Best time to visit Lake Macquarie
The best time to visit Lake Macquarie is May and August–December, judged on twenty years of weather records and the events worth going for.
Lake Macquarie, New South Wales, Australia
°C
mm
- Average daily high and low
- Precipitation
- Good month
- Best month
- Made good or best by an event
| Month | Average daily high | Average daily low | Precipitation | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 24.1 °C / 75 °F | 21.3 °C / 70 °F | 86 mm / 3.4 in | good month |
| February | 23.8 °C / 75 °F | 21.4 °C / 71 °F | 104 mm / 4.1 in | good month |
| March | 23.2 °C / 74 °F | 20.6 °C / 69 °F | 122 mm / 4.8 in | good month |
| April | 21.4 °C / 71 °F | 18.3 °C / 65 °F | 106 mm / 4.2 in | good month |
| May | 19.1 °C / 66 °F | 15.8 °C / 60 °F | 85 mm / 3.3 in | best month |
| June | 16.9 °C / 62 °F | 13.8 °C / 57 °F | 124 mm / 4.9 in | good month |
| July | 16.4 °C / 62 °F | 12.7 °C / 55 °F | 84 mm / 3.3 in | good month |
| August | 17.1 °C / 63 °F | 13 °C / 55 °F | 67 mm / 2.6 in | best month |
| September | 18.9 °C / 66 °F | 14.7 °C / 58 °F | 61 mm / 2.4 in | best month |
| October | 20.3 °C / 69 °F | 16.5 °C / 62 °F | 65 mm / 2.6 in | best month |
| November | 21.5 °C / 71 °F | 18.2 °C / 65 °F | 78 mm / 3.1 in | best month |
| December | 22.7 °C / 73 °F | 19.7 °C / 67 °F | 68 mm / 2.7 in | best month |
Good and best months depend on more than temperature, rain and events. How they are chosen
Each activity on this page has its own good and best months, rated on twenty years of daily weather records. Which measures count, and how much, depends on the activity: humidity for exploring outdoors, wind for the beach, hiking and skiing, snow for skiing alone. Between them, the activities are rated on:
- Daytime highs
- Night-time lows
- How warm it feels
- Humidity
- How much of the day is sunny
- Hours of daylight
- Monthly rainfall
- How many days it rains
- Days of heavy rain
- Wind
- Snowfall and days with snow
- Major events, such as festivals
The chart shows the good and best months for exploring outdoors.
The event icon marks a month that an event lifts to good or best, such as a festival or a natural spectacle. Choose “Weather only” in the toolbar to rate the months on weather alone.
Best months by activity
Exploring outdoors
Mild days and nights, mostly dry and bright. The default for 'when should I go'.
- JJanuary: good
- FFebruary: good
- MMarch: good
- AApril: good
- MMay: best
- JJune: good
- JJuly: good
- AAugust: best
- SSeptember: best
- OOctober: best
- NNovember: best
- DDecember: best
- Best
- May, August–December
- Good
- January–April, June–July
Why these months
January · good
In its favour: feels like (high) 26.3 °C / 79 °F, average daily high 24.1 °C / 75 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 82%, precipitation 86 mm / 3.4 in, days with heavy rain 2.1 days, wet days 10.3 days, average daily low 21.3 °C / 70 °F.
Against: relative humidity 80%.
February · good
In its favour: feels like (high) 25.8 °C / 78 °F, average daily high 23.8 °C / 75 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 80%, precipitation 104 mm / 4.1 in, days with heavy rain 2.9 days, wet days 11.2 days, average daily low 21.4 °C / 71 °F.
Against: relative humidity 79%.
March · good
In its favour: feels like (high) 24.7 °C / 76 °F, average daily high 23.2 °C / 74 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 83%, precipitation 122 mm / 4.8 in, days with heavy rain 3 days, average daily low 20.6 °C / 69 °F.
Against: wet days 12.3 days, relative humidity 78%.
April · good
In its favour: feels like (high) 21.3 °C / 70 °F, average daily high 21.4 °C / 71 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 87%, precipitation 106 mm / 4.2 in, days with heavy rain 2.6 days, average daily low 18.3 °C / 65 °F, relative humidity 74%.
Against: wet days 12.2 days.
May · best
In its favour: feels like (high) 17.8 °C / 64 °F, average daily high 19.1 °C / 66 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 86%, precipitation 85 mm / 3.3 in, days with heavy rain 2.4 days, average daily low 15.8 °C / 60 °F, wet days 10.9 days, relative humidity 72%.
June · good
In its favour: feels like (high) 14.5 °C / 58 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 85%, average daily high 16.9 °C / 62 °F, precipitation 124 mm / 4.9 in, average daily low 13.8 °C / 57 °F, days with heavy rain 4 days, relative humidity 73%.
Against: wet days 12.6 days.
July · good
In its favour: share of daylight that is sunny 89%, feels like (high) 13.7 °C / 57 °F, average daily high 16.4 °C / 62 °F, precipitation 84 mm / 3.3 in, days with heavy rain 2.2 days, wet days 9.3 days, average daily low 12.7 °C / 55 °F, relative humidity 70%.
August · best
In its favour: feels like (high) 14.8 °C / 59 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 87%, precipitation 67 mm / 2.6 in, average daily high 17.1 °C / 63 °F, wet days 7.8 days, days with heavy rain 2.1 days, average daily low 13 °C / 55 °F, relative humidity 69%.
September · best
In its favour: feels like (high) 17.7 °C / 64 °F, average daily high 18.9 °C / 66 °F, precipitation 61 mm / 2.4 in, share of daylight that is sunny 90%, days with heavy rain 1.8 days, wet days 7.7 days, average daily low 14.7 °C / 58 °F, relative humidity 70%.
October · best
In its favour: feels like (high) 20.2 °C / 68 °F, average daily high 20.3 °C / 69 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 85%, precipitation 65 mm / 2.6 in, days with heavy rain 1.9 days, wet days 8.7 days, average daily low 16.5 °C / 62 °F, relative humidity 73%.
November · best
In its favour: feels like (high) 22.3 °C / 72 °F, average daily high 21.5 °C / 71 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 81%, precipitation 78 mm / 3.1 in, days with heavy rain 2.7 days, wet days 9.7 days, average daily low 18.2 °C / 65 °F.
Against: relative humidity 77%.
December · best
In its favour: feels like (high) 24.2 °C / 76 °F, average daily high 22.7 °C / 73 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 83%, precipitation 68 mm / 2.7 in, days with heavy rain 1.8 days, wet days 10.2 days, average daily low 19.7 °C / 67 °F.
Against: relative humidity 78%.
Beach and swimming
Hot, dry and sunny. Penalises the monsoon hard.
- JJanuary: good
- FFebruary: neither
- MMarch: neither
- AApril: neither
- MMay: neither
- JJune: neither
- JJuly: neither
- AAugust: neither
- SSeptember: neither
- OOctober: neither
- NNovember: neither
- DDecember: good
- Good
- December–January
Why these months
January · good
In its favour: share of daylight that is sunny 82%, average daily high 24.1 °C / 75 °F, feels like (high) 26.3 °C / 79 °F, precipitation 86 mm / 3.4 in, days with heavy rain 2.1 days, average daily low 21.3 °C / 70 °F, wind (daily max) 28 km/h / 17 mph.
Against: wet days 10.3 days.
December · good
In its favour: share of daylight that is sunny 83%, precipitation 68 mm / 2.7 in, days with heavy rain 1.8 days, feels like (high) 24.2 °C / 76 °F, average daily low 19.7 °C / 67 °F, wind (daily max) 28 km/h / 17 mph.
Against: average daily high 22.7 °C / 73 °F, wet days 10.2 days.
An activity is listed only where it applies: skiing at ski destinations, beach and swimming at beach destinations. The nearest ski area is Perisher, 474 km away.
Weather averages
Monthly averages over twenty years, 2006–2025. Highs, lows and precipitation are in the chart at the top.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feels like (high) | 26.3 °C | 25.8 °C | 24.7 °C | 21.3 °C | 17.8 °C | 14.5 °C | 13.7 °C | 14.8 °C | 17.7 °C | 20.2 °C | 22.3 °C | 24.2 °C |
| Days with heavy rain | 2.1 days | 2.9 days | 3 days | 2.6 days | 2.4 days | 4 days | 2.2 days | 2.1 days | 1.8 days | 1.9 days | 2.7 days | 1.8 days |
| Time rain usually falls | 9 am | 5 pm | 7 am | 10 am | 5 am | 12 am | 10 am | 10 pm | 1 am | 3 am | 5 pm | 4 pm |
| Sunshine per day | 11.6 h | 10.7 h | 10.2 h | 9.8 h | 9 h | 8.6 h | 9.1 h | 9.5 h | 10.6 h | 11 h | 11.2 h | 11.8 h |
| Relative humidity | 80% | 79% | 78% | 74% | 72% | 73% | 70% | 69% | 70% | 73% | 77% | 78% |
Sea temperature
Averaged over a shorter period (2022–2025) than the twenty-year averages above.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sea temperature 2022–2025 | 22.1 °C | 22.9 °C | 22.7 °C | 22 °C | 20.4 °C | 19.5 °C | 18.4 °C | 18.2 °C | 18.6 °C | 19.2 °C | 19.8 °C | 20.7 °C |
| Sea temperature (daily max) 2022–2025 | 22.3 °C | 23.1 °C | 23 °C | 22.2 °C | 20.6 °C | 19.6 °C | 18.5 °C | 18.3 °C | 18.7 °C | 19.4 °C | 20 °C | 21 °C |
- Very cold 10 °C or less
- Cold 10 to 15 °C
- Cool 15 to 20 °C
- Comfortable 20 to 25 °C
- Warm 25 to 28 °C
- Very warm over 28 °C
The words describe how the water feels to swim in. They are ours, not an official standard.
Air quality
Averaged over a shorter period (2022–2025) than the twenty-year averages above, and not counted towards good or best months.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air pollution (PM2.5) 2022–2025 | 9.9 µg/m³ | 9.9 µg/m³ | 9 µg/m³ | 7.7 µg/m³ | 6.8 µg/m³ | 5.6 µg/m³ | 5.9 µg/m³ | 7.4 µg/m³ | 9 µg/m³ | 9.6 µg/m³ | 9.4 µg/m³ | 10.9 µg/m³ |
| Air pollution (PM2.5, daily peak) 2022–2025 | 14.3 µg/m³ | 15 µg/m³ | 13.2 µg/m³ | 11.3 µg/m³ | 10.3 µg/m³ | 9.3 µg/m³ | 10.2 µg/m³ | 12 µg/m³ | 14.6 µg/m³ | 15.3 µg/m³ | 15 µg/m³ | 17 µg/m³ |
- Good 15 µg/m³ or less
- Fair 15 to 25 µg/m³
- Moderate 25 to 37.5 µg/m³
- Poor 37.5 to 50 µg/m³
- Very poor 50 to 75 µg/m³
- Extremely poor over 75 µg/m³
Each figure is compared with the World Health Organization's guideline for a day's air, 15 µg/m³ or less, and with its interim targets above that. The words are ours: the WHO does not name its steps. The figures are modelled monthly averages, so single days can be well above them. The daily peak is the average of each day's highest hour, shaded on the same scale.