The climate of Uluru is home to a range of seasonal extremes.
The land here is extreme. When it’s hot, it’s really hot.
The climate of Uluru changes throughout the year as Australia’s seasons swap, change and morph into different climates.
A semi-arid desert
Uluru is right in the middle of the Red Centre, which is a semi-arid desert. Semi-arid means a desert that has more rain than a completely desert would have.
The environment can get extreme, ranging from extremely cold to extremely hot. In the winter, the nights can get below 0, and it gets very cold!
But in the summer, the temperature gets hot and can peak at 45. This can be quite intense if you’re doing some walks around the base of Uluru, which is why most tourists come and visit Uluru during the winter.
Surprisingly, it can rain up to 308mm each year. Uluru can see up 5 days a month of rainfall.
Stormy season can hit anytime in October, November, and December.
And if you’re wanting to find pretty flowers in the national park, then make sure you check out Uluru in August and September.
Visiting Uluru during the summer
Coming to the desert during the height of the summer isn’t always for the faint-hearted! Make sure you do most of your activities in the early mornings when it’s cooler. This allows you to walk around the base of the red rock in comfort.
The UV index ranges from 11-15, which is drastically stronger than the rest of Australia. Make sure you pack sunscreen!
Plus, be prepared for the flies!
Adapting to the extremes
Perhaps the most fascinating thing about Uluru is the extremes of the temperatures, and how the different wildlife has adapted to the extremes of the desert.
Adapting to the extremes of the desert, the reptiles, mammals and birds have their own adaptive systems which allow them to thrive and survive in the heat of the desert. Seeing the animals in Uluru is a memorable experience!
Managing Director at Sightseeing Tours Australia
Cameron Ward turned his travel passion into a thriving Australian tourism business. Before he co-founded his own business, Sightseeing Tours Australia, he was enjoying being a Melbourne tour guide. Even now, Cameron delights in helping visitors from all around the world get the most out of their incredible Australian trip. You’ll see Cameron leading tours or writing about his favourite Australian places where he shares his local insights.