Hot Humid Zone

The southern winter really is the most comfortable time of year to be in this part of the world. Days are very warm and sunny; nights are warm, too. In the Darwin winter, rain falls on only one day a month on average. Summer is sultry - hot and humid with rain and thunderstorms. Spring and autumn are also hot and rather humid. The "build-up" to the monsoon season (November) is the least comfortable time of year; temperatures are generally at their highest and humidity is also high, without the benefit of cooling rainfall. Local folklore has it that November is the season for "mango madness" - strange behaviour triggered by climatic stress. Those planning to go snorkelling or scuba-diving on the Great Barrier Reef will be interested in average sea surface temperatures around the Australian region. For example, the water temperature off Cairns is 28.1 deg C in summer (January) and 22.6 deg C in winter (July).