Spiders, ghosts and the chance of thunderstorms: Australia's Halloween weather
Will the weather play a few tricks or will it deliver a treat as kids take to the streets this Saturday, October 31, for Halloween in Australia?
In pop culture, Halloween is widely associated with America, although the practise of celebrating All Hallows' Eve (or All Saints' Eve) actually has Celtic roots dating back many centuries.
Australians only adopted the practice of kids walking the streets hoping for treats on Halloween on a widespread basis in the early 2010s. It's now a fixture on our pop-cultural calendar, so for those taking part, here's our Saturday afternoon and evening weather forecast for the capital cities.
This weekend looks a little showery in Perth as a cold front approaches from the west. Showers should be heaviest in the morning, but there's a chance of a shower throughout the day and into Sunday.
Best to send your little ghouls out with a waterproof cape just in case.
Cold fronts will impact both the southeast and the southwest of the country this Saturday, but the good news for Adelaide is that the trick of Saturday morning showers associated with a cold front crossing southern SA should turn into the treat of a dry afternoon and evening.
It could still pay to send the kids out with a lid on the lolly bucket.
Melbourne will have showers with potential thunderstorms (possibly severe) on Saturday, and while the probability of rain and storms drops off by mid-afternoon, please monitor the Weatherzone warnings page.
Definitely a day to monitor conditions closely before the little monsters head out to roar at the neighbours.
Image: Hourly graphs for Canberra, ACT, on the Weatherzone app.
Canberra has received 100.6 mm of rainfall this October as of 9 am this Friday – the first time it has topped triple-figures in a month since December 2024.
Friday and Saturday are both expected to be relatively warm in the national capital with tops around 25°C, but wet and potentially stormy weather is forecast to arrive on Saturday afternoon and early evening, so please don't send the little goblins out without checking the Weatherzone app first.
The Top End is entering the wet season, which is the time of year when the weather most days can deliver both a trick and a treat.
Saturday looks partly cloudy with the chance of showers and thunderstorms, so make sure mummy and daddy are supervising those little bandaged mummies.
A spell of four dry days will likely end on Saturday in Hobart, as northwesterlies push a cloudband across Tasmania ahead of the approaching cold front.
The west coast of Tasmania looks particularly wet on Saturday, and while persistent heavy rain is not expected in southeastern locations like Hobart, regular showers could fall throughout much of the day, along with gusty winds, so beware of flying ghosts.
Image: An Australian "family" awaits Halloween on the porch of this Sydney house. Source: iStock/Daria Nipot.
After a clear start to Saturday with a warm maximum around 28°C, Sydney could also see a late shower, but with luck, the twilight trick-or-treat period should be dry.
It could still be wise to send the little zombies out with a poncho.
On the back of three very dry months with 22.4 mm of rainfall in total from July through September, the Queensland capital has received 176.4 mm of rainfall so far this October, spread across 17 wet days.
Luckily, Saturday looks dry, so expect werewolves and vampires galore on the streets.
Wherever you are in Australia, Weatherzone hopes you have a happy Halloween and that your lolly buckets are filled with jelly snakes, not real ones!