Australian Grand Prix forecast - cold and windy but rain to ease ahead of race start
Cold and wet conditions have hampered racing at the Australian Grand Prix, with the Formula 3 race suspended and Supercars called off in heavy showers.
MELBOURNE–The Bureau of Meteorology says that a south-westerly cold front will bring a break in the rain ahead of the 2025 Australian Grand Prix despite cold and windy conditions.
Meteorologist David Crock told raceweek that the city has seen around 10mm of rain this morning, with the worst showers to potentially clear as a strong cold front approaches from Port Phillip Bay.
That front will arrive sometime from 11.30am to 12pm, bringing cold and windy conditions, but hopefully a break in the showers to allow track action to continue for FIA Formula 2 and the Formula 1 grand prix.
"That will bring up quite cold southerly winds straight off the bay so temperatures throughout the afternoon will be around 16°C to 18°C, so it will be pretty cold," said Crock.
"We'll see the current rain tend to ease a bit, so we have probably seen the heaviest of the rain so far, but we are expecting showers to continue through the early afternoon and generally be pretty miserable conditions with low cloud and drizzly showers and poor visibility."
There is a break in the rain predicted for the mid-afternoon, which could see the grand prix begin at 3.00pm on a drying track before conditions worsen.
"Not entirely certain what time that will be, but sometime between 2.00pm and 5.00pm there will be a break of probably 90 minutes to 2 hours in the rain," said Crock of the clear weather predicted for exactly the duration of the race.
"But it's still going to be cloudy and cool so it's not like the sun will come out and dry things up with any speed."
Not the easiest conditions to contend with 💦https://t.co/xAX6ElVdTD#F3 #AusGP pic.twitter.com/nG0qFo4pXl
— Formula 3 (@Formula3) March 15, 2025
It is predicted that this will see drivers begin on intermediate or wet tyres, attempting to extend that first stint as much as possible before switching to whichever dry compound they believe will take them to the end of the race.
The risk is then for heavier showers, potentially bringing hail, in the closing minutes of the grand prix.
"We will see then some more discrete showers coming in from the south after about 4 or 5 o'clock, so there is there's a risk of showers."
"Some of those could be quite heavy, could even see some small hail."
"But it will continue to be cold and windy and sporadic showers through to the end of the day."
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