Christmas in Australia means sunny weather. Well, usually, that is. Most years, Christmas Day — a day off for most people around the country — sees us treated to cloudless blue skies and scorching sun rays. Weather perfect for morning swims followed by long Christmas lunches, usually held outdoors.
So, what is in store for Christmas weather this year? And when does the holiday fall, anyway? Ahead, we answer all.
When Is Christmas Day 2023?
This year, Christmas falls on Monday, December 25, while Boxing Day is Tuesday, December 26. This means you’ll get those actual days as the public holidays, as opposed to the holidays falling over the weekend, in which case you would get the following weekdays off.
New Year’s Day this year will fall on Monday, January 1. By taking the three days off between Christmas and New Year’s — December 27, 28 and 29 — you’ll get 10 days off in total. The break will go from Saturday, December 23 to Monday, January 1.
If you want an even longer break, you could also take the four days remaining days of that first week of the year. In other words, taking seven days of annual leave over the holiday period will give you 16 days of holiday — more than double what you’ve booked off.
What’s the Expected Christmas Day Weather 2023?
So, now that we know the Christmas 2023 date, what can we expect from the weather? Will the day be wet and chilly? Or will we be gifted *fingers crossed* with sunny weather?
While Christmas Day is still a few months away, so it’s hard to get an accurate prediction of the weather, we can look to what temperatures were like on that day last year.
In Sydney, according to the Bureau of Meteorology, there’s an 80% chance of rain. It’ll be partly cloudy, with showers and possible thunderstorms likely taking place in the afternoon and evening. Light winds are predicted to become northeasterly 15 to 25 km/h during the day. Lows will be 19°, and highs will be 25°.
In Melbourne, it’ll also be cloudy with a high chance of showers and thunderstorms. Winds will be southerly 15 to 20 km/h but will turn southeasterly 20 to 30 km/h in the morning. Lows will be 15°, and highs will be 22°.
In Queensland, as we know, Cairns is tragically currently experiencing its worst flooding in more than a century after a cyclone hit. On Christmas Day, the area will see partial clouding with a medium chance of showers. Light winds will become north to northeasterly 15 to 20 km/h during the day.
In Brisbane, it’ll be similar to in Cairns: partly cloudy with a high chance of showers, most likely later in the day. Light winds becoming north to northeasterly 15 to 20 km/h during the day.
Perth will be mostly sunny, with highs of 32° hot and lows of 21°. Winds northeasterly at 15 to 20 km/h, shifting west to southwesterly at 20 to 30 km/h during the morning.
Related: We Spent Hours Figuring Out How to Turn 22 Annual Leave Days Into 46 in 2024
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