australia climate

Australia has a very diverse climate comprised of a mixture of desert, tropical, sub tropical, grasslands, and temperate environments. This variety of climate, weather and ecosystems make Australia the perfect destination for small ship cruises year round. 

 

The majority consists of desert and semi-arid climate, with 40% of the land covered by sand dunes. Australia is a dry landmass with highly seasonal precipitation patterns. More than 80 percent of the continent has an annual rainfall of less than 23.6 inches, making Antarctica the only continent to receive less rainfall than Australia. However the other lush 20 percent can receive up to 157.5 inches of rain in parts of the far North Queensland coast. The main factors which contribute to the dryness of this continent are the cold ocean currents in the west, low elevation, dominance of high-pressure systems, and the shape of the landmass. From the cold body of water, Low rates of evaporation result in rain clouds that are sparsely formed and very rarely do they form long enough for a continuous period of rain to be recorded.

 

Despite the dehydration of the land, snow does fall in large enough amounts to support the ski tourism industries on the mountains of Victoria, Tasmania, New South Wales and Australian Capital Territory. Australia’s highly seasonal weather patterns make for great transitions, and since Australia is located in the southern hemisphere and bisected by the tropic of Capricorn its seasons are opposite of those in the North, with the colder months in July and August and the warmer months in December and January.