What to Wear in Melbourne
Australia · 9 monthly packing guides
Melbourne runs Southern Hemisphere seasons inverted — May through August is autumn-into-winter with 14-17°C / 57-63°F afternoons dropping to 6-8°C / 43-46°F mornings. Melbourne sits 870km south of Sydney (37.8°S vs 33.9°S — comparable to the Toronto-NYC latitude shift), making Melbourne winter meaningfully colder than Sydney's mild May-August. The wardrobe register is laneway-considered: chunky wool sweater, wool overcoat or trench, dark wool trousers or jeans, R.M. Williams Comfort Craftsman boots (Australian heritage since 1932), heavy wool scarf, leather gloves. Camilla and Marc (Melbourne-founded 2003), Christopher Esber, Aje, Country Road carry the local design. Melbourne's third-wave coffee culture predates Sydney's by a decade — Patricia, Brother Baba Budan, Seven Seeds the defining cafés. AFL season runs March-September with the MCG hosting Saturday matches.
Choose your month below to match your layers and shoes to the weather. Across the months covered, average daily lows reach 6°C / 43°F in June; average highs reach 27°C / 81°F in January.
Compare Melbourne by month
Monthly averages help compare packing needs; check the forecast before departure. Only months with published guides are listed. See the source notes below for station and measurement differences. Scroll across the table to see all weather details on a small screen.
| Month | Average low | Average high | Rain days | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January packing guide | 17°C / 63°F | 27°C / 81°F | 5 | 14h 30m |
| February packing guide | 15°C / 59°F | 25°C / 77°F | 6 | 13h 30m |
| May packing guide | 8°C / 46°F | 17°C / 63°F | 11 | 10h 35m |
| June packing guide | 6°C / 43°F | 14°C / 57°F | 13 | 9h 35m |
| July packing guide | 6°C / 43°F | 14°C / 57°F | 14 | 9h 50m |
| August packing guide | 7°C / 45°F | 15°C / 59°F | 13 | 10h 50m |
| October packing guide | 11°C / 52°F | 21°C / 70°F | 9 | 13h 00m |
| November packing guide | 13°C / 55°F | 22°C / 72°F | 8 | 14h 10m |
| December packing guide | 14°C / 57°F | 25°C / 77°F | 6 | 14h 45m |
Choose your Melbourne packing list
Melbourne in January: 27°C / 81°F afternoons, 17°C / 63°F nights, about 5 rain days, and the Australian Open from 11 to 31 January 2027.
In this capsule: Unlined navy cotton chore jacket, three patch pockets; Navy cotton polo, pale blue striped collar and cuffs; Pale yellow cotton button-down, long sleeves.
Melbourne in February: 25°C / 77°F afternoons, 15°C / 59°F nights, rain on about 6 days, and Lunar New Year on Saturday 6 February 2027.
In this capsule: Stone hooded cotton mac, thigh length, button front; Cobalt fine merino crew-neck sweater; Black short-sleeve cotton crew-neck tee.
Melbourne in May: 17°C / 63°F afternoons, 8°C / 46°F mornings, 11 rain days — Southern Hemisphere autumn, colder than Sydney's mild May.
In this capsule: Wool or cashmere sweater (cream, charcoal, navy); Cotton long-sleeve tee or fine cotton blouse; Packable trench coat (camel or navy).
Melbourne in June: 14°C / 57°F afternoons, 6°C / 43°F mornings, 13 rain days — Southern Hemisphere winter, year's shortest daylight at 9h 35m.
In this capsule: Heavy wool or cashmere sweater (chunky knit); Cotton long-sleeve + thermal base layer; Wool overcoat or heavy trench.
Melbourne in July: 14°C / 57°F afternoons, 6°C / 43°F mornings, 14 rain days — peak Southern Hemisphere winter, the year's coldest stretch.
In this capsule: Heavy chunky-knit wool sweater (cream, oxblood, charcoal); Merino or thermal base layer + cotton long-sleeve; Wool overcoat (camel, charcoal, navy).
Melbourne in August: 15°C / 59°F afternoons, 7°C / 45°F mornings, 13 rain days — late Southern Hemisphere winter, MIFF film festival.
In this capsule: Chunky wool or cashmere sweater; Cotton long-sleeve + thermal base layer (still useful); Wool overcoat or heavy trench.
Melbourne in October: 21°C / 70°F afternoons, 11°C / 52°F mornings, about 9 rain days, and spring racing at Flemington and Caulfield on 3, 17, 24 and 31 October.
In this capsule: Camel belted trench, navy packable layer folded beside it; Oat linen blazer, single-breasted, notch lapels; Oat thin V-neck cardigan.
Melbourne in November: 22°C / 72°F afternoons, 13°C / 55°F nights, about 8 rain days, and the Melbourne Cup on Tuesday 3 November.
In this capsule: Red, green and navy tartan blazer, patch pockets; Dark olive spaghetti-strap camisole, scoop neck; Muted olive structured A-line mini skirt.
Melbourne in December: 25°C / 77°F afternoons, 14°C / 57°F nights, about 6 rain days, Carols on Christmas Eve and the Boxing Day Test from 26 December.
In this capsule: Light blue linen button-down shirt, relaxed, chest pocket; Ivory cotton scoop-neck tank; White cotton-linen drawstring shorts.
Climate sources by month
These credits follow the source recorded on each monthly guide. Climate figures inform the packing advice; outfit combinations and illustrations are editorial suggestions.
- January: Bureau of Meteorology · Melbourne (Olympic Park) · 2013–2026 normalsThe Bureau of Meteorology's record at Olympic Park begins in 2013, when it replaced the Melbourne Regional Office site, so this month's averages cover 2013–2026 rather than a 30-year normal.
- February: NOAA NCEI · Melbourne (Olympic Park) · 2015–2025 normalsthe Bureau of Meteorology operates the station; NOAA NCEI computed this month's figures from its 95936099999 global-summary-of-the-day record, 11 Februaries 2015–2025, and rain days count any day with at least 0.01 in. Recorded per month because this city's other pages read the Bureau's own 2013–2026 statistics.
- May: Bureau of Meteorology · monthly climate averages
- June: Bureau of Meteorology · monthly climate averages
- July: Bureau of Meteorology · monthly climate averages
- August: Bureau of Meteorology · monthly climate averages
- October: Bureau of Meteorology · Melbourne (Olympic Park) · 2013–2026 normalsThe Bureau of Meteorology's record at Olympic Park begins in 2013, when it replaced the Melbourne Regional Office site, so this month's averages cover 2013–2026 rather than a 30-year normal. NOAA NCEI's record for the Regional Office, 1991–2014, gives the same 20.5°C and 10.9°C.
- November: Bureau of Meteorology · Melbourne (Olympic Park) · 2013–2026 normalsThe Bureau of Meteorology's record at Olympic Park begins in 2013, when it replaced the Melbourne Regional Office site, so this month's averages cover 2013–2026 rather than a 30-year normal.
- December: Bureau of Meteorology · Melbourne (Olympic Park) · 2013–2026 normalsThe Bureau of Meteorology's record at Olympic Park begins in 2013, when it replaced the Melbourne Regional Office site, so this month's averages cover 2013–2026 rather than a 30-year normal.
Frequently asked questions
Start with your travel month. The 9 published guides cover January, February, May, June, July, August, October, November, December. Compare the average low as well as the high: among these months, June has the lowest average low at 6°C / 43°F, while January has the highest average high at 27°C / 81°F. For a trip spanning two months, read both lists before deciding which layers to bring.
No. They are monthly climate averages for planning, not temperatures promised for a particular day or hour. Check the local forecast close to departure and adjust your layers and rain protection. The source, station and averaging period are listed for each month where recorded; different stations or rain-day definitions can affect comparisons.
No. Treat the capsule as a set of clothing functions: walking shoes, a base outfit, weather protection and any change for dinner or a venue's dress code. Start with equivalents you own. Adjust quantities to your trip length and laundry access; the illustrations are outfit suggestions, not a shopping requirement.