Australia is a big country – the 6th biggest in the world! It takes about 4.5 hours to fly across the width of Australia – from Sydney to Perth. It’s almost the same distance as Paris, France to Iğdır, Turkey or from Bogota in Colombia to Santiago in Chile! So, the climate varies a lot around the country! We have rainforests, deserts, and snow-covered mountains as well as fabulous beaches.
In Sydney, there are four seasons and these are at opposite times to those in the northern hemisphere. Sydney has warm summers and mild winters. That means that you’ll get many opportunities to go out and explore the city.
Make sure you bring clothes for cool weather and for warm weather though. In Sydney the weather can change from hot to cold in a day.
September to November. It’s lovely and sunny and not too hot. Spring tends to be the driest season and it’s not at all humid. The average temperature ranges from 11° C to 23° C.
December to February. It can get quite hot in the sun, but it’s rarely super-hot and it’s not hot every day. It can get quite humid. The average temperature ranges from 19°C to 26°C. You will experience days over 30°C, but there are usually only a few days over 35°C each Summer. Make sure you bring a hat and sunscreen if you arrive in the middle of Summer!
March to May. Autumn is usually the mildest season in Sydney. The average temperature ranges from 15°C to 23°C.
June to August. Winter in Sydney is not very cold – the coldest days are generally around 5°C – but it can feel quite cold as there is much less heating of homes and buildings than in Europe. The average temperature is from 8°C to 18°C. It never snows in Sydney and temperatures lower than 5°C are rare. Make sure you bring a warm coat if you arrive in Winter! Sydney is not built for the cold – heating in buildings is not that common.
Time zone and Daylight saving
Sydney is located the time zone that is 11 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). That makes it:
- 16 hours ahead of Bogota, Colombia
- 10 hours ahead of Madrid, Spain
- 8 hours ahead of Istanbul, Turkey
- 3 hours ahead of Shanghai, China
Sydney has Daylight Saving Time (DST) during the warmer months of the year. Daylight Saving Time begins at 2am on the first Sunday in October, when clocks are put forward one hour. That means, 1am becomes 2am. Daylight Savings ends at 2am on the first Sunday in April, when clocks are put back one hour. That means 3am becomes 2am.
