Christmas in Australia isn't all beach, sun and BBQ's. Perth, Adelaide and Brisbane are the pick of the capital cities for a quintessential Australian Christmas this year, all seeing blue skies and warm to very hot temperatures. Many people will flock to the beaches and enjoy outdoor BBQ's. Other cities are not so fortunate with Sydney enduring a grey and wet Christmas day. Hobart and Canberra will also see a shower or two with partly cloudy skies. Darwin will start out well with temperature rising to the mid thirties under mostly sunny skies before a shower or storm in the afternoon. Melbourne's weather is improving after some morning showers, leading to a mostly sunny afternoon. Boxing Day will fine and mostly sunny in Melbourne for the start of the Boxing Day Test Match at the MCG. Temperatures will warm up to 26 degrees, making for a comfortable day in the stands. The start of the Sydney to Hobart will be fairly blustery with choppy conditions on the water after today's windy weather. The boats will start out in a head wind as they move south along the coast before winds tend westerly and light. By the second day of racing boats will be flying down to Hobart with a strong northerly wind. Brisbane's Boxing Day weather will put a dampener on many people's day as the beach weather gives way to a few showers and the chance of a storm, with only a few sunny breaks. Perth will endure a heat wave this week, with temperatures reaching above 36 degrees for six days in a row. New Years Eve is the first day that is likely to fall just short of this temperature. Wherever you are and whatever your plans, we wish you a merry Christmas.