Brisbane, capital of Queensland, lies on the Brisbane River just inland from Moreton Bay on Australia's east coast, at approximately 27.47°S, 153.03°E. It has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) and is one of Australia's warmest capitals, with hot, humid, stormy summers and mild, dry, sunny winters. Its lower latitude shelters it from the cold southern blasts that reach Sydney and Melbourne, and warm Coral Sea currents keep it balmy.

Summer, from December to February, is hot, muggy and wet. Average highs sit around 29–30°C with warm, humid nights near 21°C, and February is the most humid and wettest month. Sea breezes usually temper the worst of the heat, though short desert-driven hot spells can push the western suburbs past 35°C. This is the season of dramatic afternoon thunderstorms, sometimes with large hail and damaging winds, and it overlaps Queensland's cyclone season.

Winter, from June to August, is mild, dry and famously pleasant, with abundant blue-sky sunshine. July, the coolest month, averages daytime highs around 21–22°C with cool nights near 9–10°C, and clear skies mean chilly mornings — the city itself has only once dipped to freezing, though nearby inland towns get frost. It rarely feels genuinely cold, which is why southern Australians flock north in winter.

Brisbane receives around 1,000–1,050 mm of rain a year, heavily concentrated in the summer half, with February the wettest month and July the driest. Much of it falls as short, intense downpours and thunderstorms rather than steady rain, and totals swing dramatically with La Niña — the floods of January 2011 and February 2022 saw the river inundate parts of the city. Live rainfall, humidity, and pressure readings for the city are shown in the panels above.

Brisbane's most striking weather is its summer storms — spectacular electrical thunderstorms that can dump enormous rain in a short time and occasionally produce giant hail, as in the destructive November 2014 storm that hit the city centre. Sitting some 50 km up the river valley from the open sea, it gets less of a steady sea breeze than coastal cities, so summer days can feel notably still and sticky. The city enjoys around 2,800 hours of sunshine a year.

To follow any single measurement in Brisbane more closely, use our live instruments: the online barometer for atmospheric pressure, the thermometer for temperature, the hygrometer for humidity, the anemometer for wind speed, the wind vane for wind direction, and the rain gauge for rainfall.