Albany has a Mediterranean climate with mild summers and cool, wet winters. The city is situated on what is promoted as the "Rainbow Coast" which is an appropriate title given the significant frequency of days with both sun and drizzle or showers.
July is the wettest month, with a long-term average of 144.0 mm (5.67 in), whilst rain in excess of 0.2 millimetres (0.01 in) occurs on two days out of every three during an average winter. The driest month is February with a mean of about 22.9 mm (0.90 in); in summer, it rains on average about one day in every four.
Albany received a record amount of rain on 20 November 2008 when violent storms swept across the Great Southern region. The town was flooded after 113.8 mm (4.48 in) of rain fell in a 24-hour period, the highest amount recorded since records began in 1877. The wettest month on record was June 1920 when 292.8 millimetres (11.5 in) fell, whilst February 1879 remains the only rainless month, which is most unusual for even the wettest parts of Western Australia. Freezing temperatures are very rare, only having happened once in recorded history in the city
