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We are thinking of moving to Brisbane from Karratha in the NW & Weather is a big factor in our decision. The other contender is Perth.
Brisbane looks to be warmer all year round however after being so hot & dry for so long we are not keen on somewhere that rains too much. I gather most of the rain falls during the summer months & its drier in the winter but is it a situation where during summer it can rain all day every day or is it more like tropical storms ie heavy rain & then sun.
I guess I love Perths blue skies & although I realise it is cloudier in Brisbane don't like the thought of somewhere hot yet constantly cloudy. Also would winter be too cold to swim in the pool etc. ( I am aware of average temperatures but they are not always indicitive of overall feeling once you factor in wind, humidity etc - for example at 28 degrees here (Karratha) in winter it is too cold to swim because of the wind. Yet is lovely to sit outside)
Thanks for your help
Mel

Brisbane or Perth. Well what can we say except Brisbane? Seriously though they are both great cities and both have great recreational regions nearby. If you are used to the isolation of Karratha you probably won't have the same feeling some people get when they move to Perth (which I believe is 'the most isolated city in the world').
You may not be too stressed about the Perth weather either. It can get 'really' hot in Perth and some people find the high temperatures there too much to handle. It is rare for Brisbane weather to get much above 35/36 degrees. But to be fair people also find the high humidity in Brisbane a little hard as well. It is often up around 80 per cent in summer.
Over the last few years the drought has changed Brisbane's weather a lot, but this year things look like they might have swung back a bit to the Brisbane weather I remember as a kid.
We have had a lot of rain and in Brisbane itself we've had quite a lot of rainy days, which is a bit unusual. Generally you are right we get tropical storms more than drizzle, but the heavy (broken) clouds are almost always around in the summer months.
I wouldn't say that it's constantly cloudy though. It's not always overcast, but the clouds are usually there and it's probably rare to have a summer day without at least a little cloud about.
It is rare to see a cloud in winter... seriously. It hardly rains at all, usually. It can get a little cool, but it will still be really comfortable if you can keep out of the shadows. The sun is always warming.  Typically the 20 degree days are too cold to swim, but these are great days for getting outdoors.
There's not much wind until August usually and it can be a quite windy month. But that only lasts six weeks at the most and you're back into Spring again.
I don't know Perth weather that well, but I know somebody that lives there and I'll see if they can help you out.

Ha. Yeah right Adam, Brisbane has great weather. It's done nothing but rain for more than a month. Pretty soggy if you ask me.

Ed

[where]

Well I agree with Adam (sorry Ed).
Here's a thort - even tho we may get cloud cover in summer, it's still bright in terms of lighting...it's nowhere near the dark ominous overcast cloud you might see in other places (oh, I dunno, like Melbourne!). This year has been unusually wet but for me who loves alot of light, i haven't once felt oppressed by it. It's never lasted long enough to get me down.

I'm curious that your decision is based on the weather....the climate changes we're experiencing means we can't be certain about what to expect. I still reckon here in Brisbane we're on a good wicket in terms of weather...the winters are a delight (it hardly ever rains and is never too cold, and if you blink, you don;t even realise winter has been & gone!) and in if you enjoy warm weather, the Summers are long and make for a holiday atmosphere. Re: wind, the windy month tends to be August/October and generally lasts only a month or so, if that.

Mel, you might also want to consider where in Brisbane you move to. If you're close to the coast/city the weather will be less extreme. As you move further inland, the nights get colder in Winter and in Summer, the temperatures are higher. I love to head to the hinterland areas in Summer and swim in the waterholes in the National Parks where its a few degrees cooler.

Anyways, I hope this helps and if you end up in Brisbane, welcome!

i wouldnt live in Perth because of the isolatedness of it...
nothing on radio or television is live unless it is local lol

Well I moved from Melbourne to Brisbane a few years ago and although the weather took some getting used to - at least it's predictable!  It tends to be very humid in summer so airconditioning is a must if you want to maintain your equilibrium. I myself have found myself saying I wish the skies weren't always so blue (especially in Winter) as I miss the seasons...I don't think Brisbane has a deficit of blue skies and sunshine at all....