Weather Question

by Carol
http://www.allaboutrosegardening.com
(U.S.)

Question

Wondering what the weather is like?

I see lots of beach pictures, so I assume its hot there.

Is it hot year round?

Is there a rainy season?

Answer

Hi Carol,
You beat me!

I have been trying to get a Melbourne Weather page up for such a long time.

You have set me quite a task as the weather here is changing so much these days due to Climate Changes around the world however in so saying I can give you an indication of averages for different times of the year.

I will give you a pretty brief description of what the weather is like in my hometown Melbourne

You mentioned I discuss a lot about beaches on the site and that is because Melbourne is situated on the lip of a horse-shoe bay.

The majority of Aussies actually live all around the coastal borders of Australia, we love the ocean, the sun and the lay back casual approach to life.

Even though Victoria is small in comparison to the rest of Australia it has quite a varied climate.

It ranges from semi-arid and hot in the
north-west, to temperate and cool along the coast.

Victoria is cooler and wetter than other mainland states and territories.

Air from the Southern Ocean helps reduce the heat of summer and the cold of winter.

Victoria's Summer Temperatures

My hometown, Melbourne, is located in this temperate region.

Melbourne has a moderate oceanic climate and is well known for its changeable weather conditions. This is mainly due to Melbourne's location situated on the boundary of the very hot inland areas and the cold southern ocean.


Melbourne summers are notable for days of extreme heat, and when they say heatwave they mean it. The heat is a dry heat normally, different to the thick humidity that Queensland suffers, with hot winds blowing in from the North.

This is what caused the devastating fires last summer season in Victoria!

Melbourne is colder than other mainland Australian state capital cities in the winter. However, snowfalls are rare and more commonly Melbourne experiences frosts and fog in winter

During the spring, Melbourne commonly enjoys extended periods of mild weather and clear skies.

This is the season that I enjoy most. The Dandenongs during this time are magnificent with the azaleas and rhododendrons, daffodils and tulips all in flower...a fantastic sight...(more pages to write!)

Victoria's Winter Temperatures

Victoria is the wettest Australian state after Tasmania. Rain is heaviest in the Otway Ranges and Gippsland in southern Victoria and in the mountainous northeast.

I'm not sure why but this year (2010) Melbourne seems to have had more rainfall than the area has had in years.

Victoria's Rainfall

Hope that this gives you an idea of what we enjoy here in Melbourne.

I recently chatted with a friend of mine who migrated here from England several years ago and he said this..."I prefer Melbourne because it gives you all the 4 seasons, sometimes even in 1 day! I prefer that to just hot, hot, hot as you get further north"

I tend to agree with him although I do wish that it wouldn't rain so much!

If you need any more information please ask away.

Till your next question.
Cheers,
Marylyn(SuperNan)