back to house design Local climate variations

  • As you travel uphill, it gets cooler - subtract 0.7 degrees Celsius for each 100 m up the mountain - for example, compare the climate of Adelong at 330 m above sea level and Charlotte Pass at 1760 m

  • Inland sites have a more severe climate (hotter summers, colder winters) drier air and more sunshine than places right on the coast. They also have hotter days and cooler nights;

  • Overnight temperatures in towns and cities will usually be warmer than in nearby rural locations (the urban heat island effect);

  • Hilltops will be windier than valleys; places on the coast will be windier than sites further inland;

  • Nights will be colder in valleys and depressions;

  • Forested areas will be cooler by day, warmer at night and will be sheltered from the wind, compared with cleared land;

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