The Outback Climate
"When is the best time to visit the Australian Outback?"
The Australian Outback climate...
"When is the best time to visit the Australian Outback?" is a question that I hear asked a lot.
There is no simple answer to it. It depends on where you want to go.
The Australian Outback is huge and spans several Outback climate zones. We will look at them on this page.
Outback Climate - There's More Than One...
Most people think of arid regions (deserts) when they think about the Australian Outback and the best time to visit. Arid or semi-arid means an area receives less than 500 mm rainfall a year. The arid zone makes up 70% of the Australian continent.
The Outback climate across these arid 70% of Australia is not consistent. Let me say it again: the Australian Outback is huge. Even though a lot of Australia is classified as desert the temperatures and amounts of rainfall vary greatly. And not just that, different parts of Australia receive their rain at different times of the year, and they also have different seasons.
Then there are the wet/dry tropics of the northern Australian Outback, a totally different Outback climate again.
What most people consider to be the best time to travel to Australia is actually not the best time to visit the Australian Outback... You will probably have to compromise somewhere.
On this page I only cover the Australian Outback climate, not the populated regions. I will give you an overview of the Outback climate regions, so you get a general idea of what the weather in different parts of the Australian Outback is like at different times of the year.
You can find more detailed information in other parts of this website, where I talk about specific places and attractions. For example if you want to know what is the best time to visit Ayers Rock/Alice Springs, or the best time to visit Kakadu, you'd find that in the Alice Springs, Ayers Rock or Kakadu sections.
Outback Climate - The Arid Regions
Have a look at this map of climate zones to get an idea which parts of Australia I'm talking about.
The arid regions are the areas identified as the hot dry zone on the map, covering most of inland Australia. As you can see there are two arid Outback climate zones, one with mild winters and one with cold winters.
Both zones are best visited during the Australian winter (don't forget that's when it's summer in Europe or the US!). The Outback climate is such that during winter warm, dry and sunny days are virtually guaranteed.
Even in Ayers Rock and Alice Springs, which are in the zone with cold winters?
Yes, the days will be warm, even hot, but the nights will be cold! That's because you are in a desert. The desert Outback climate is characterised by extremes, hot days and freezing nights. So if you plan any camping make sure your sleeping bag is a warm one!
July is usually the coldest month, and frosts occur about half of the nights in July and August!
Autumn and spring are a good time, too, but as you get closer to the summer months it gets hot. If you travel in these areas in summer you best schedule any activities for the very early mornings. And always, always take a water bottle with you.
I can't emphasize this enough. Drink, drink, drink! Water, that is, not sweet sodas. Drinking enough water is the single most important thing you can do to feel well in higher temperatures! It makes all the difference.
Having said that, the further south you go the more bearable the temperatures will be, even in summer. Everybody feels different about heat, and I myself would never venture too far south in winter... But that's because I live in the far north and am accustomed to high temperatures.
One more thing: the driving distances in Outback Australia are huge and if you are driving you will spend a lot of time in your vehicle.
If you want to drive through Outback Australia in summer do yourself a favour and make sure the car has air conditioning.
If you plan to get off the beaten track you may want to avoid the summer months in the northern parts. Rain at this time of the year is unpredictable. It may not rain for years, but if it rains it pours. Unsealed roads - and any roads off the beaten track are unsealed - can become impassable for days or weeks! At least make sure you keep a very close eye on the weather forecasts!
The beauty about rain is that it can transform the desert in a matter of days. Autumn is the best chance to see wildflowers. If it did rain, that is...
You can read more about the desert Outback climate in the Australian Deserts section, on the pages about the individual deserts.
Outback Climate - Northern Australia
Most of Northern Australia is considered to be Outback, the climate here is tropical though. Not what you usually associate with the Australian Outback...
The northern Australian Outback has a distinct dry and wet season.
The dry season from April/May to September/October is considered to be the best time to visit. It certainly is the most comfortable time. The day temperatures are pleasant and the nights are mild. Beginning and end of "the Dry" can be a little hot and humid. On the plus side there are fewer tourists and lower prices.
The wet season is hot, hot, hot and humid. Thunderstorms are frequent during the first half, and cyclones and extended flooding are a threat in the second half. November, the "build up" for the monsoon, is probably the worst time with the highest temperatures and little or no cooling rains.
"The Wet" is not a good time for the average tourist, but if you are adventurous, can handle the heat, and are flexible with your schedule you could be in for the experience of a lifetime.
This might surprise you, but the Wet is considered by many locals to be the best time of the year in the northern Outback climate...
It is the breeding season and wildlife abounds. Our red world gets covered in a lush green lacework of fresh vegetation and all the waterfalls in our favourite swimming spots are raging.
Of course it doesn't rain every day, most rains happen in the evening or wee hours of the morning. The dramatic skies and the lightning show accompanying the tropical thunderstorms have to be seen to be believed.
But travel can be restricted. The many unsealed roads in the Australian Outback are closed, and even highways get cut off at times. It is something I would only recommend to people who have a lot of time. (And did I mention another reason why we locals love the Wet? We have the place to ourselves again.)
Tables With Outback Temperatures
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