PERTH Climate
Perth receives moderate though highly seasonal
rainfall, making it the fourth wettest Australian
capital city after Darwin, Sydney and Brisbane.
Summers are generally very hot and dry, lasting
from December to late March, with February
generally being the hottest month of the year.
Winters are relatively mild and wet, making Perth a
classic example of a Mediterranean climate. Perth
is a particularly sunny city for this type of climate.
It has an average of 8.8 hours of sunshine per day,
which equates to around 3200 hours of annual
sunshine, and 138.7 clear days annually, making
it the sunniest capital city in Australia. Summer
is not completely devoid of rain and humidity,
with sporadic rainfall in the form of shortlived
thunderstorms, weak cold fronts and on occasion
decaying tropical cyclones from Western Australia’s
northwest, which can bring significant rainfall.
Winters are also known to be clear and sunny. The
highest temperature recorded in Perth was 46.2
°C (115.2 °F) on 23 February 1991, although Perth
Airport recorded 46.7 °C (116.1 °F) on the same
day. On most summer afternoons a sea breeze,
known locally as the “Fremantle Doctor”, blows
from the southwest, providing relief from the hot
northeasterly winds.
Temperatures often fall below 30 °C (86 °F) a few
hours after the arrival of the wind change. In the
summer, the 3pm dewpoint averages at around 12
°C (54 °F).