Broken Hill climate
Broken Hill (New South Wales, Australia) has a hot desert climate (Köppen BWh). The average temperature over the year is 18 °C65 °F, and about 208 mm8.2 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Broken Hill climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3696 | 2068 | 2882 | 251.0 |
| Feb | 3392 | 1966 | 2679 | 261.0 |
| Mar | 3085 | 1559 | 2272 | 190.8 |
| Apr | 2577 | 1152 | 1864 | 140.6 |
| May | 1966 | 744 | 1355 | 130.5 |
| Jun | 1559 | 439 | 1049 | 160.6 |
| Jul | 1559 | 338 | 948 | 130.5 |
| Aug | 1763 | 439 | 1151 | 120.5 |
| Sep | 2272 | 745 | 1558 | 150.6 |
| Oct | 2780 | 1151 | 1966 | 150.6 |
| Nov | 3187 | 1558 | 2373 | 230.9 |
| Dec | 3391 | 1763 | 2577 | 160.6 |
| Year | 3696 | 338 | 1865 | 2088.2 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 30% | 32% | 8.2 | 14:01 |
| Feb | 35% | 33% | 7.4 | 13:16 |
| Mar | 40% | 30% | 6.3 | 12:22 |
| Apr | 47% | 33% | 4.9 | 11:21 |
| May | 59% | 33% | 3.6 | 10:30 |
| Jun | 69% | 34% | 3.0 | 10:04 |
| Jul | 67% | 32% | 3.3 | 10:15 |
| Aug | 58% | 29% | 4.3 | 10:58 |
| Sep | 48% | 27% | 5.7 | 11:57 |
| Oct | 40% | 31% | 7.0 | 12:56 |
| Nov | 36% | 37% | 7.7 | 13:49 |
| Dec | 32% | 36% | 8.2 | 14:14 |
Humid. = average relative humidity at 2 m; cloud = average cloud amount; solar = average daily solar energy reaching the ground in kWh/m² (all-sky); daylight in hours:minutes, calculated for the 15th of each month.
What the climate of Broken Hill is like
The warmest month is January, with an average high of 36 °C96 °F and a low of 20 °C68 °F. The coldest is July, when highs average 15 °C59 °F and lows 3 °C38 °F. Seasons are strongly marked: the warmest month is on average 18.6 °C33.5 °F warmer than the coldest.
It is dry, with about 208 mm8.2 in of precipitation per year. The wettest three-month stretch is January–March, which brings 34% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: March–October and December. The wettest month is February (26 mm1.0 in), the driest is August (12 mm0.5 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 30% in January to 69% in June. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 27%) are typical of September. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 10 km/h (6 mph) in May to 14 km/h (9 mph) in December. Daylight lasts from about 10.1 hours in June to 14.2 hours in December.
Best time to visit Broken Hill
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are March–May and September and October: average highs of 19 °C66 °F to 30 °C85 °F with 13 mm0.5 in to 19 mm0.8 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is January, which is hot, with average highs of 36 °C96 °F.
Comfort score: months are ranked by how close they come to an average high of 21–28 °C (70–82 °F), lows above 5 °C (41 °F), little precipitation and moderate humidity. The best-ranked months of each place are recommended, even where none meets all of these. These are general rules of thumb applied to long-term averages.
What to pack for Broken Hill
- Summer (December–February) — highs 3391 to 36 °C96 °F, lows 1763 to 20 °C68 °F, about 22 mm0.9 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water.
- Autumn (March–May) — highs 1966 to 30 °C85 °F, lows 744 to 15 °C59 °F, about 15 mm0.6 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
- Winter (June–August) — highs 1559 to 17 °C63 °F, lows 338 to 4 °C39 °F, about 14 mm0.5 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
- Spring (September–November) — highs 2272 to 31 °C87 °F, lows 745 to 15 °C58 °F, about 18 mm0.7 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
How Broken Hill compares
Of the 39 places in Australia covered by World Climates, Broken Hill is the 22nd warmest by annual mean temperature and the 39th wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the Australia climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern (seasons shifted for the other hemisphere where needed): Mendoza (Argentina, BWk), El Paso (United States, BSh) and Las Cruces (United States, BWh).
Nearby places
- Nuriootpa 360 km · 16 °C60 °F · 405 mm16 in
- Adelaide 423 km · 17 °C62 °F · 430 mm17 in
- Griffith 500 km · 18 °C64 °F · 405 mm16 in
- Bendigo 593 km · 14 °C58 °F · 522 mm21 in
- Wagga Wagga 650 km · 17 °C62 °F · 559 mm22 in
- Ballarat 660 km · 12 °C54 °F · 565 mm22 in
- Melbourne 725 km · 15 °C59 °F · 715 mm28 in
- Orange 731 km · 13 °C56 °F · 649 mm26 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Broken Hill?
January is the warmest month in Broken Hill, with an average high of 36 °C (96 °F) and an average low of 20 °C (68 °F).
What is the coldest month in Broken Hill?
July is the coldest month, with an average high of 15 °C (59 °F) and an average low of 3 °C (38 °F).
When does it rain the most in Broken Hill?
February is the wettest month with about 26 mm (1.0 in) of precipitation; August is the driest with about 12 mm (0.5 in).
What is the best time to visit Broken Hill?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are March–May and September and October.
About this data
All figures are 25-year averages (January 2001 – December 2025) from the NASA POWER project. Temperature, humidity, wind and precipitation come from the MERRA-2 reanalysis (precipitation is the bias-corrected MERRA-2 product), cloud and solar values from CERES satellite data. They describe a grid cell of roughly 50–70 km, not a single weather station, so they can differ from airport records — most of all on coasts, in mountains and for rainfall. Average highs and lows are the monthly mean temperature plus/minus half of the average daily temperature range. Counts of rainy days are not part of this dataset.
The grid cell’s average elevation is 203 m, while Broken Hill lies at about 317 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by −0.7 °C1.3 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.