Going on our early retirement holiday before we look for part time work. What is the weather like in Sydney, Cairns, Melbourne, Adelaide areas in January? Will we need jackets, waterproofs, umbrellas etc. Or is it hot all the time?
2007-07-06 08:56:45 · 16 answers · asked by valjanny 2 in Travel ➔ Australia ➔ Other - Australia
January is summer time down under and it can get very hot. Up to 40C+. Australia is a very large place and all the places will have differing weather. Cairns for example may rain as it is in the tropics and that time of year is the wet season. Whereas in Melbourne is in the south of the country and it will be colder but will still be fairly warm compared to summer in the U.K.
I would be packing sun block, sun glasses and a hat to keep off the sun as the likelyhood of sun burn is very high.
Remember to "Slip, Slop, Slap"
2007-07-06 21:42:35 · answer #1 · answered by Mark M 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It depends where you are going in Australia. The prevailing wind across the country in January is an easterly. This brings hot,dry weather to Melbourne, Hobart, Adelaide and Perth and warm wet weather to Sydney and Brisbane. The tropical north is in the middle of the wet season so expect rain and possible tropical cyclones in Darwin, Broome and Cairns. Many of the roads to places in the tropical north such as Kakadu or the Daintree rainforest are closed due to floodwater across the roads.
Central Australia is very hot. Alice Springs and Uluru are still worth visiting but be prepared for the heat. Do not attempt to climb Uluru if the temperature is above 30°C - which it probably will be in January.
With that caution, January is a great time to be in Australia. The Festival of Sydney is on with theatre, dance, music and art and the great free concerts in the Domain - Symphony under the Stars, Opera in the Park and the Australia Day Concert. If you want to go to any of those, take a blanket, a picnic, an esky, an umbrella (for the sun) and set up camp for the day. Well worth it.
If you want to check the climatic averages or the forecasts for anywhere in Australia, your one-stop shop for the lot is the Bureau of Meteorology at http://www.bom.gov.au
2007-07-06 15:28:10 · answer #2 · answered by tentofield 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I lived in Melbourne for 6 months and did have weather as low as 12 degrees some days in early Jan. There can still be cold snaps at that time of year, but it should really have settled down, particulalry by the end of the month. We went to Cairns in Sept /Oct time to beat the stinger season. Would be very humid up there then.
I would take a pack a mac, but not much more.
2007-07-06 09:34:30 · answer #3 · answered by Happle 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I live in cairns. Summer in January means warm to hot sunny days, with a high humidity. It is also our wet season and we see cool thunder and lightening storms. I don't mind our summer its great for going to the beach, swimming, doing outside activities. When it gets too hot for comfort we head in doors and put the aircons on or we go shopping, see a movie. Or sit in the pool all day and enjoy a few quiet once.
The other cities have the same sort of heat except without the humidity (muggy feeling) and the rain. Its more dry and arid.
2007-07-07 17:25:44 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Ok .. generally It is very hot during January.... BUT still pack a jumper/pullover/sweater ( depends where you are from).. because you can get some freaky weather snaps...
On Christmas day we awoke to a frost and it actually was snowing in Tasmania and ( may be wrong with this reccollection) parts of Victoria.. all I know is that we had to light our wood heater.
the weather can vary .. from the low teens ( or even lower as in the case of Christmas day 2006) to the mid 40' and this is celcius
Mind you BY january the stores will be begining to place in stock their winter range of clothing ( just thought of that as I just saw the first range of summer clothing coming into the stores today ... and we're in the grip of winter lol) SO if you do arrive here and suddenly find yourself experiencing a nasty surprize cold snap.. you will be able to buy some warm clothing.
2007-07-06 19:32:55 · answer #5 · answered by ll_jenny_ll here AND I'M BAC 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Australia in January:
- It's summer in the south: it can get very hot, often also very dry; milder at the cast and cooler in the mountains
- It's wet season in the north: warm and humid, sometimes really pouring with rain - and if you've never been to the tropics before, you might develop a new definition for "rain".
Some climatic data and climate diagrams you can find here, to visualize what weather (average of daily high and daily low temperatures, average monthly precipitation) usually to expect in different locations:
http://www.climate-charts.com/Countries/Australia.html
2007-07-06 15:27:00 · answer #6 · answered by Ken Guru MacRopus 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
January is summer in Australia, so use your imagination.
Weather will be hot, humid in the north, dry in the south. Weather can also be changeable, so not a bad idea to pack light jackets (windbreakers) at the very least.
2007-07-06 09:34:36 · answer #7 · answered by tetsuwanatom 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They are not just the other side of the world their seasons are the opposite to ours. If it is mid winter in UK it is mid summer in Australia.
They have just gone through a drought the worst in living memory. But being Brits I'd take a pac-a mac just in case all the rain we have had over here follows you over there.
2007-07-06 09:08:45 · answer #8 · answered by Terry G 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
January is summer in Australia
2007-07-06 09:01:15 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Bring a brolly to Cairns - tropical rain forest wet season.
then again it's so hot and humid the rain on you cools you down......
2007-07-06 11:20:42 · answer #10 · answered by • Koala • uʍop ɹǝpun 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋