Melbourne weather by month & the best time to visit
Australia · major coastal city · oceanic / maritime climate
The best time to visit Melbourne is January — its sunniest month (Sunshine Score 86/100), with March and February close behind. Melbourne averages about 2,583 hours of sunshine a year. Daytime highs around 29°C / 84°F and roughly 44 mm of rain in January.
When is the best time to visit Melbourne?
For sunshine, the best time to visit Melbourne is January, then March and February. The dullest month is July (28/100, 60 mm of rain). The full month-by-month picture is in the table below.
How sunny is Melbourne?
Melbourne gets a lot of sun: around 2,583 hours a year. 58 Sunshine Score points separate January (86) from July (28), so the month you pick matters. It ranks #101 of 118 destinations in Australia for annual sunshine, below the national median of 3,071 hours. The year's 664 mm of rain spreads fairly evenly across the months, with no pronounced dry season.
Sunshine Score by month
| Month | Score | Day high | Night low | Rain | UV | Sea |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 86 | 29° / 84°F | 13° / 55°F | 44 mm | 10 | 22° / 72°F |
| February | 85 | 28° / 82°F | 13° / 55°F | 48 mm | 9 | 22° / 72°F |
| March | 86 | 25° / 77°F | 12° / 54°F | 45 mm | 7 | 21° / 70°F |
| April | 84 | 21° / 70°F | 9° / 48°F | 54 mm | 4 | 18° / 64°F |
| May | 57 | 16° / 61°F | 7° / 45°F | 51 mm | 2 | 15° / 59°F |
| June | 35 | 13° / 55°F | 5° / 41°F | 61 mm | 1 | 12° / 54°F |
| July | 28 | 12° / 54°F | 4° / 39°F | 60 mm | 2 | 11° / 52°F |
| August | 34 | 13° / 55°F | 5° / 41°F | 64 mm | 2 | 12° / 54°F |
| September | 56 | 16° / 61°F | 6° / 43°F | 56 mm | 4 | 13° / 55°F |
| October | 84 | 20° / 68°F | 8° / 46°F | 55 mm | 6 | 16° / 61°F |
| November | 82 | 24° / 75°F | 10° / 50°F | 68 mm | 8 | 20° / 68°F |
| December | 83 | 27° / 81°F | 12° / 54°F | 58 mm | 10 | 22° / 72°F |
Sea temperature in Melbourne by month
The sea off Melbourne is warmest in January at around 22°C / 72°F, and coolest in July at 11°C / 52°F. The water sits at a comfortable 21°C or warmer roughly 4 months a year. Month-by-month sea-surface temperatures are in the Sea column of the table above.
Nearest destinations
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Head-to-head
How Melbourne compares month by month: Melbourne vs Adelaide · Melbourne vs Canberra · Melbourne vs Hobart (Cambridge) · Melbourne vs Launceston (Western Junction) · all comparisons
Melbourne: questions and answers
What kind of destination is Melbourne?
Melbourne is a major coastal city in Australia with a oceanic / maritime climate — the sea reaches 22°C at its warmest and is swimmable (21°C+) about 4 months a year.
How many hours of sunshine does Melbourne get a year?
Melbourne gets about 2,583 hours of sunshine a year, at its best around January.
When is the best time to visit Melbourne?
The sunniest time to visit Melbourne is January, when the Sunshine Score peaks at 86/100 (with March and February close behind). Expect daytime highs around 29°C / 84°F.
What is the least sunny month in Melbourne?
July is the least sunny month in Melbourne, scoring 28/100 with about 60 mm of rain.
What is the sea temperature in Melbourne?
The sea in Melbourne ranges from about 11°C (July) to 22°C (January). Month-by-month sea temperatures are on this page.
How strong is the sun in Melbourne?
The typical midday UV index in Melbourne peaks around 10 (very high) in January, easing to about 1 (low) in June. Month-by-month midday UV values are in the UV column of the table on this page.
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