[3][4] In summer, it typically sits over southern Australia as an Australian Bight High,[5] where it generally provides dry weather in the proximate region.

In winter it normally moves north, therefore permitting cold fronts and low pressure systems to relocate up from the Great Australian Bight and bring rainfall to most parts of southern Australia.

[12] In winter, when the high remains stationary in southern Australia (in a positive SAM phase), it can block or replace cold fronts from the Bight, thereby allowing warm weather to the southeast.

[13] However, when the high remains fixed south of Western Australia, it can drive in polar air towards the continent, whereby increasing snowfall and rain in the southeast, particularly areas that lie west of the Great Dividing Range (due to the foehn effect).

Easterly winds blow from the center of the high towards Asia, and are deflected in a southwest direction towards India after crossing the equator due to the Coriolis effect.