Canberra climate
Canberra (Australian Capital Territory, Australia) has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa). The average temperature over the year is 14 °C57 °F, and about 706 mm28 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Canberra climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3086 | 1558 | 2272 | 582.3 |
| Feb | 2781 | 1457 | 2069 | 923.6 |
| Mar | 2475 | 1253 | 1864 | 682.7 |
| Apr | 2068 | 948 | 1458 | 411.6 |
| May | 1560 | 541 | 1050 | 311.2 |
| Jun | 1253 | 338 | 846 | 652.6 |
| Jul | 1152 | 236 | 744 | 461.8 |
| Aug | 1355 | 236 | 745 | 532.1 |
| Sep | 1762 | 541 | 1151 | 471.9 |
| Oct | 2069 | 745 | 1457 | 582.3 |
| Nov | 2476 | 1151 | 1763 | 752.9 |
| Dec | 2780 | 1254 | 2067 | 712.8 |
| Year | 3086 | 236 | 1457 | 70628 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 60% | 57% | 6.9 | 14:17 |
| Feb | 68% | 60% | 5.9 | 13:25 |
| Mar | 70% | 56% | 5.0 | 12:24 |
| Apr | 73% | 51% | 3.9 | 11:14 |
| May | 77% | 44% | 3.0 | 10:17 |
| Jun | 84% | 51% | 2.3 | 9:47 |
| Jul | 83% | 44% | 2.7 | 9:00 |
| Aug | 78% | 44% | 3.6 | 10:49 |
| Sep | 72% | 46% | 4.8 | 11:56 |
| Oct | 67% | 54% | 5.9 | 13:03 |
| Nov | 64% | 59% | 6.6 | 14:03 |
| Dec | 61% | 58% | 7.0 | 14:31 |
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 Canberra is like
The warmest month is January, with an average high of 30 °C86 °F and a low of 15 °C58 °F. The coldest is July, when highs average 11 °C52 °F and lows 2 °C36 °F. There is a clear seasonal cycle, with 15.6 °C28.1 °F between the average temperature of the warmest and the coolest month.
Annual precipitation is moderate at about 706 mm28 in. The wettest three-month stretch is December–February, which brings 31% of the annual total. The wettest month is February (92 mm3.6 in), the driest is May (31 mm1.2 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 60% in January to 84% in June. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 44%) are typical of May. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 4 km/h (2 mph) in April to 5 km/h (3 mph) in September. Daylight lasts from about 9.8 hours in June to 14.5 hours in December.
Best time to visit Canberra
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are October–April: average highs of 20 °C68 °F to 30 °C86 °F with 41 mm1.6 in to 92 mm3.6 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is July, which is cold, with average highs of 11 °C52 °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 Canberra
- Summer (December–February) — highs 2780 to 30 °C86 °F, lows 1254 to 15 °C58 °F, about 74 mm2.9 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.
- Autumn (March–May) — highs 1560 to 24 °C75 °F, lows 541 to 12 °C53 °F, about 47 mm1.8 in of precipitation a month. Pack light layers — T-shirts plus a light sweater or jacket and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
- Winter (June–August) — highs 1152 to 13 °C55 °F, lows 236 to 3 °C38 °F, about 55 mm2.1 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket.
- Spring (September–November) — highs 1762 to 24 °C76 °F, lows 541 to 11 °C51 °F, about 60 mm2.4 in of precipitation a month. Pack light layers — T-shirts plus a light sweater or jacket and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
How Canberra compares
Compared with Sydney, about 247 km to the northeast, Canberra is on average 4.5 °C8.1 °F cooler and receives 21% less precipitation (706 mm28 in vs 888 mm35 in). The difference is largest in June (7.2 °C13 °F cooler).
Of the 39 places in Australia covered by World Climates, Canberra is the 35th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 24th 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): Tandil (Argentina, Cfb), Bordeaux (France, Cfb) and Toulouse (France, Cfa).
Nearby places
- Nowra 141 km · 18 °C64 °F · 992 mm39 in
- Wagga Wagga 162 km · 17 °C62 °F · 559 mm22 in
- Wollongong 187 km · 18 °C64 °F · 925 mm36 in
- Orange 222 km · 13 °C56 °F · 649 mm26 in
- Liverpool 224 km · 18 °C64 °F · 1,013 mm40 in
- Richmond (New South Wales) 239 km · 18 °C65 °F · 973 mm38 in
- Sydney 247 km · 18 °C65 °F · 888 mm35 in
- Central Coast 291 km · 19 °C65 °F · 913 mm36 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Canberra?
January is the warmest month in Canberra, with an average high of 30 °C (86 °F) and an average low of 15 °C (58 °F).
What is the coldest month in Canberra?
July is the coldest month, with an average high of 11 °C (52 °F) and an average low of 2 °C (36 °F).
When does it rain the most in Canberra?
February is the wettest month with about 92 mm (3.6 in) of precipitation; May is the driest with about 31 mm (1.2 in).
What is the best time to visit Canberra?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are October–April.
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 792 m, while Canberra lies at about 571 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +1.4 °C2.6 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.