Barbie
Most of us spend months planning for Christmas: buying gifts, scheduling holidays — and then mother nature has her own plans. Christmas Day weather in Australia is notoriously unpredictable. While the expectation remains blue skies and sun for days, rarely is this actually the case.
Fortunately, the early forecasts are providing us some solace that most of the country will be sitting sunny for the big day.
While forecasts are always subject to change, a first glimpse at Christmas Day weather indicates there’s a good chance your picnic or BBQ might be interrupted by a spot of rain. With the Bureau of Meteorology releasing its official Christmas Day forecast, we now have a good idea of what Mother Nature has in store for your Christmas plans.
Here’s how Christmas Day weather is looking in your capital city.
Christmas Day Weather Forecast 2023
Here’s what the weather will be like on Christmas Day 2023 in each Australian capital city.
Sydney, New South Wales
19-26°C
Cloudy with showers
A high chance of showers has us pausing on outdoor plans for Sydney Christmas, with the Bureau finding there’s also a chance for storms. However, the further you live inland, the less likely you’re to get these watery bursts.
Later in the day you can expect south-easterly winds cool you down.
Melbourne, Victoria
15-21°C
Partly Cloudy
It will be fairly cool in Melbourne this Christmas, with southerly winds up to 30km/h set to cross the city. Fortunately, there’s only slight chance of a shower in the morning, which should give way to a sunny but cool arvo.
Adelaide, South Australia
13-24°C
Cool morning, nice arvo
Early forecasts had Adelaide in for a scorcher, but now it’s more likely to sit at a comfortable temp during the day with cloud cover and southerly winds making it a cool start.
Perth, Western Australia
21-32°C
Scorcher
Despite some cloud cover, a 32-degree day in Perth means you best have a cool plan at the ready.
However, if you live further inland in WA, you might have a storm on your hands.
Hobart, Tasmania
11-18°C
Chance of shower
It’s a little cooler as you head down south, with forecast tops of 18°C. Hopefully conditions will clear for a sunny arvo.
Canberra, Australian Capital Territory
13-24°C
Potential for clouds
Another cool start but the day will warm up for Canberrans. While clouds may drift in and out, there’s not a high chance of rain on the horizon.
Brisbane, Queensland
22-32°C
Humid
Brissie folk should be happy to hear they’ll receive some reprieve from the rain, with only a chance of storms in the afternoon. Unfortunately, central and northern Queensland are in for more tropical thunderstorms.
Darwin, Northern Territory
28-36°C
Scorching
In news that will surprise few, Darwin will have the hottest Christmas Day of all the capitals. Temps are manageable for summer in the north but still, NT’s lowest temp is still higher than tops in most of major cities. There’s some possibility of a storm, so watch out for your outdoor plans!
