Climate of Tasmania

Since Tasmania lies between 40°S and 43.5°S and is an island with no place more than 115 kilometres from the sea, its climate is classified as temperate maritime. On the coast the range of daily temperature is about 7°C, but inland, the range is almost double, indicating a slight continental effect.

Mountainous regions cover a large proportion of Tasmania and attain a maximum height of 1617 metres at Mt Ossa, which rises from a central plateau. The central plateau includes several peaks in excess of 1500 metres. A smaller mountainous region in the northeast of Tasmania culminates with Ben Lomond, at an elevation of 1573 metres.

Prevailing westerly winds produce a marked west to east variation of cloudiness and rainfall, but the variation of temperature is more governed by the elevation and distance from the coast.

Summers are mild and are characterised by greatly lengthened days. The sun reaches a maximum elevation of 70 to 73 degrees in the midsummer, giving about 15 hours of daylight. In midwinter, the sun's elevation does not exceed 20 to 23 degrees, and the shortest day consists of about nine hours of daylight.

In winter and early spring, westerly winds reach their greatest strength and persistence (they are also known as equinoctial gales) causing a distinct maximum in the rainfall distribution in the west and northwest. In the east and southeast, rainfall is more evenly distributed throughout the year. In comparison with those areas of Europe and North America which are at similar latitudes. Tasmania enjoys a very temperate climate. This is due to the stabilising effect of surrounding oceans whose temperatures change by some 6 or 7 degrees throughout the year. The higher proportion of ocean to land area confers a similar benefit on the southern hemisphere as a whole.