Climate of Melbourne

Summer rain over Melbourne, taken from Brighton
Winter fog over the Melbourne city centre

Melbourne, the state capital of Victoria and the second most populous city in Australia (most populous in urban area), has a temperate oceanic climate (Köppen climate classification Cfb),[1][2] bordering on a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa), and is well known for its changeable weather conditions. This is mainly due to Melbourne's geographical location. This temperature differential is most pronounced in the spring and summer months and can cause strong cold fronts to form. These cold fronts can be responsible for all sorts of severe weather from gales to severe thunderstorms and hail, minor temperature drops, and heavy rain. The city experiences little humidity in summer, except at the end of hot spells following thunderstorms and rain.[3]

  1. ^ Tapper, Andrew; Tapper, Nigel (1996). Gray, Kathleen (ed.). The weather and climate of Australia and New Zealand (First ed.). Melbourne, Australia: Oxford University Press. p. 300. ISBN 978-0-19-553393-4.
  2. ^ Linacre, Edward; Geerts, Bart (1997). Climates and Weather Explained. London: Routledge. p. 379. ISBN 978-0-415-12519-2.
  3. ^ "Melbourne Climate/Weather". MelbourneAustralia.org. Retrieved 6 January 2014.