Because of its immense size, Australia experiences a wide variety of climates. The northern third of the country lies in the tropics and experiences a monsoonal climate with distinct wet (summer) and dry (winter) seasons. The vast interior is arid to semi-arid, characterized by extreme heat during the day, cold nights, and very low, unpredictable rainfall.
The southern coastal regions—including major cities like Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, and Perth—enjoy temperate to Mediterranean climates, with warm-to-hot summers and mild, wet winters. Tasmania, the southernmost state, has a cool temperate climate and frequently receives snow in winter.
Under the Köppen climate classification, Australia spans equatorial, tropical, desert, semi-arid, Mediterranean, subtropical, and oceanic zones. The continent is highly susceptible to natural disasters and extreme weather events. During the hot summer months, severe bushfires are a major threat, most notably the devastating "Black Summer" fires of 2019–2020. Northern coastal regions frequently face tropical cyclones, while eastern inland areas are subject to cycles of deep, multi-year droughts followed by widespread flooding.
