How do we make the most of an Australian summer?

Summer runs from December to February, and for most families it’s the best time of year: long light evenings, the beach, and a six-week school break over Christmas. It also brings strong sun, heatwaves and bushfire risk, so a little preparation goes a long way.

Sun and heat

Australia’s UV levels are high, and skin can start to burn in 15 minutes when the UV Index is 3 or above. Cloud and cool days don’t make much difference. The Bureau of Meteorology publishes daily “sun protection times”, and the free SunSmart app shows them for where you are.

• Slip on clothing that covers your skin, slop on SPF 50+ water-resistant sunscreen, slap on a broad-brimmed hat, seek shade and slide on sunglasses
• Reapply sunscreen every 2 hours, and after swimming or towelling dry
• Many schools have a “no hat, no play” rule, so pack a hat every day

The Bureau issues heatwave warnings, usually from October to the end of March, at two levels: severe, which is risky for older people, babies, young children, pregnant women and anyone unwell; and extreme, which is dangerous for everyone. You can get alerts for your location in the BOM Weather app. On hot days, drink water before you feel thirsty, check on older neighbours, and never leave children or pets in a parked car.

At the beach

Lifesavers put up red and yellow flags to mark the safest place to swim, away from rips and other hazards, and they watch that stretch of water. No flags means nobody is on patrol. Not every beach is patrolled, and patrols at many beaches run only at weekends or in the school holidays.

• Check Beachsafe, Surf Life Saving Australia’s free app and website, for which beaches are patrolled and when, plus hazards, tides and swell
• Rip currents are the biggest hazard on Australian beaches. If you’re caught in one, stay calm, float, and raise an arm for help
• If someone else is in trouble, don’t swim out. Raise the alarm and call 000

Bushfire season

Bushfire season starts at different times in different states, and in some areas runs from spring into autumn. Every day, each fire district gets a rating under the Australian Fire Danger Rating System, in use since September 2022.

• Download your state’s emergency app and set a watch zone for home, school and work. In NSW it’s Hazards Near Me; in Victoria, VicEmergency. Other states have their own
• Make a bushfire plan with everyone you live with: where you’d go, how, what you’d take, and when you’d leave. In NSW you can make one online in about 5 minutes at myfireplan.com.au
• Don’t rely on one source. Phone signal and power can fail in an emergency, so keep a battery radio and tune in to ABC local radio
• On a Total Fire Ban day, strict rules apply to fires in the open, including barbecues. Check your state fire service for what’s allowed

The tropical north

In the north, summer is the wet season: hot, humid and stormy. The cyclone season runs from 1 November to 30 April, with most cyclones forming from January to March. If you live in Darwin, Cairns, Townsville or the north-west, prepare an emergency kit before November and follow warnings in the BOM Weather app.

From November to May, dangerous jellyfish (“stingers”), including box jellyfish and Irukandji, are found off the Queensland coast from north of Bundaberg upwards. Many beaches put up stinger nets, but they don’t stop the smallest species. Swim only at patrolled beaches, wear a full-body stinger suit, and if someone is stung, call 000 and pour vinegar on the sting.

Christmas and the summer holidays

The school year ends in mid-December, and the summer break lasts about six weeks, until late January or early February. Workplaces slow down between Christmas and New Year, and many take a shutdown. Christmas lunch is often outdoors: seafood, barbecues, salads and cold drinks, sometimes on the beach. Campsites, coastal rentals and flights book up months ahead, so plan early. See How do public holidays and school holidays work? for this year’s dates, and Where can we go for a weekend away? for ideas.