Australia is in the southern hemisphere and the seasons are opposite to those in Europe and North America. There are two climatic zones: the tropical zone (in the north above the Tropic of Capricorn) and the temperate zone. The tropical zone (consisting of 40% of Australia) has two seasons, summer (‘wet') and winter (‘dry'), while the temperate zone has all four seasons.

Spring to summer: Warm or hot everywhere, tropical in the north, and warm to hot with mild nights in the south.

Autumn to winter: Northern and central Australia have clear warm days, cool nights; the south has cool days with occasional rain but still plenty of sun. Snow is totally confined to mountainous regions of the southeast.

Drought is becoming more widespread with southeast Queensland, Victoria and South Australia all badly affected.

For further details, including climate statistics, see under individual state entries.

Lightweights during summer months with warmer clothes needed during the cooler winter period throughout most of the southern states. Lightweight cottons and linens all year in the central/northern states with warm clothes only for cooler winter evenings and early mornings. Sunglasses, sunhats and sunblock lotion are recommended year round in the north and during the summer months in the south.