about weather and climate
Central Australia is a continental desert environment and has an arid climate with hot summers and cool winters.
Alice Springs weather
| sunrise: | 7:17 am |
| sunset: | 6:02 pm |
| wind speed: | 11.27 kph |
| forecast low: | 4C |
| high: | 22C |
| visibility: | 9.99m |
four day forecast
| Wednesday | 09-07-2008 | Min 1°C | Max 18°C | Frost then sunny |
| Thursday | 10-07-2008 | Min 1°C | Max 20°C | Frost then sunny |
| Friday | 11-07-2008 | Min 2°C | Max 20°C | Sunny |
| Saturday | 12-07-2008 | Min 2°C | Max 24°C | Sunny |
climate
During winter (May to September) the nights can quite cold (below freezing) and the days are crisp, cool and bright. Over winter clouds are a rare sight.
Warm clothing is essential at this time of the year.
Summer is wetter, but rain is still rare. Much summer rainfall is preceded by oppressive humidity and accompanied by spectacular thunderstorms.
In summer maximum daily temperatures can top 43 degrees celsius for days at a time.
Hats and sunscreen are essential outdoors in summer. Most locals avoid going outside when its really hot, and tend to congregate at the shopping centres, the pool and the library when they aren't at work.
Visitors to the area should guard against dehydration by drinking lots of water - no matter what the season.
The local tap water is hard, but perfectly safe to drink. Many locals aquire a taste for it - don't be surprised if the water in other places tastes bad after getting used to the Alice Springs water!