience green lush landscape for short periods.

The average temperatures for summer here are around 35 degrees Celcius but are known for reaching even higher around 40 degrees Celcius. For most of the year in this grid, the landscape is drab brown and reddish.

While the summers are the longest, the winters here are quite cold. The winter season in this grid is considered to be mid-May through August. The cold air is refreshing but this is where colder temps come in during the nighttime!

There is even frost that forms on particularly cold mornings. May is the best month to head to this grid in the Outback as it offers up the cooler temperatures without getting too extreme during the nights.

Australia Desert Grid

The desert grid mainly begins around the region of Oodnadatta and is characterized by low brush vegetation and sparse areas with no vegetation at all.

However, the desert has various landscapes that bring big beauty including cliffs, dunes, mountains, and rocky plains.

This particular grid in the Outback has summers with temperatures lingering between 36 to 39 degrees Celcius and winter temperatures of around 18 to 24 degrees Celcius.

This is quite drastic when compared to the other two grids within the Outback.

Winter is the only acceptable time to visit this grid. The summer months are just too hot and considered to be dangerous!

Festivals Throughout The Seasons

Festivals are so much fun and are great ways to celebrate iconic moments to certain regions as well as certain seasons.

Australia is known for some of its festivals and natives and tourists alike will enjoy the festival atmosphere during key seasons!

Below are some great festivals for each of the 4 seasons within the regions where the 4 seasons are present!

Summer In Australia

Summer – This season is mostly known for its music festivals. The warm temperatures and lush landscapes make great backdrops to enjoying music! Some iconic music festivals to look forward to including but are not limited to, Falls Festival (Byron Bay area mostly), Origin Fields (Perth), Laneway (Melbourne), and Meredith Musical Festival (Victoria).

These are just some of the many music fests to indulge in while on holiday during the summer!

Autumn In Australia

Autumn – One of the biggest events during this season is the Sydney Mardi Gras although there are other notable events to check out. Some of those include the Melbourne Moomba Festival, Captian Cook 1770 Festival, and Goomeri’s Pumpkin Festival. They all are quite fun to experience and make autumn a gorgeous season.

Winter In Australia

Winter – One of the most iconic festivals in the winter for Australis is the Winter Magic Festival in Katoomba NSW. This festival celebrates the winter solace in the region and in the Blue Mountains. It has been around since the early 1990s and still is considered to be the best festival to visit during the winter months in Australia.

Spring In Australia

Spring – There are beer festivals to explore during this season but there are some other truly great festivals to explore! Some of these spring festivals include the Brisbane Spring Festival and the Renmark Rose Festival. Spring is a blossoming time for floral life to be appreciated and celebrated!

Australia: Beautiful No Matter What!

While every season offers a bit of something beautiful to experience, they are all truly remarkable. Australia is stunning throughout all its unique seasonal offerings!

Cyclone Season Australia

Australia has a diverse weather system which can range from extremely heavy rainfall all the way through to scorching heat which causes drought and bush fires.

One of the features of Australian weather is cyclone season which is a time of the year when these types of winds pass through the country frequently.

In this article, we want to provide you with some information on cyclone season in Australia so that, should you be in the country at this time, you can be aware of what to expect and how to stay safe.

When Is Cyclone Season Australia and How Long Does It Last?

In Australia, the cyclone season officially begins in November, although for the most part, the cyclones do not appear this early. It is more usual for the first cyclone to be seen during December and there have been very few recorded before this, with the earliest ever cyclone seen in mid-November in the early 1900s.

The cyclone season lasts up until the end of April, but again most of the activity has dwindled out by this time. The cyclones develop over the oceans and this usually happens around 10 times each cyclone season but in reality, they only cross over onto the land around four times each year.

Only one of these cyclones is usually severe, the rest do not cause very much destruction at all.

Where In Australia Is Affected Most By Cyclone Season?

Because Australia is such a ginormous country, it would seem obvious that not all of it is going to be as severely affected by cyclones, and this would be the case.

The most commonly affected areas when it comes to cyclone season are those along the northern coast of the country, this would include the top end of Queensland, the Northern Territory coastlines as well as the coastlines along the north of Western Australia.

With this in mind, it is also worth noting that it is not strictly the north coast that is affected since activity runs partway down the country on both the east and west sides.

It has been recorded that the areas which have been most prone to cyclone activity are Broome, in WA and Exmouth which is in the northern part of the same state.

Despite the previously mentioned areas being the ones that have been most affected by cyclones, there is also the time of the cyclone season to factor into which areas are most at risk of seeing a cyclone.

During the early part of cyclone season, the areas on the north coast are most at risk but as the season wears on the risk is moved further down the western coast of the country.

What To Do To Stay Safe In Cyclone Season Australia

As we mentioned, there are usually not too many severe cyclones in this part of the world, with the last most devastating one having occurred in the late 1980s.

But that being said, it is always a good idea to be prepared should you find yourself in the eye of the storm during your Australian visit. In this section, we are going to look at some tips relating to staying safe during Australia’s cyclone season.

Before The Storm

If you have received an alert that a cyclone is imminent, there are certain things that you can do in order to stay as safe as possible.

If you are staying in a residential property you should take the time to find out if the property adheres to cyclone standards, and if it does not it is a wise idea to find alternative accommodation.

Homes which are built to this standard are much more easily able to withstand the conditions presented in a cyclone. If you are staying in a hotel or other form of guest accommodation, you won’t need to worry about this step.

Staying with the assumption that you are staying in a home (for example a rented holiday house or an Air BnB) you will want to ensure that there are no loose roof tiles or any other elements of the property that could potentially cause damage or injury during the storm.

This includes any window shutters or screens which can provide protection from flying debris breaking a window and potentially causing an injury. If the house does not have shutters, the tape can be used to secure the windows and keep any broken glass from falling.

Be aware that Australia uses an emergency broadcast signal which is usually sounded 12 hours before a cyclone is due to hit.

Make sure that you get frequent updates from the media (websites, TV news or radio) so that you are aware of how the storm is progressing and can catch any safety advice or instructions.

Avoid going outside unless you absolutely have to.

During The Cyclone

If you find yourself in Australia when a cyclone hits, there are certain things that you should be aware of and safety tips to adhere to which will ensure that you are kept as safe as possible.

During the storm, it is extremely advisable not to use any electricity or gas.

Make sure that you have a first aid kit nearby in case there are any injuries or emergencies.

Remain in the strongest part of the building that you are in. If you are in a hotel or other such location, follow the instructions of the staff.

The eye of the storm, when it arrives will be calm and it could mislead you to think that storm is over, but it can suddenly start up again and threaten danger so you should only go outside once authorities have informed you that is it safe to do so.

Stay on top of updates using a battery-powered device such as a mobile phone or radio.

In extreme cases, there may be an evacuation called. In this instance, you should follow instructions as quickly and safely as possible.

This information can seem very intimidating but it is not often that things will become so extreme, it is important, however, that you arm yourself with the correct information so that in the eventuality that a large cyclone does occur whilst you are in Australia, you will be well informed on what to do.

Tropical Seasons of Australia

Australia, like many tropical countries, is likely to experience extreme weather and cyclone season is a time of the year when Australians need to be on their guard, especially in certain locations such as the northern coasts of the country.

That being said, not many of the cyclones that form over the surrounding seas will come to much, but it is always important to be aware of the risks should a cyclone hit during your stay here.