for those who have moved from a warm weather spot to melbourne...

[LaurenAus]

How hard was the transition? I ask beause I am from southern california and have been studying in Sydney for a year. I visited Melbourne for a week and fell in love and am considering possibly working there for a year and maybe even applying for permanent residency. However the weather is holding me back. I hear from friends studying there that for half the year it's chilly, and that they pretty much are in their winter coats a few months out of the year. I visited in June so i understand how cold it is in the winter but how bout other months of the year? Is it possible to go out in a t shirt or are you generally stuck in sweaters and jackets?

Thanks

[ELH]

we lived in melbourne for 2 years and for the first 3 months (Jan - Mar) it didn't go below
25oC. Yes the winter months were generally cooler but even then you'd have the odd day of shorts and t-shirts weather.

I live in the north of England now so I realise I have a different frame of reference, but we didn't need coats much at all. Melbourne does have the four seasons but winter is generally 10-20oC

[Dolly]

Hi there,

Welcome to the forum.

Yes it can get chilly in winter, but not 'cold' in the sense of winters back in the UK or eastern parts of the US.

I was emailing a friend last week and mentioned that in the 2 years we've been here I've probably worn a coat 3 times, I have boots that have never seen the light of day and I've worn my fleece less than a dozen times. As ELH said, we get the 4 seasons here, which is what we like and why we chose to move here. If you want all-round sunshine then it's not the place for you.

I've found that 'hot' and 'cold' in weather terms is relative. We are used to freezing, bitterly cold winters so as far as we're concerned winter is very habitable. In fact, the first winter we had here we kept waiting for it to kick in - going by UK standards - and before we knew it winter had passed and spring was here. But ask a local who's lived here all their lives and they will complain at how cold it is.

Dolly

[Halo]

I disagree...... It gets cold at night and the mornings can be as low as 2-3 degrees. While it does creep into the teens during the day you need to rap up on the way to work.
As for coats.... perhaps if your from Newcastle and went to the footy with your T-Shirt on... no you don't but for the rest of us.... Coats are required (and umbrella's)

Its the 1st of Nov today and the high will be 15.

[Dolly]

Well, you wouldn't be you if you agreed with me

Dolly

[amaslam]

Hi Lauren:

I think MEL weather is like San Francisco. If you want So. Cal then it's Sydney weather you're used to. The thing with MEL weather is while the day can be hot you do have to whip out sweaters in the evening as well (even in Summertime). The daytime highs of MEL and SYD aren't that different, it's the evening/nighttime lows that vary alot.

It's 1 Nov today and the high in SYD will be 23C

Originally Posted by LaurenAus

How hard was the transition? I ask beause I am from southern california and have been studying in Sydney for a year. I visited Melbourne for a week and fell in love and am considering possibly working there for a year and maybe even applying for permanent residency. However the weather is holding me back. I hear from friends studying there that for half the year it's chilly, and that they pretty much are in their winter coats a few months out of the year. I visited in June so i understand how cold it is in the winter but how bout other months of the year? Is it possible to go out in a t shirt or are you generally stuck in sweaters and jackets?

Thanks

[jabba]

Sorry but I have to agree with Halo, I come from the Derbyshire Dales where it is freezing!!!!!!!!!!! most of the year round and I think Melbourne is cold with a few nice days here and there I was so astounded when I arrived as I expected Aus to be warm---stupid I know but what can you say, the weather here is so unsuitable for us if we get PR we will be moving somewhere warm!! Which was one of the main reasons we moved to Oz anyway
Cheers
Jabba

[Dolly]

Hi Jabba,

I'm not saying it doesn't get cold. All I'm saying is it doesn't get as cold as the UK.

If anyone does their research properly before moving over, they will know that Melbourne isn't the warmest of States. I remember someone saying always travel with an umbrella because you can walk out of your house in the mornings with clear blue skies and within an hour it's lashing it down.

But I still stand by the 'cold' comment

Dolly

[Halo]

Melbourne isn't a state

[Dolly]

Correct, Victoria isn't one of the warmest States...happy?

Dolly