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The Australian continent is in the Southern Hemisphere and its seasons are the opposite of the Northern Hemisphere, i.e. summer in Europe and North America is winter in Australia. Broadly Australia has just two climatic zones, 40% of the continent is in the tropical zone, with the remaining regions south of the Tropic of Capricorn being in the temperate zone.

The tropical zone has two seasons: hot wet season from November to April, and warm dry from May to October. The temperate zones have four seasons: spring (September to November), summer (December to February), autumn (March to May) and winter (June to August). Due to its size, the weather across the continent can range from below zero temperatures in the Snowy Mountains to intolerable heat in the north-west.

Australia is considered to be one of the driest continents on earth, with the lowest rainfall after Antarctica. Snow is rare except in the Australian Alps, across the New South Wales and Victorian border, where skiing is possible between June and October. The Australian climate is also known for its extremes - cyclones along the coast, severe droughts inland and bushfires. The most pleasant seasons in most of Australia are spring and autumn, except for Tasmania where closeness to Antarctica makes summer the most enjoyable. For more information on Australian climate visit the Bureau of Meteorology http://www.bom.gov.au.

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Information courtesy of Sue Ellson, Founder of Newcomers Network and Dina Zavrski-Makaric, Sydney Representative of Newcomers Network and Personal Coach and Counsellor of Challenging Directions.

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