Sydney outranks Melbourne by far when it comes to the weather. This could be attributed to its coastal location - the climate is temperate with warm summers and cool winters.
Sydney is generally a little bit warmer than Melbourne. People tend to say that Melbourne has more of a British climate, but it definitely reaches some much hotter temperatures than the UK! It can hit above 40 degrees sometimes!
Oodnadatta, South Australia
Of course we Aussies don't have to travel far to feel the heat, especially during the Australian summer months. The record for the highest official temperature ever recorded in Australia belongs to the remote outback town of Oodnadatta in South Australia.
If you've never visited Australia before and are looking for in-your-face classic tourist activities and Instagrammable heaven, then Sydney might be the best choice. But if you're looking for a destination where you have to scratch the surface a little to discover some rich culture, give Melbourne a try.
The warmest region by annual maxima is the north-west, where summers are extremely hot, but winters relatively cooler and dry.
The city of Perth has the best weather/climate in Australia. The city enjoys a temperate Mediterranean climate with hot and dry summers and mild but wet winters. Perth is also the sunniest capital city in Australia and is considered one of the hottest experiencing over 250+ days of sunny blue skies.
1. Adelaide. Adelaide is often described as Australia's most underrated and beautiful city, and it is not hard to see why once you have visited this gorgeous place. It is a cultural hub, home to an excellent dining culture, several museums and art galleries, as well as gorgeous scenery wherever you look.
Tasmania. South across the Bass Strait from Victoria, the island state of Tasmania has it all: mountains in the west, beaches in the east, and wild landscapes in the south.
However, the city has generally played second fiddle to Melbourne in terms of culture. If there's a new play, show or musical coming to Australia, it will most probably have a run in Melbourne before Sydney (if it makes it there at all).
All across Australia, places hold heat-related climate records. For instance, the city with the highest average temperature is Darwin with 31.97°C. Another place is Marble Bar which claims to be the hottest town in Australia.
Melbourne has had the coolest maximum temperatures
On the other hand, Melbourne experiences a range of temperatures, with the lowest average maximum temperature out of the 5 major capital cities, at 25.9°C.
Perth, Western Australia
In fact, it's officially the sunniest capital city in the world, with an average of eight hours of sun per day, year-round.
Living in Melbourne
Melbourne is considered by some to be the best city to live in Australia, and has even been ranked as the world's most livable city more than once. It's home to a thriving live music scene, late-night bars and laneways dotted with cafés and coffee shops.
There are a ton of reasons why Melbourne is better than Sydney. The Victorian capital has thriving arts and culture scene. Not to mention it has burgeoning food and wine culture. In addition, it's the best place to study and also boasts a lower cost of living.
The Australian Taxation Office has released data compiled by tax returns from 2019-2020, filed by more than 14 million Australians. And it turns out Perth has the wealthiest neighbourhoods in the country.
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.
Melbourne was the coldest city in the world at 9am this morning – followed closely by Adelaide. While come parts of the city dropped to 3 degrees, Adelaide dropped to 4 degrees. Sydney on the other hand was a balmy 12 degrees.
Spring was the coldest in decades for parts of Australia, a rare feat considering the influence of climate change ensures nearly every season is now warmer than normal. Daytime temperatures were especially low compared to recent years, including the coldest in 30 years for Melbourne, Adelaide, and Canberra.
They also have almost identical average daily maximum temperatures. This might lead us to think they enjoy similar summer weather – but with higher humidity in Sydney. The reality is that Sydney's summer temperatures are much less variable than Melbourne's.
Rainfall is surprisingly higher than Melbourne but it is more likely to be experienced in summer during heavy seasonal thunderstorms as opposed to drizzly showers throughout the year. The consistency of the weather definitely makes it easier to make plans and know what to expect when you travel to Sydney.