Oct 06 2008
Melbourne Weather
All my life I’ve heard comments from other states about the unpredictable ‘Melbourne Weather’. Snide comments, and often uttered in complaining tones.
It’s utter rubbish of course. The weather in Melbourne is boringly predictable. Especially right now, in Spring, when we get the ‘four seasons in one day’.
Although the day may start off cloudy, I know that pretty soon the sun and bright blue sky will come through, illuminating our parks and gardens with that golden glow exclusive to Melbourne.
Melbourne is on the same latitude as Athens, think of balmy nights on the waterfront, but our location is the reason for the swift changes. We are wedged between southerly antarctic air currents and the northerly dry hot desert winds. The large shallow curve of Port Phillip Bay, almost an inland lake, also affects the temperature keeping us a little cooler in Summer and a little warmer in Winter.
Winter in Melbourne
Melbourne enjoys crisp winters, mainly dry with a few very cold days in the season when the wind comes howling up from Antarctica. It’s not so very cold, there may be a week in which some snow falls on the hills out of town. You can smell it on a crispy morning, clear and sharp. It’s the wind that causes discomfort if you aren’t suitably clad in warm socks and sporting the all-important scarf. A footy scarf is best. Only an Aussie Rules scarf of course, this is Melbourne after all.
Tasmania, further south and deemed to be freezing all year, is noticeably warmer than Melbourne on these windy days.
Summer in Melbourne
The wind assaults Melbourne in Summer too, but this time it sweeps down from the North, scorching hot, dry, dusty and maddening. Fortunately these hot dry winds in Summer don’t carry the red dust they used to bear with them, but I’m sure you could be forgiven for murder on a day when the gale screeches through, burning your eyebrows, all the way from the red deserts of the Mallee.
Photo is of a Mallee Dragon, Ctenophorus fordi, a lizard with the same red colouring as the soil.
But the best point about the wind, and thus the weather, in Melbourne, is that it will not last for more than 3 days. So you know that if the Antarctic gale is at this moment causing your ears to turn blue, or the Mallee wind is making you cough and choke, it will soon be gone.
Spring in Melbourne
It’s the Spring that gives Melbourne weather the title of ‘unpredictable’. If you’re not used to it.
Yesterday I spent a pleasant Sunday afternoon in the sunshine noshing on New Zealand salmon and Gippsland cheese washed down with good dry Tasmanian cider. My daughter in law set up a lovely long table in the middle of her lawn and, with the necessary sunblock applied, we lazed the hours away. This morning it’s on with the Ugg Boots and a light waterproof jacket to brave the wilds of the shopping centre.
Mind you, we haven’t had much in the way of Spring Showers for a number of years so any little but of rain, if only enough to make the roads slippery, is a good bit of rain.
Autumn in Melbourne
Autumn is the best time. Melbourne in Autumn is heavenly, warm pleasant days without too much sun to burn you, and with cool invigorating evenings.
I love this town in Autumn. If you haven’t been to Melbourne before, come and visit in Autumn.
Picture of an Autumn afternoon taken at Balgownie Estate Winery
Like to shout me a cold beer?
interesting. it’s been ages since i was last there, and i only ended up visiting brisbane and sydney. would love to visit eventually for the australian open.