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# Climate of Sydney
The climate of Sydney, Australia is humid subtropical (Köppen: Cfa), shifting from mild and cool in winter to warm and occasionally hot in the summer, with no extreme seasonal differences since the weather has some maritime influence. Contrasting temperatures are recorded in the western suburbs, as Sydney CBD is more affected by the oceanic climate drivers than the hinterland (due to moderation by the Pacific Ocean). Despite the fact that there is no distinct dry or wet season, rainfall peaks during summer and autumn months, and is at its lowest just around the middle of the year, though precipitation can be erratic throughout the year. Precipitation varies across the region, with areas adjacent to the coast being the wettest.
In the February 1938 issue of The Home, journalist Basil Burdett wrote, "...Even Melbourne seems like some grey and stately city of Northern Europe compared with Sydney's sub-tropical splendours." In 2023, Sydney was placed at 9th place by Stars Insider for having the best weather in the world. Though in 1788, Lieutenant Ralph Clark, a member of the First Fleet, stated that the thunderstorms were the most terrible he has ever experienced. In 1819, Australian explorer William Wentworth described the summer heat as "sometimes excessive" and "oppressive to Europeans", although he noted that sea breezes effectively moderated temperatures.

## General climatology
According to the Bureau of Meteorology, Sydney falls in the temperate climate zone with warm to hot summers and no dry season. Under the Holdridge Life Zones classification, coastal Sydney falls in the Subtropical Moist Forest zone and the inland, western suburbs in the Subtropical Dry Forest zone. According to Troll-Paffen climate classification, Sydney has a warm-temperate subtropical climate. Sydney's plant hardiness zone ranges from zone 11a in the east to 9b in the far west.
Sydney has 109.5 clear days and 127.2 cloudy days annually, though it has around 200 days of visible sunshine if partly cloudy days or sunny breaks are counted. Overall, Sydney has just about 66% of possible sun for Jun-Aug and around 54% for Dec-Feb, making winter sunnier than summer on average, in addition to the city being sunny around 65% of the time in the year with its 2,640 hours of annual sunshine. On some hot summer days, southerly busters decrease temperatures by late afternoon or early evening. In the warm season, troughs combined with a humid air mass can bring large amounts of rainfall. In late autumn to early winter, the city can be affected by east coast lows. Afternoon windspeed recorded in Sydney Airport averages at 24.3 km/h (15.0 mph) in an annual basis, making Sydney the windiest capital city in Australia.
Sydney experiences an urban heat island effect, making certain parts of the city more vulnerable to extreme heat, particularly the west. Efforts have been introduced to investigate and mitigate this heat effect, including increasing shade from tree canopies, adding rooftop gardens to high rise structures and changing pavement colour. The El Niño Southern Oscillation, the Indian Ocean Dipole and the Southern Annular Mode play an important role in determining Sydney's weather patterns: drought and bushfire on the one hand, and storms and flooding on the other. Sydney is prone to heat waves and drought, which have become more common in the 21st century.
The region of Sydney, and as well as the rest of the New South Wales coastline, is warmed by the East Australian Current. In 2020, researchers at The Australia Institute discovered that Sydney was experiencing longer summers and shorter winters in recent decades, compared to those in the 1950s and 1960s. Since the early 1990s, Western Sydney has experienced more intense summer heatwaves than coastal Sydney, with maximum temperatures exceeding those of coastal Sydney by up to 10 °C (18 °F). Moreover, since the early 2020s, Sydney's summers have become more humid due to global warming, which result in sea temperatures being 1–3 °C (2–5 °F) above normal.

## Seasons

### Summer
Summer is generally warm to hot, and often humid (particularly in late summer). The ultraviolet index rating averages at 12, but can reach 13 in the midst of the season, which may lead to skin damage among those having light skin.
Sydney can receive hot, dry northwesterly winds from the Outback that make the temperatures soar above 40 °C (104 °F). This happens after the northwesterlies are carried entirely over the continental landmass, not picking up additional moisture from a body of water and retaining most of their heat. On these occasions, the city can experience the fury of the desert climate, although they are often ended with a southerly buster, which is a windy, shallow cold front or a sea breeze that sweeps up from the southeast abruptly cooling the temperature. At times, it may be accompanied by a thunderstorm and drizzle, and it may keep the temperatures cool the following few days as well.
In the Sydney central business district, an average of 15 days a year have temperatures of more than 30 °C (86 °F) and 3 days with temperatures over 35 °C (95 °F). In contrast, western suburbs such as Liverpool and Penrith have 41 and 67 days with temperatures above 30 °C (86 °F), 10 and 19 days above 35 °C (95 °F), and, 1 and 4 days above 40 °C (104 °F), respectively.
The highest recorded maximum temperature at Sydney Airport was 46.4 °C (115.5 °F), which was on 18 January 2013. The highest recorded maximum temperature at Sydney CBD was recorded on that same day with the temperature climaxing at 45.8 °C (114.4 °F). The highest recorded maximum temperature within Sydney's Metropolitan area was recorded at Penrith with a high of 48.9 °C (120 °F), a Western Sydney suburb, on 4 January 2020. At that time, Penrith was the hottest place on the planet and the hottest temperature recorded within Australia and the Southern Hemisphere for all of 2020.

### Autumn
Late summer conditions usually continue until the last week of March. Most heavy rainfall events usually occur in late summer and early autumn as the subtropical ridge of high pressure, which rotates counterclockwise, is to the south of Australia and therefore give way for moist easterlies from the Tasman Sea and as well as low pressure systems to penetrate the region.
The transition from late summer to autumn is gradual, with noticeably cooler and crisper conditions taking in effect by around mid-April. Temperatures in autumn are usually consistent and stable, lacking any extremes that tend to be experienced in spring and summer.
The lowest maximum temperature in autumn is 11.3 °C (52.3 °F), recorded on 24 May 1904. The highest maximum autumn temperature ever recorded at Sydney Airport was recorded on 9 March 1983, with the temperature peaking at 41.2 °C (106.2 °F). Though the hottest autumn day ever recorded in Sydney's metropolitan area was on 6 March 1938 when Richmond RAAF hit 41.9 °C (107.4 °F).

### Winter
Winter in central Sydney tends to be mild where the lows rarely drop below 7 °C (45 °F), mainly due to proximity to the ocean. Furthermore, Sydney CBD (Observatory Hill) has never recorded frost. In the far west (in places such as Richmond and Camden), the diurnal range can be relatively great, particularly in late winter. In the west, Liverpool and Richmond have 4 and 38 nights, respectively, where temperatures dip below 2 °C (36 °F). On average, only 1 night in Liverpool and 17 nights in Richmond have lows that go below 0 °C (32 °F). In such cold mornings, frost can form in the far western suburbs. The lowest maximum temperature in Liverpool was 8.2 °C (47 °F), recorded on 28 July 1981.
Sydney receives around 15 days of fog annually, which occurs in winter mornings; some can be thick enough to divert planes and cancel ferry services. During late winter, warm dry westerly winds which dominate may raise the maximum temperatures as high as 25 °C (77 °F) in some instances. As the subtropical ridge is north of Sydney in mid-to-late winter, it picks up dry westerlies from the continent's interior because of its anticlockwise rotation, thus producing more sunny days in the region.
The lowest recorded minimum at Observatory Hill was 2.1 °C (35.8 °F) on 22 June 1932, while the coldest in the Sydney metropolitan area was −8 °C (18 °F), in Richmond. The lowest recorded maximum temperature at Observatory Hill was 7.7 °C (45.9 °F). Although not usually considered a suburb of Sydney, Picton, a town in the Macarthur Region of Sydney, recorded a low of −10.0 °C (14.0 °F) on 16 July 1970.
Sydney's warmest winter day was recorded on 30 August 2024 at Sydney Airport when the temperature hit 31.6 °C (88.9 °F) at 2:48 PM.

### Spring
Early spring is rapidly transitional and erratic. Cool conditions from late winter may continue in September, but due to the drastic transition, temperatures above 30 °C (86 °F) can also be expected in that month, including the odd thunderstorm. By November, summery conditions begin, albeit with relatively low humidity. Because the subtropical ridge lies to the north of Sydney this time of the year, it will bring westerly winds from the interior that produce mostly sunny conditions, with relatively low dewpoints. Extreme, changeable and inconsistent temperatures are much more prevalent in spring than other seasons. Furthermore, the diurnal range is higher in this season than it is in autumn.
The lowest maximum temperature in spring was 9.5 °C (49.1 °F), recorded on 8 September 1869. 9am relative humidity is the lowest in the year during spring, ranging from 58% to 68%, with early spring receiving lower figures. The highest maximum Spring temperature ever recorded at Sydney Airport was on 25 November 1982, when the temperature eclipsed at 43.4 °C (110.1 °F). Sydney CBD also recorded its hottest spring day on this same day, peaking at 41.8 °C (107.2 °F). The highest spring temperature recorded in Sydney's Metropolitan area was registered at Richmond on 23 November 2014, peaking at 45.3 °C (113.5 °F).

## Warm and cool periods
The Bureau of Meteorology reported in 2011 that 2002 to 2005 had been the warmest years in Sydney since records began in 1859. 2004 saw an average daily maximum temperature of 23.4 °C (74.1 °F), 2005 of 23.4 °C (74.1 °F), 2002 of 22.9 °C (73.2 °F), and 2003 of 22.7 °C (72.9 °F). The average daily maximum between 1859 and 2004 was 21.6 °C (70.9 °F). Seven (of the ten) warmest years in 151 years of recordkeeping have occurred in the ten years between 2001 and 2010, with this decade being the warmest on record for minimum temperatures.
The Bureau of Meteorology reported that the summer of 2007–08 was the coolest in 11 years, the wettest in six years, the cloudiest in 16 years, and one of only three summers in recorded history to lack a maximum temperature above 31 °C (88 °F). The Bureau of Meteorology reported that 2009 was a warm year. The average annual daytime temperature at Observatory Hill was 22.9 °C (73.2 °F), which is 0.9 °C (1.6 °F) above the historical annual average. This ranks as the seventh highest annual average maximum temperature since records commenced in 1859. 2010 was the equal fourth warmest year on record for Sydney, with an average maximum of 22.6 °C (72.7 °F), which was 0.6 °C (1.1 °F) above the historical annual average.
Climate models in 2014 suggested that sea temperatures off Sydney are decades away from becoming "tropical". A scenario of increasing CO2 emissions proposed winter sea surface temperatures will consistently exceed 18 °C (64 °F) between 2020 and 2030, and summer sea surface temperatures will consistently surpass 25 °C (77 °F) between 2040 and 2060.
July 2017 to June 2018 in southeastern Australia proved to be the hottest financial year on record with maximum temperatures being the warmest on record and minimums above average.  The warmest year on record was 2016, with a mean temperature of 19.6 °C (67.3 °F) degrees. Sydney's 2017 mean temperature of 19.5 °C (67.1 °F) degrees was  1.7 °C (3.1 °F) degrees above the long term average and the second highest value in 158 years of records. The 2020-21 summer was the coolest in a decade due to La Nina's influence.

## Microclimate
The region of Sydney is subject to phenomena typical of a microclimate, namely in late spring and summer, where the western suburbs are hotter than the Sydney CBD by 6–10 °C (11–18 °F) due to urban sprawl exacerbating the urban heat island effect and less exposure to mitigating sea breezes which cool down Sydney's eastern edge and fail to move 9 km (5.6 mi) inland. The dramatic temperature difference between coastal and inland areas is caused by a combination of desert-warmed air from central Australia reaching the west, and as well as density of housing, lack of vegetation or open spaces, and the Blue Mountains which help trap the hot air.
When it is 25 °C (77 °F) at Bondi for instance, the temperature will be around 30 °C (86 °F) just west of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, around 35 °C (95 °F) near Parramatta and as much as 40 °C (104 °F) 40 km (25 mi) inland. Such extreme temperature differences in the Sydney metropolitan area usually occur in late spring when the western Pacific Ocean is still quite cool and the inland air is warm. Furthermore, within the CBD, heat maps show the area around Central Station (in Haymarket) is 0.5–1.0 °C (1–2 °F) warmer than Circular Quay and surrounds, making it the hottest place in the CBD.
According to ecologist Sebastian Pfautsch from the University of Freiburg, in Sydney's hot days there could be discrepancies of up to 22 more days above 40 °C (104 °F) recorded in urban space compared to a weather station from the Bureau of Meteorology. Because 48.9 °C (120.0 °F) was recorded in Penrith (on 4 January 2020), it will not be unusual to have a 50 °C (122 °F) reading somewhere nearby, especially if it lacked green space and retained heat to intensify heatwave temperatures.
Richmond has the second largest overall temperature range recorded in Australia, after Mitchell, Queensland; −8.3 to 47.8 °C (17.1 to 118.0 °F).

### Urban heat island
A study by the University of Western Australia and RMIT indicated that the western suburbs have a much stronger urban heat island effect than those east of the CBD and that hotter temperatures in the west are human contributed due to solar radiation absorbing materials in black asphalt and dark roofs, anthropogenic heat from cars and less natural environments, thereby creating a "heat dome" that blocks the cooler air from the sea. Greening Australia stated that January mean maximum temperatures in the west have risen at a pace of 0.65 °C per decade, over twice as much as eastern Sydney's 0.28 °C per decade. The OEH warned that further development could cause more exceedingly hot days in the west by 2030.
Urban heat island of the CBD has been efficaciously blocking the cooler air from reaching the inland suburbs because the CBD's "high temperature, is like a wall that stops the sea breeze in its tracks. Over Sydney’s CBD is a heat dome because of the high density of concrete and asphalt. If we want to cool western Sydney and demolish this wall, we need to cool the CBD first", Professor Mattheos Santamouris from UNSW states. He explained that cooling the CBD would reduce the temperature by 1.5 °C in the west and tree coverage could cool down suburban streets by as much as 10 °C (18 °F) in hot days since high-density housing developments and scarce trees trap heat. Waterbodies and open spaces also provide cooling benefits in urban areas.
According to climate researchers, relatively easy modifications such as constructing fountains and water playgrounds could also lower temperatures in the western suburbs. The city now has 3.6% more trees in 2016 than it did in 2009 and Penrith City Council had planned to plant 100,000 trees from August 2018, in addition to planning a large city park, creating a water-sensitive urban design, street shading, and the use of cool materials in its building developments. Furthermore, Parramatta City Council has installed 20 temperature sensors among different tree species in its suburbs to compare how different species can help reduce urban heat.

## Precipitation
Rainfall is slightly higher or dominant during the first half of the year, particularly in late summer and early autumn, when the ocean has peaked its warmth. Rainfall will tend to be lower in the second half of the year when the subtropical ridge is just to the north of the city. Most rain comes mostly from major storms, rarely drizzle, particularly from subtropical lows that bring warm, moist air onshore.
Due to the unpredictability of rain, the wettest and driest months change on a yearly basis. Rain falls on 40% of days, anytime of the year, but usually in January to June. Coastal showers, which are mostly stratiform, occur in post-frontal south-east flow, where they become volatile over the warm ocean near Sydney, thereby setting up an "ocean-effect" (where rainfall is intensified leeward of a waterbody).
Frontal lows frequently affect Sydney in winter, but they are generally dry because such lows remain farther south, and the cold front's passage is connected with a shift from warm and dry northwesterly winds to colder, damp south-westerlies, which lose much of their moisture over the Great Dividing Range. Therefore, the drier winters are due to its rain shadow position on the leeward (eastern) side of the Great Dividing Range, which shield the region from south-westerly cold fronts that arrive from the Southern Ocean.
Within the city and surrounds, rainfall varies, from around 730 mm (28.74 in) at Badgerys Creek (in the west) to 1,400 mm (55.12 in) at Turramurra (the northeast) in the Northern Suburbs, which create an orographic rainfall. The annual evaporation rate for Sydney is 1,600 mm (62.99 in), with the rate in the summer being 600 mm (23.62 in) and in winter 300 mm (11.81 in).

### Storms
East coast lows, which strike from the southeast in the Tasman Sea, bring heavy rainfall typically in autumn to early winter. The precipitation of the low comes from a nimbostratus cloud that dumps as much as 70 mm (2.76 in) of rain for as much as two days. Annually, there are around 40 days with convective thunderstorms, which particularly occur in late spring and summer – Such storms arrive from the west, and normally involve northeasterly winds at the surface.
The western suburbs are more inclined to receive thunderstorms in summer due to the stabilizing effect of a sea breeze in the afternoon near the CBD and Eastern Suburbs. Isolated convective showers form when a cold pool arrives from the southwest, particularly on hot and sultry days. These showers usually come in heavy downpours and can include hail, squalls, and drops in temperature, but they generally pass very quickly. Black nor'easters may bring persistent rainfall for a few consecutive days in the warm months, and Australian northwest cloudbands produce light rainfall in the cool months.
The city is rarely affected by cyclones, although remnants of ex-cyclones do affect the city. The city is prone to severe hailstorms, windstorms, and flash flooding. Scientists have predicted that rainfall will become more unpredictable and temperatures will be on the rise.
In 2011, Sydney recorded its wettest July since 1950, where the CBD recorded 244 mm (9.61 in) of rain that month. 2011 was also the wettest year since records began in 1858. Parts of western Sydney were substantially flooded during the New South Wales 2021 floods, with many areas around Richmond and Windsor submerged in floodwaters. In early 2022, Sydney recorded its wettest start to a year on record with the running annual total being 821.6 mm (32.35 in), topping 782.8 mm (30.82 in) to the same date in 1956 and 753.8 mm (29.68 in) in 1990, respectively (rainfall data at Sydney Observatory Hill dates back to 1858).

### Snowfall
Snow is extremely rare in Sydney, with significant snowfall being last reported in the Sydney area on 28 June 1836. On that date, it was reported that convicts and British settlers in Hyde Park woke up to snow "nearly 1 in (2.5 cm) deep", with the meteorological table in The Sydney Herald recording that on the morning of the snow the temperature dropped to 3 °C (37 °F). The snow event affected trading where sellers were unable to transport goods to markets in the colony. The snowfall occurred at the end of the dalton minimum, a solar cycle period representing low solar activity, where colder temperatures were recorded globally. A keeper of weather observations during that period, T. A. Browne noted:
The years 1836, 1837 and 1838 were years of drought, and in one of these years (1836) a remarkable thing happened. There was a fall of snow; we made snowballs at Enmore and enjoyed the usual schoolboy amusements therewith.
The Sydney Morning Herald reported on the event, saying:
For the first time in the memory of the oldest inhabitants, snow fell in Sydney on the morning of Tuesday last. 27 June 1836, about 7 o'clock in the morning, a drifting fall covered the streets nearly one inch in depth...A razor-keen wind from the west blew pretty strongly at the time and altogether, it was the most English like winter morning ever experienced.
The Sydney Monitor reported:
We believe snow was never seen in Sydney before the previous night. The weather was cold, but not more so than we have often felt it before.
Scant snowfall has been recorded in latter dates:
- On 22 June 1951, light snowflakes (which melted into rain) were reported in the suburbs of Liverpool, Pymble and Kingsgrove.[113]
- On 25 July 1986, melting snow was observed in Sydney CBD, Sydney Airport and Bankstown, which did not settle on the ground.[114]
- On 27 July 2008, a fall of graupel or soft hail (which was mistaken for snow by residents), blanketed Lindfield, Roseville and Killara in white. Owing to this event, a senior forecaster from the Bureau of Meteorology doubted the 1836 snow account, stating that weather observers in that time period lacked the technology and skill to distinguish snow from soft hail.[115]

## Drought
Sydney's winter rainfall is predicted to decrease by 20-35% by the year 2090. The other phenomenon that arises from these long, dry and hot periods is bushfires, which occur frequently in the areas surrounding the city. Water supply is a recurring concern for the city during drought periods.
In 2005 the reservoirs reached an all-time low. Many areas of the city bordering bushland have experienced bushfires, notably in 1994 and 2001–02 — these tend to occur during the spring and summer. Heatwaves, which are regularly occurring in recent years, usually lead to water restrictions and a high risk of bushfires, which sometimes bring a smoky haze to the city. Smog is noticeable on hot days, even without bushfires. The years 2009 and 2010 had dry conditions, according to Bureau of Meteorology.
In September 2013, the combination of dry weather, warm temperatures and strong winds brought early-season bushfires. The summer of 2013-14 was the driest in 72 years. The widespread bushfires in December 2019 affected the western periphery of the city, and the Sydney metropolitan area suffered from dangerous smoky haze for several days throughout the month 2019 was one of Sydney's warmest in 161 years and the driest since 2005, which had a few days of raised dust and as well as declining dam levels.

## Wind
As a whole, the Sydney region is generally the windiest from October to January and calmest from March to June. The windier locations are those by the coast, such as the eastern suburbs. The prevailing winds are seasonal in coastal Sydney; northeasterly sea breezes arriving in the summer provide relief on hot days; in winter and early spring, generally strong and cool winds come from the west or north-west, which are related to large scale synoptic events. Summer winds from the south may be strong (i.e. southerly buster). Spring and autumn winds tend to be variable.
Northeasterlies and easterly sea breezes are dominant from early summer to early autumn, because the anticlockwise-rotating subtropical ridge is to the south of the city where it allows winds from the sea to penetrate. Westerlies are dominant in late winter to mid-spring as the subtropical ridge is just to the north of the city, picking up winds from the interior and blocking easterlies from the sea. Westerly winds in Sydney are intensified when the Roaring forties contract towards the southeastern Australia.
Southerly busters are expected from October to the end of March. They typically look like as if a sheet of cloud is rolled up like a scroll by the advancing wind. The change of wind (in the warm months) is sometimes very sudden, where it may be fresh northeasterly and in ten minutes a southerly gale. Katabatic winds are light, south-westerly drainage winds, akin to land breezes, that occur when air of higher density in the Blue Mountains descends under gravity force into the Sydney metropolitan area and the Hawkesbury Basin, usually during a winter night.
Since Sydney is located on the Great Dividing Range's eastern side, and is thus in its rain shadow, it experiences a föhn-like type of wind, particularly between late autumn and early spring, which is a dry south-westerly that raises the air temperature and provides clear to partly sunny conditions in the lee of the mountains (in this case, the Sydney Basin), after the arrival of a vigorous westerly cold front from the Southern Ocean. In the cool season, these föhn-like winds can be particularly damaging to homes and affect flights.
| Wind direction in Sydney from 2002 to 2012 (average values) | Wind direction in Sydney from 2002 to 2012 (average values) | Wind direction in Sydney from 2002 to 2012 (average values) | Wind direction in Sydney from 2002 to 2012 (average values) | Wind direction in Sydney from 2002 to 2012 (average values) | Wind direction in Sydney from 2002 to 2012 (average values) | Wind direction in Sydney from 2002 to 2012 (average values) | Wind direction in Sydney from 2002 to 2012 (average values) |
| ----------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------- |
| North                                                       | Northeast                                                   | East                                                        | South East                                                  | Southern                                                    | Southwest                                                   | West                                                        | Northwest                                                   |
| 5.9%                                                        | 16.9%                                                       | 14.1%                                                       | 14.6%                                                       | 24.9%                                                       | 4.1%                                                        | 11.9%                                                       | 7.6%                                                        |
| Source: world-weather.info                                  |                                                             |                                                             |                                                             |                                                             |                                                             |                                                             |                                                             |

### Air masses
Sydney is affected by five air mass types throughout the year:
- Tropical continental (CT): Very hot, dry air from northern half of central Australia that can bring extreme heat, typically from late spring to summer (i.e. brickfielder). These come from the northwest and are called north-westerlies.
- Tropical maritime Tasman (MT): Mild to warm, moist airmass from the northern Tasman Sea that brings overcast, humid, sometimes showery conditions and even heavy rain at any time of the year (i.e. east coast lows, black nor'easters). These are north-easterlies or northerlies.
- Subtropical continental (ST): Mild to warm, dry air from southern central Australia that is more dominant in late winter to early spring (i.e. the Australian High). These are westerlies.
- Southern maritime (SM): Mild to cool, moist air from the Southern Ocean that brings drizzle and, at times, cloud cover at any time of the year (i.e. southerly busters). These are southerlies or south-easterlies.
- Modified polar maritime (MP): Cool, sometimes cold, generally dry airmass, typically occurring in winter (though not unknown in late autumn and early spring), that can be very windy when it arrives from the southwest over the Great Dividing Ranges (i.e. southeast Australian foehn).[c] These are south-westerlies.

## Historical descriptions

### Aboriginal seasons
The Sydney Basin is in the traditional lands of the Dharawal people. The Dharawal describe six seasons for their country which extends from the southern shores of Port Jackson (Sydney Harbour) to the northern shores of the Shoalhaven River, and from the eastern shores of the Wollondilly River system to the eastern seaboard.
- January–March (Burran): Hot and dry
- April–June (Marrai'gang): Wet, becoming cooler
- June–July (Burrugin): Cold, frosty, short days
- July–August (Wiritjiribin): Cold and windy
- September–October (Ngoonungi): Cool, getting warmer
- November–December (Parra'dowee): Warm and wet

### European settlers
Winter cold
On 18 July 1791, Watkin Tench described a particularly cold morning for Sydney's standards, in the area that is now Carramar, near a waterbody that was most likely to be Prospect Creek. Tench carried a thermometer in the area to record the unusually cool temperatures, in which he stated that "a degree of cold for the latitude of the place that I think myself bound to transcribe it." Such cold mornings can be attributed to the The Little Ice Age, which extended from the 16th to the 19th centuries, and would have affected south-east Australia's climate in the late 18th century, which was at the time when Europeans first colonized Australia.
On his diary entry regarding the cold conditions, he wrote:
The sun arose in unclouded splendor and presented to our sight a novel and picturesque view. The contiguous country as white as if covered with snow, contrasted with the foliage of trees flourishing in the verdure of tropical luxuriancy. Even the exhalation which steamed from the lake beneath contributed to heighten the beauty of the scene. Wind SSW. Thermormeter at sunrise 25 °F (−4 °C). The following night was still colder. At sunset the thermometer stood at 45 °F (7 °C); at a quarter before four in the morning, it was at 26 °F (−3 °C); at a quarter before six at 24 °F (−4 °C); at a quarter before seven, at 23 °F (−5 °C); at seven o'clock, 22.7 °F (−5.2 °C); at sunrise, 23 °F (−5 °C), after which it continued gradually to mount, and between one and two o'clock, stood at 59.6 °F (15.3 °C) in the shade. Wind SSW. The horizon perfectly clear all day, not the smallest speck to be seen. Nothing but demonstration could have convinced me that so severe a degree of cold ever existed in this low latitude. Drops of water on a tin pot, not altogether out of the influence of the fire, were frozen into solid ice in less than twelve minutes. Part of a leg of kangaroo which we had roasted for supper was frozen quite hard, all the juices of it being converted into ice. On those ponds which were near the surface of the earth, the covering of ice was very thick; but on those which were lower down it was found to be less so, in proportion to their depression; and wherever the water was 12 ft (3.7 m) below the surface (which happened to be the case close to us) it was uncongealed. It remains to be observed that the cold of both these nights, at Rose Hill and Sydney, was judged to be greater than had ever before been felt.
 — Watkin Tench, A Complete Account of the Settlement at Port Jackson
Notwithstanding, Tench stated that Sydney's climate at that time was still warm enough to sustain plant life all year round: "Nor will this surprise, if the genial influence of the climate be considered. Placed in a latitude where the beams of the sun in the dreariest season are sufficiently powerful for many hours of the day to dispense warmth and nutrition, the progress of vegetation never is at a stand."
Microclimate
In December 1791, Lieutenant General Watkin Tench described the difference between the climate of Sydney CBD and inland areas such as Parramatta, which included the microclimate, the diurnal range, and as well as a record of snowflakes:
The different temperatures of Rose Hill and Sydney in winter, though only 12 miles (19.3 km) apart, afford, however, curious matter of speculation. Of a well attested instance of ice being seen at the latter place, I never heard. At the former place its production is common, and once a few flakes of snow fell. The difference can be accounted for only by supposing that the woods stop the warm vapours of the sea from reaching Rose Hill, which is at the distance of 16 miles (25.7 km) inland; whereas Sydney is but four. Again, the heats of summer are more violent at the former place than at the latter, and the variations incomparably quicker. The thermometer has been known to alter at Rose Hill, in the course of nine hours, more than 50 °F (28 °C); standing a little before sunrise at 50 °F (10 °C), and between one and two at more than 100 °F (38 °C).
 — Watkin Tench, A Complete Account of the Settlement at Port Jackson
Summer heat
In 1791–92, Tench described the summers as uncomfortably hot, where settlers felt "A temporary sickness at the stomach, accompanied with lassitude and headache". The heat was reported to be "occasioned by the wind blowing over immense deserts...in a north-west direction from Port Jackson". The heat attested in that summer was so intense that it killed bats and parrots in the area.
But even this heat was judged to be far exceeded in the latter end of the following February, when the north-west wind again set in, and blew with great violence for three days...Clouds, storms and sunshine pass in rapid succession. Of rain, we found in general not a sufficiency, but torrents of water sometimes fall. Thunder storms, in summer, are common and very tremendous, but they have ceased to alarm, from rarely causing mischief. Sometimes they happen in winter. I have often seen large hailstones fall. Frequent strong breezes from the westward purge the air. These are almost invariably attended with a hard clear sky. The easterly winds, by setting in from the sea, bring thick weather and rain, except in summer, when they become regular sea-breezes. The 'aurora australis' is sometimes seen, but is not distinguished by superior brilliancy.
 — Watkin Tench, A Complete Account of the Settlement at Port Jackson
In 1819, British explorer William Wentworth describes Sydney's climate as being pleasant, though he focuses particularly on the summer heat:
The climate of the colony, particularly in the inland districts, is highly salubrious, although the heats in summer are sometimes excessive, the thermometer frequently rising in the shade to 90 °F (32 °C), and even to a 100 °F (38 °C) and upwards of Fahrenheit – This, it must be admitted, is a degree of heat that would be highly oppressive to Europeans, were it not that the sea breeze sets in regularly about nine o'clock in the morning. If the summers are occasionally a little too hot for the European constitution, it will be remembered that the extreme heats which I have noticed as happening during the north-west winds, are of but short continuance; and that the sea and land breezes, which prevail at this season in an almost uninterrupted succession, moderate the temperature so effectually, that even new comers are but little incommoded by it. The hot season, however, which is undoubtedly the most unhealthy part of the year, does not, as will have been perceived, continue above four months. The remaining eight possess a temperature so highly moderate and congenial to the human constitution, that the climate of this colony would upon the whole, appear to justify the glowing enthusiasm of those who have ventured to call it the Montpellier of the world.

#### Seasons
Below, Wentworth describes Sydney's seasonal and annual weather patterns in analytical detail:

Summer
During these three months violent storms of thunder and lightning are very frequent, and the heavy falls of rain which take place on these occasions, tend considerably to refresh the country, of which the verdure in all but low moist situations entirely disappears. At this season the most unpleasant part of the day is the interval which elapses between the cessation of the land breeze and the setting in of the sea. This happens generally between six and eight o'clock in the morning, when the thermometer is upon an average at about 72 °F (22 °C). During this interval the sea is as smooth as glass, and not a zephyr is found to disport even among the topmost boughs of the loftiest trees.
Autumn
The weather in March is generally very unsettled. This month, in fact, may be considered the rainy season, and has been more fertile in floods than any other of the year. The thermometer varies during the day about 12 °C, being at day-light as low as from 55 to 60 °F (13 to 16 °C), and at noon as high as from 70 to 75 °F (21 to 24 °C). The sea and land breezes at this time become very feeble, although they occasionally prevail during the whole year. The usual winds from the end of March to the beginning of September, are from S. to S. W.
The weather in the commencement of April is frequently showery, but towards the middle it gradually becomes more settled, and towards the conclusion perfectly clear and serene. The thermometer at the beginning of the month varies from 72 to 74 °F (22 to 23 °C) at noon, and from the middle to the end gradually declines to 66 °F (19 °C) and sometimes to 60 °F (16 °C). In the mornings it is as low as 52 °F (11 °C), and fires become in consequence general throughout the colony.
The weather in the month of May is truly delightful. The atmosphere is perfectly cloudless, and the mornings and evenings become with the advance of the month more chilly, and render a good fire a highly comfortable and cheering guest. Even during the middle of the day the most violent exercise may be taken without inconvenience. The thermometer at sun-rise is under 50 °F (10 °C), and seldom above 60 °F (16 °C) at noon.
Winter
The three winter months are June, July, and August. During this interval the mornings and evenings are very chilly, and the nights excessively cold. Hoar frosts are frequent, and become more severe the further you advance into the interior. Ice 0.5 inches (1.3 cm) thick is found at the distance of 20 mi (32 km) from the coast. Very little rain falls at this season, but the dews are very heavy when it does not freeze, and tend considerably to preserve the young crops from the effects of drought. Fogs too are frequent and dense in low damp situations, and on the banks of the rivers. The mean temperature at day-light is from 40 to 45 °F (4 to 7 °C), and at noon from 55 to 60 °F (13 to 16 °C).
Spring
The spring months are September, October, and November. In the beginning of September the fogs still continue; the nights are cold, but the days clear and pleasant. Towards the close of this month the cold begins very sensibly to moderate. Light showers occasionally prevail, accompanied with thunder and lightning. The thermometer at the beginning of the month is seldom above 60 °F (16 °C) at noon, but towards the end frequently rises to 70 °F (21 °C)
In October there are also occasional showers, but the weather upon the whole is clear and pleasant. The days gradually become warmer, and the blighting north-west winds are to be apprehended. The sea and land breezes again resume their full sway. The thermometer at sun-rise varies from 60 to 65 °F (16 to 18 °C), and at noon is frequently up to 80 °F (27 °C).

In November the weather may be again called hot. Dry parching winds prevail as the month advances, and squalls of thunder and lightning with rain or hail. The thermometer at day-light is seldom under 65 °F (18 °C), and frequently at noon rises to 80 °F (27 °C), 84 °F (29 °C), and even 90 °F (32 °C).
 — William Wentworth, Statistical, Historical, and Political Description of NSW

## Climate data
[note a]
| Climate data for Sydney (Observatory Hill) 1991–2020 averages, 1861–present extremes | Climate data for Sydney (Observatory Hill) 1991–2020 averages, 1861–present extremes | Climate data for Sydney (Observatory Hill) 1991–2020 averages, 1861–present extremes | Climate data for Sydney (Observatory Hill) 1991–2020 averages, 1861–present extremes | Climate data for Sydney (Observatory Hill) 1991–2020 averages, 1861–present extremes | Climate data for Sydney (Observatory Hill) 1991–2020 averages, 1861–present extremes | Climate data for Sydney (Observatory Hill) 1991–2020 averages, 1861–present extremes | Climate data for Sydney (Observatory Hill) 1991–2020 averages, 1861–present extremes | Climate data for Sydney (Observatory Hill) 1991–2020 averages, 1861–present extremes | Climate data for Sydney (Observatory Hill) 1991–2020 averages, 1861–present extremes | Climate data for Sydney (Observatory Hill) 1991–2020 averages, 1861–present extremes | Climate data for Sydney (Observatory Hill) 1991–2020 averages, 1861–present extremes | Climate data for Sydney (Observatory Hill) 1991–2020 averages, 1861–present extremes | Climate data for Sydney (Observatory Hill) 1991–2020 averages, 1861–present extremes |
| Month                                                                                | Jan                                                                                | Feb                                                                                | Mar                                                                                | Apr                                                                                | May                                                                                | Jun                                                                                | Jul                                                                                | Aug                                                                                | Sep                                                                                | Oct                                                                                | Nov                                                                                | Dec                                                                                | Year                                                                                |
| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| Record high °C (°F)                                                                  | 45.8 (114.4)                                                                         | 42.1 (107.8)                                                                         | 39.8 (103.6)                                                                         | 35.4 (95.7)                                                                          | 30.0 (86.0)                                                                          | 26.9 (80.4)                                                                          | 26.5 (79.7)                                                                          | 31.3 (88.3)                                                                          | 34.6 (94.3)                                                                          | 38.2 (100.8)                                                                         | 41.8 (107.2)                                                                         | 42.2 (108.0)                                                                         | 45.8 (114.4)                                                                         |
| Mean maximum °C (°F)                                                                 | 36.8 (98.2)                                                                          | 34.1 (93.4)                                                                          | 32.2 (90.0)                                                                          | 29.7 (85.5)                                                                          | 26.2 (79.2)                                                                          | 22.3 (72.1)                                                                          | 22.9 (73.2)                                                                          | 25.4 (77.7)                                                                          | 29.9 (85.8)                                                                          | 33.6 (92.5)                                                                          | 34.1 (93.4)                                                                          | 34.4 (93.9)                                                                          | 38.8 (101.8)                                                                         |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F)                                                           | 27.0 (80.6)                                                                          | 26.8 (80.2)                                                                          | 25.7 (78.3)                                                                          | 23.6 (74.5)                                                                          | 20.9 (69.6)                                                                          | 18.3 (64.9)                                                                          | 17.9 (64.2)                                                                          | 19.3 (66.7)                                                                          | 21.6 (70.9)                                                                          | 23.2 (73.8)                                                                          | 24.2 (75.6)                                                                          | 25.7 (78.3)                                                                          | 22.8 (73.0)                                                                          |
| Daily mean °C (°F)                                                                   | 23.5 (74.3)                                                                          | 23.4 (74.1)                                                                          | 22.1 (71.8)                                                                          | 19.5 (67.1)                                                                          | 16.6 (61.9)                                                                          | 14.2 (57.6)                                                                          | 13.4 (56.1)                                                                          | 14.5 (58.1)                                                                          | 17.0 (62.6)                                                                          | 18.9 (66.0)                                                                          | 20.4 (68.7)                                                                          | 22.1 (71.8)                                                                          | 18.8 (65.8)                                                                          |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F)                                                           | 20.0 (68.0)                                                                          | 19.9 (67.8)                                                                          | 18.4 (65.1)                                                                          | 15.3 (59.5)                                                                          | 12.3 (54.1)                                                                          | 10.0 (50.0)                                                                          | 8.9 (48.0)                                                                           | 9.7 (49.5)                                                                           | 12.3 (54.1)                                                                          | 14.6 (58.3)                                                                          | 16.6 (61.9)                                                                          | 18.4 (65.1)                                                                          | 14.7 (58.5)                                                                          |
| Mean minimum °C (°F)                                                                 | 16.1 (61.0)                                                                          | 16.1 (61.0)                                                                          | 14.2 (57.6)                                                                          | 11.0 (51.8)                                                                          | 8.3 (46.9)                                                                           | 6.5 (43.7)                                                                           | 5.7 (42.3)                                                                           | 6.1 (43.0)                                                                           | 8.0 (46.4)                                                                           | 9.8 (49.6)                                                                           | 12.0 (53.6)                                                                          | 13.9 (57.0)                                                                          | 5.3 (41.5)                                                                           |
| Record low °C (°F)                                                                   | 10.6 (51.1)                                                                          | 9.6 (49.3)                                                                           | 9.3 (48.7)                                                                           | 7.0 (44.6)                                                                           | 4.4 (39.9)                                                                           | 2.1 (35.8)                                                                           | 2.2 (36.0)                                                                           | 2.7 (36.9)                                                                           | 4.9 (40.8)                                                                           | 5.7 (42.3)                                                                           | 7.7 (45.9)                                                                           | 9.1 (48.4)                                                                           | 2.1 (35.8)                                                                           |
| Average rainfall mm (inches)                                                         | 91.1 (3.59)                                                                          | 131.5 (5.18)                                                                         | 117.5 (4.63)                                                                         | 114.1 (4.49)                                                                         | 100.8 (3.97)                                                                         | 142.0 (5.59)                                                                         | 80.3 (3.16)                                                                          | 75.1 (2.96)                                                                          | 63.4 (2.50)                                                                          | 67.7 (2.67)                                                                          | 90.6 (3.57)                                                                          | 73.0 (2.87)                                                                          | 1,149.7 (45.26)                                                                      |
| Average rainy days (≥ 1 mm)                                                          | 8.2                                                                                | 9.0                                                                                | 10.1                                                                                | 7.9                                                                                | 7.9                                                                                | 9.3                                                                                | 7.2                                                                                | 5.6                                                                                | 5.8                                                                                | 7.6                                                                                | 8.7                                                                                | 7.9                                                                                | 95.2                                                                                |
| Average afternoon relative humidity (%)                                              | 60                                                                                | 62                                                                                | 59                                                                                | 58                                                                                | 58                                                                                | 56                                                                                | 52                                                                                | 47                                                                                | 49                                                                                | 53                                                                                | 57                                                                                | 58                                                                                | 56                                                                                |
| Average dew point °C (°F)                                                            | 16.5 (61.7)                                                                          | 17.2 (63.0)                                                                          | 15.4 (59.7)                                                                          | 12.7 (54.9)                                                                          | 10.3 (50.5)                                                                          | 7.8 (46.0)                                                                           | 6.1 (43.0)                                                                           | 5.4 (41.7)                                                                           | 7.8 (46.0)                                                                           | 10.2 (50.4)                                                                          | 12.6 (54.7)                                                                          | 14.6 (58.3)                                                                          | 11.4 (52.5)                                                                          |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours                                                          | 232.5                                                                                | 205.9                                                                                | 210.8                                                                                | 213.0                                                                                | 204.6                                                                                | 171.0                                                                                | 207.7                                                                                | 248.0                                                                                | 243.0                                                                                | 244.9                                                                                | 222.0                                                                                | 235.6                                                                                | 2,639                                                                                |
| Percentage possible sunshine                                                         | 53                                                                                | 54                                                                                | 55                                                                                | 63                                                                                | 63                                                                                | 57                                                                                | 66                                                                                | 72                                                                                | 67                                                                                | 61                                                                                | 55                                                                                | 55                                                                                | 60                                                                                |
| Source 1: Bureau of Meteorology                                                      |                                                                                |                                                                                |                                                                                |                                                                                |                                                                                |                                                                                |                                                                                |                                                                                |                                                                                |                                                                                |                                                                                |                                                                                |                                                                                |
| Source 2: Bureau of Meteorology, Sydney Airport (sunshine hours)                     |                                                                                |                                                                                |                                                                                |                                                                                |                                                                                |                                                                                |                                                                                |                                                                                |                                                                                |                                                                                |                                                                                |                                                                                |                                                                                |

| Climate data for Sydney Airport (Southeastern Sydney, St George, parts of Southern Sydney, and southern City of Sydney) | Climate data for Sydney Airport (Southeastern Sydney, St George, parts of Southern Sydney, and southern City of Sydney) | Climate data for Sydney Airport (Southeastern Sydney, St George, parts of Southern Sydney, and southern City of Sydney) | Climate data for Sydney Airport (Southeastern Sydney, St George, parts of Southern Sydney, and southern City of Sydney) | Climate data for Sydney Airport (Southeastern Sydney, St George, parts of Southern Sydney, and southern City of Sydney) | Climate data for Sydney Airport (Southeastern Sydney, St George, parts of Southern Sydney, and southern City of Sydney) | Climate data for Sydney Airport (Southeastern Sydney, St George, parts of Southern Sydney, and southern City of Sydney) | Climate data for Sydney Airport (Southeastern Sydney, St George, parts of Southern Sydney, and southern City of Sydney) | Climate data for Sydney Airport (Southeastern Sydney, St George, parts of Southern Sydney, and southern City of Sydney) | Climate data for Sydney Airport (Southeastern Sydney, St George, parts of Southern Sydney, and southern City of Sydney) | Climate data for Sydney Airport (Southeastern Sydney, St George, parts of Southern Sydney, and southern City of Sydney) | Climate data for Sydney Airport (Southeastern Sydney, St George, parts of Southern Sydney, and southern City of Sydney) | Climate data for Sydney Airport (Southeastern Sydney, St George, parts of Southern Sydney, and southern City of Sydney) | Climate data for Sydney Airport (Southeastern Sydney, St George, parts of Southern Sydney, and southern City of Sydney) |
| Month                                                                                | Jan                                                                                | Feb                                                                                | Mar                                                                                | Apr                                                                                | May                                                                                | Jun                                                                                | Jul                                                                                | Aug                                                                                | Sep                                                                                | Oct                                                                                | Nov                                                                                | Dec                                                                                | Year                                                                                |
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Record high °C (°F)                                                                                | 46.4 (115.5)                                                                                | 42.9 (109.2)                                                                                | 41.2 (106.2)                                                                                | 36.8 (98.2)                                                                                | 30.0 (86.0)                                                                                | 26.8 (80.2)                                                                                | 27.0 (80.6)                                                                                | 31.6 (88.9)                                                                                | 35.9 (96.6)                                                                                | 39.1 (102.4)                                                                                | 43.4 (110.1)                                                                                | 43.5 (110.3)                                                                                | 46.4 (115.5)                                                                                |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F)                                                                                | 27.7 (81.9)                                                                                | 27.1 (80.8)                                                                                | 25.8 (78.4)                                                                                | 23.3 (73.9)                                                                                | 20.6 (69.1)                                                                                | 18.1 (64.6)                                                                                | 17.7 (63.9)                                                                                | 19.1 (66.4)                                                                                | 21.6 (70.9)                                                                                | 23.6 (74.5)                                                                                | 24.6 (76.3)                                                                                | 26.4 (79.5)                                                                                | 23.0 (73.4)                                                                                |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F)                                                                                | 20.0 (68.0)                                                                                | 20.0 (68.0)                                                                                | 18.5 (65.3)                                                                                | 15.2 (59.4)                                                                                | 12.1 (53.8)                                                                                | 9.8 (49.6)                                                                                | 8.5 (47.3)                                                                                | 9.3 (48.7)                                                                                | 11.9 (53.4)                                                                                | 14.4 (57.9)                                                                                | 16.5 (61.7)                                                                                | 18.4 (65.1)                                                                                | 14.5 (58.1)                                                                                |
| Record low °C (°F)                                                                                | 9.7 (49.5)                                                                                | 11.2 (52.2)                                                                                | 7.4 (45.3)                                                                                | 6.1 (43.0)                                                                                | 3.0 (37.4)                                                                                | 1.0 (33.8)                                                                                | −0.1 (31.8)                                                                                | 1.2 (34.2)                                                                                | 2.3 (36.1)                                                                                | 4.8 (40.6)                                                                                | 5.9 (42.6)                                                                                | 8.2 (46.8)                                                                                | −0.1 (31.8)                                                                                |
| Average rainfall mm (inches)                                                                                | 80.7 (3.18)                                                                                | 117.2 (4.61)                                                                                | 96.3 (3.79)                                                                                | 98.2 (3.87)                                                                                | 89.3 (3.52)                                                                                | 125.9 (4.96)                                                                                | 69.5 (2.74)                                                                                | 63.3 (2.49)                                                                                | 59.0 (2.32)                                                                                | 55.5 (2.19)                                                                                | 72.3 (2.85)                                                                                | 67.1 (2.64)                                                                                | 996.2 (39.22)                                                                                |
| Average rainy days (≥ 1 mm)                                                                                | 7.8                                                                                | 8.6                                                                                | 9.4                                                                                | 8.2                                                                                | 7.6                                                                                | 8.9                                                                                | 7.0                                                                                | 5.4                                                                                | 6.3                                                                                | 7.4                                                                                | 8.6                                                                                | 7.9                                                                                | 93.1                                                                                |
| Average afternoon relative humidity (%)                                                                                | 59                                                                                | 62                                                                                | 60                                                                                | 58                                                                                | 59                                                                                | 58                                                                                | 53                                                                                | 46                                                                                | 49                                                                                | 52                                                                                | 56                                                                                | 57                                                                                | 56                                                                                |
| Average dew point °C (°F)                                                                                | 16.2 (61.2)                                                                                | 16.8 (62.2)                                                                                | 15.5 (59.9)                                                                                | 12.7 (54.9)                                                                                | 9.9 (49.8)                                                                                | 7.6 (45.7)                                                                                | 5.6 (42.1)                                                                                | 5.5 (41.9)                                                                                | 7.7 (45.9)                                                                                | 9.9 (49.8)                                                                                | 12.3 (54.1)                                                                                | 14.3 (57.7)                                                                                | 11.2 (52.2)                                                                                |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours                                                                                | 232.5                                                                                | 205.9                                                                                | 210.8                                                                                | 213.0                                                                                | 204.6                                                                                | 171.0                                                                                | 207.7                                                                                | 248.0                                                                                | 243.0                                                                                | 244.9                                                                                | 222.0                                                                                | 235.6                                                                                | 2,639                                                                                |
| Source: Bureau of Meteorology (1991-2020 averages, records 1939-)                                                       |                                                                                |                                                                                |                                                                                |                                                                                |                                                                                |                                                                                |                                                                                |                                                                                |                                                                                |                                                                                |                                                                                |                                                                                |                                                                                |

| Climate data for Parramatta (Western Sydney) | Climate data for Parramatta (Western Sydney) | Climate data for Parramatta (Western Sydney) | Climate data for Parramatta (Western Sydney) | Climate data for Parramatta (Western Sydney) | Climate data for Parramatta (Western Sydney) | Climate data for Parramatta (Western Sydney) | Climate data for Parramatta (Western Sydney) | Climate data for Parramatta (Western Sydney) | Climate data for Parramatta (Western Sydney) | Climate data for Parramatta (Western Sydney) | Climate data for Parramatta (Western Sydney) | Climate data for Parramatta (Western Sydney) | Climate data for Parramatta (Western Sydney) |
| Month                                        | Jan                                          | Feb                                          | Mar                                          | Apr                                          | May                                          | Jun                                          | Jul                                          | Aug                                          | Sep                                          | Oct                                          | Nov                                          | Dec                                          | Year                                         |
| -------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------- |
| Record high °C (°F)                          | 47.0 (116.6)                                 | 44.5 (112.1)                                 | 40.5 (104.9)                                 | 37.0 (98.6)                                  | 29.2 (84.6)                                  | 25.5 (77.9)                                  | 26.8 (80.2)                                  | 30.6 (87.1)                                  | 36.5 (97.7)                                  | 40.1 (104.2)                                 | 42.7 (108.9)                                 | 44.0 (111.2)                                 | 47.0 (116.6)                                 |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F)                   | 28.6 (83.5)                                  | 27.9 (82.2)                                  | 26.3 (79.3)                                  | 23.8 (74.8)                                  | 20.6 (69.1)                                  | 17.8 (64.0)                                  | 17.4 (63.3)                                  | 19.1 (66.4)                                  | 21.7 (71.1)                                  | 24.0 (75.2)                                  | 25.4 (77.7)                                  | 27.5 (81.5)                                  | 23.3 (73.9)                                  |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F)                   | 17.6 (63.7)                                  | 17.6 (63.7)                                  | 15.9 (60.6)                                  | 12.8 (55.0)                                  | 9.9 (49.8)                                   | 7.5 (45.5)                                   | 6.3 (43.3)                                   | 7.1 (44.8)                                   | 9.4 (48.9)                                   | 12.0 (53.6)                                  | 14.1 (57.4)                                  | 16.3 (61.3)                                  | 12.2 (54.0)                                  |
| Record low °C (°F)                           | 10.1 (50.2)                                  | 9.2 (48.6)                                   | 6.8 (44.2)                                   | 4.0 (39.2)                                   | 1.4 (34.5)                                   | 0.8 (33.4)                                   | −1.0 (30.2)                                  | 0.7 (33.3)                                   | 0.7 (33.3)                                   | 3.6 (38.5)                                   | 4.0 (39.2)                                   | 7.7 (45.9)                                   | −1.0 (30.2)                                  |
| Average rainfall mm (inches)                 | 100.7 (3.96)                                 | 124.8 (4.91)                                 | 109.3 (4.30)                                 | 88.5 (3.48)                                  | 70.5 (2.78)                                  | 87.1 (3.43)                                  | 45.6 (1.80)                                  | 56.1 (2.21)                                  | 52.8 (2.08)                                  | 68.1 (2.68)                                  | 87.0 (3.43)                                  | 70.2 (2.76)                                  | 958.6 (37.74)                                |
| Average rainy days (≥ 1 mm)                  | 9.0                                          | 9.3                                          | 10.1                                         | 7.1                                          | 6.9                                          | 7.5                                          | 5.6                                          | 5.2                                          | 5.8                                          | 7.5                                          | 8.7                                          | 7.7                                          | 90.4                                         |
| Average afternoon relative humidity (%)      | 57                                           | 59                                           | 59                                           | 58                                           | 60                                           | 59                                           | 55                                           | 46                                           | 46                                           | 49                                           | 54                                           | 55                                           | 55                                           |
| Average dew point °C (°F)                    | 16.7 (62.1)                                  | 17.2 (63.0)                                  | 15.6 (60.1)                                  | 12.5 (54.5)                                  | 10.6 (51.1)                                  | 8.3 (46.9)                                   | 6.7 (44.1)                                   | 5.5 (41.9)                                   | 7.4 (45.3)                                   | 10.0 (50.0)                                  | 12.8 (55.0)                                  | 14.9 (58.8)                                  | 11.5 (52.7)                                  |
| Source 1: Bureau of Meteorology              |                                              |                                              |                                              |                                              |                                              |                                              |                                              |                                              |                                              |                                              |                                              |                                              |                                              |
| Source 2:                                    |                                              |                                              |                                              |                                              |                                              |                                              |                                              |                                              |                                              |                                              |                                              |                                              |                                              |

| Climate data for Bankstown Airport (South Western Sydney) | Climate data for Bankstown Airport (South Western Sydney) | Climate data for Bankstown Airport (South Western Sydney) | Climate data for Bankstown Airport (South Western Sydney) | Climate data for Bankstown Airport (South Western Sydney) | Climate data for Bankstown Airport (South Western Sydney) | Climate data for Bankstown Airport (South Western Sydney) | Climate data for Bankstown Airport (South Western Sydney) | Climate data for Bankstown Airport (South Western Sydney) | Climate data for Bankstown Airport (South Western Sydney) | Climate data for Bankstown Airport (South Western Sydney) | Climate data for Bankstown Airport (South Western Sydney) | Climate data for Bankstown Airport (South Western Sydney) | Climate data for Bankstown Airport (South Western Sydney) |
| Month                                                     | Jan                                                       | Feb                                                       | Mar                                                       | Apr                                                       | May                                                       | Jun                                                       | Jul                                                       | Aug                                                       | Sep                                                       | Oct                                                       | Nov                                                       | Dec                                                       | Year                                                      |
| --------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------- |
| Record high °C (°F)                                       | 47.0 (116.6)                                              | 45.3 (113.5)                                              | 41.3 (106.3)                                              | 36.9 (98.4)                                               | 28.8 (83.8)                                               | 25.4 (77.7)                                               | 26.8 (80.2)                                               | 30.5 (86.9)                                               | 35.6 (96.1)                                               | 39.7 (103.5)                                              | 43.1 (109.6)                                              | 44.9 (112.8)                                              | 47.0 (116.6)                                              |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F)                                | 29.0 (84.2)                                               | 28.2 (82.8)                                               | 26.5 (79.7)                                               | 24.0 (75.2)                                               | 20.8 (69.4)                                               | 18.0 (64.4)                                               | 17.6 (63.7)                                               | 19.3 (66.7)                                               | 22.2 (72.0)                                               | 24.4 (75.9)                                               | 25.8 (78.4)                                               | 27.6 (81.7)                                               | 23.6 (74.5)                                               |
| Daily mean °C (°F)                                        | 23.8 (74.8)                                               | 23.3 (73.9)                                               | 21.5 (70.7)                                               | 18.4 (65.1)                                               | 15.1 (59.2)                                               | 12.5 (54.5)                                               | 11.5 (52.7)                                               | 12.7 (54.9)                                               | 15.6 (60.1)                                               | 18.2 (64.8)                                               | 20.3 (68.5)                                               | 22.2 (72.0)                                               | 17.9 (64.3)                                               |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F)                                | 18.5 (65.3)                                               | 18.3 (64.9)                                               | 16.4 (61.5)                                               | 12.8 (55.0)                                               | 9.3 (48.7)                                                | 6.9 (44.4)                                                | 5.4 (41.7)                                                | 6.0 (42.8)                                                | 8.9 (48.0)                                                | 12.0 (53.6)                                               | 14.7 (58.5)                                               | 16.8 (62.2)                                               | 12.2 (53.9)                                               |
| Record low °C (°F)                                        | 10.4 (50.7)                                               | 10.0 (50.0)                                               | 7.8 (46.0)                                                | 2.4 (36.3)                                                | 0.7 (33.3)                                                | −1.9 (28.6)                                               | −4.0 (24.8)                                               | −0.7 (30.7)                                               | 0.0 (32.0)                                                | 4.8 (40.6)                                                | 6.8 (44.2)                                                | 6.3 (43.3)                                                | −4.0 (24.8)                                               |
| Average precipitation mm (inches)                         | 87.3 (3.44)                                               | 107.3 (4.22)                                              | 81.7 (3.22)                                               | 67.1 (2.64)                                               | 55.1 (2.17)                                               | 83.0 (3.27)                                               | 44.5 (1.75)                                               | 42.7 (1.68)                                               | 44.2 (1.74)                                               | 53.2 (2.09)                                               | 67.8 (2.67)                                               | 66.6 (2.62)                                               | 800.5 (31.51)                                             |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm)                     | 7.6                                                       | 7.4                                                       | 8.3                                                       | 6.2                                                       | 5.8                                                       | 6.8                                                       | 5.4                                                       | 3.9                                                       | 5.0                                                       | 6.0                                                       | 7.4                                                       | 7.5                                                       | 77.3                                                      |
| Average relative humidity (%)                             | 62.5                                                      | 67.0                                                      | 66.5                                                      | 63.5                                                      | 66.5                                                      | 67.5                                                      | 65.0                                                      | 55.5                                                      | 53.5                                                      | 54.5                                                      | 60.0                                                      | 60.0                                                      | 61.8                                                      |
| Average dew point °C (°F)                                 | 16.3 (61.3)                                               | 17.1 (62.8)                                               | 15.2 (59.4)                                               | 12.1 (53.8)                                               | 9.7 (49.5)                                                | 7.5 (45.5)                                                | 6.0 (42.8)                                                | 5.2 (41.4)                                                | 7.4 (45.3)                                                | 9.7 (49.5)                                                | 12.4 (54.3)                                               | 14.4 (57.9)                                               | 11.1 (52.0)                                               |
| Source: Bureau of Meteorology                             |                                                           |                                                           |                                                           |                                                           |                                                           |                                                           |                                                           |                                                           |                                                           |                                                           |                                                           |                                                           |                                                           |

| Climate data for Penrith (Outer Western Sydney) | Climate data for Penrith (Outer Western Sydney) | Climate data for Penrith (Outer Western Sydney) | Climate data for Penrith (Outer Western Sydney) | Climate data for Penrith (Outer Western Sydney) | Climate data for Penrith (Outer Western Sydney) | Climate data for Penrith (Outer Western Sydney) | Climate data for Penrith (Outer Western Sydney) | Climate data for Penrith (Outer Western Sydney) | Climate data for Penrith (Outer Western Sydney) | Climate data for Penrith (Outer Western Sydney) | Climate data for Penrith (Outer Western Sydney) | Climate data for Penrith (Outer Western Sydney) | Climate data for Penrith (Outer Western Sydney) |
| Month                                           | Jan                                             | Feb                                             | Mar                                             | Apr                                             | May                                             | Jun                                             | Jul                                             | Aug                                             | Sep                                             | Oct                                             | Nov                                             | Dec                                             | Year                                            |
| ----------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------- |
| Record high °C (°F)                             | 48.9 (120.0)                                    | 46.9 (116.4)                                    | 40.6 (105.1)                                    | 36.6 (97.9)                                     | 29.4 (84.9)                                     | 26.0 (78.8)                                     | 28.2 (82.8)                                     | 30.3 (86.5)                                     | 37.3 (99.1)                                     | 38.9 (102.0)                                    | 44.9 (112.8)                                    | 46.3 (115.3)                                    | 48.9 (120.0)                                    |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F)                      | 30.8 (87.4)                                     | 29.3 (84.7)                                     | 27.5 (81.5)                                     | 24.4 (75.9)                                     | 21.0 (69.8)                                     | 18.1 (64.6)                                     | 17.7 (63.9)                                     | 19.9 (67.8)                                     | 23.3 (73.9)                                     | 25.9 (78.6)                                     | 27.3 (81.1)                                     | 29.2 (84.6)                                     | 24.5 (76.1)                                     |
| Daily mean °C (°F)                              | 24.8 (76.6)                                     | 23.9 (75.0)                                     | 22.1 (71.8)                                     | 18.8 (65.8)                                     | 15.2 (59.4)                                     | 12.5 (54.5)                                     | 11.6 (52.9)                                     | 13.1 (55.6)                                     | 16.4 (61.5)                                     | 19.0 (66.2)                                     | 21.2 (70.2)                                     | 23.1 (73.6)                                     | 18.4 (65.1)                                     |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F)                      | 18.5 (65.3)                                     | 18.5 (65.3)                                     | 16.6 (61.9)                                     | 13.1 (55.6)                                     | 9.3 (48.7)                                      | 6.9 (44.4)                                      | 5.4 (41.7)                                      | 6.2 (43.2)                                      | 9.4 (48.9)                                      | 12.1 (53.8)                                     | 15.0 (59.0)                                     | 16.9 (62.4)                                     | 12.3 (54.1)                                     |
| Record low °C (°F)                              | 10.6 (51.1)                                     | 11.6 (52.9)                                     | 8.3 (46.9)                                      | 3.6 (38.5)                                      | 0.6 (33.1)                                      | −1.1 (30.0)                                     | −1.8 (28.8)                                     | −0.5 (31.1)                                     | 2.2 (36.0)                                      | 5.0 (41.0)                                      | 6.8 (44.2)                                      | 9.8 (49.6)                                      | −1.8 (28.8)                                     |
| Average precipitation mm (inches)               | 90.4 (3.56)                                     | 131.6 (5.18)                                    | 73.1 (2.88)                                     | 42.2 (1.66)                                     | 40.0 (1.57)                                     | 51.6 (2.03)                                     | 29.6 (1.17)                                     | 30.1 (1.19)                                     | 31.9 (1.26)                                     | 54.5 (2.15)                                     | 82.9 (3.26)                                     | 60.1 (2.37)                                     | 719.2 (28.31)                                   |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 1 mm)             | 7.7                                             | 8.3                                             | 8.8                                             | 5.6                                             | 4.3                                             | 5.6                                             | 4.2                                             | 3.3                                             | 4.6                                             | 5.6                                             | 8.0                                             | 7.4                                             | 73.4                                            |
| Average afternoon relative humidity (%)         | 47                                              | 53                                              | 52                                              | 49                                              | 52                                              | 55                                              | 50                                              | 41                                              | 40                                              | 41                                              | 46                                              | 45                                              | 48                                              |
| Average dew point °C (°F)                       | 14.7 (58.5)                                     | 16.2 (61.2)                                     | 14.4 (57.9)                                     | 10.8 (51.4)                                     | 8.9 (48.0)                                      | 7.2 (45.0)                                      | 5.2 (41.4)                                      | 3.9 (39.0)                                      | 6.2 (43.2)                                      | 7.5 (45.5)                                      | 10.8 (51.4)                                     | 12.6 (54.7)                                     | 9.9 (49.8)                                      |
| Source:                                         |                                                 |                                                 |                                                 |                                                 |                                                 |                                                 |                                                 |                                                 |                                                 |                                                 |                                                 |                                                 |                                                 |

| Climate data for Camden Airport AWS (MacArthur) | Climate data for Camden Airport AWS (MacArthur) | Climate data for Camden Airport AWS (MacArthur) | Climate data for Camden Airport AWS (MacArthur) | Climate data for Camden Airport AWS (MacArthur) | Climate data for Camden Airport AWS (MacArthur) | Climate data for Camden Airport AWS (MacArthur) | Climate data for Camden Airport AWS (MacArthur) | Climate data for Camden Airport AWS (MacArthur) | Climate data for Camden Airport AWS (MacArthur) | Climate data for Camden Airport AWS (MacArthur) | Climate data for Camden Airport AWS (MacArthur) | Climate data for Camden Airport AWS (MacArthur) | Climate data for Camden Airport AWS (MacArthur) |
| Month                                           | Jan                                             | Feb                                             | Mar                                             | Apr                                             | May                                             | Jun                                             | Jul                                             | Aug                                             | Sep                                             | Oct                                             | Nov                                             | Dec                                             | Year                                            |
| ----------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------- |
| Record high °C (°F)                             | 46.4 (115.5)                                    | 45.6 (114.1)                                    | 41.0 (105.8)                                    | 38.5 (101.3)                                    | 29.5 (85.1)                                     | 24.9 (76.8)                                     | 27.0 (80.6)                                     | 30.2 (86.4)                                     | 36.5 (97.7)                                     | 40.5 (104.9)                                    | 42.6 (108.7)                                    | 44.0 (111.2)                                    | 46.4 (115.5)                                    |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F)                      | 29.5 (85.1)                                     | 28.6 (83.5)                                     | 26.8 (80.2)                                     | 23.8 (74.8)                                     | 20.6 (69.1)                                     | 17.7 (63.9)                                     | 17.3 (63.1)                                     | 19.0 (66.2)                                     | 21.9 (71.4)                                     | 24.3 (75.7)                                     | 26.3 (79.3)                                     | 28.5 (83.3)                                     | 23.7 (74.7)                                     |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F)                      | 16.8 (62.2)                                     | 16.8 (62.2)                                     | 14.9 (58.8)                                     | 11.1 (52.0)                                     | 7.1 (44.8)                                      | 4.6 (40.3)                                      | 3.0 (37.4)                                      | 3.9 (39.0)                                      | 6.8 (44.2)                                      | 9.9 (49.8)                                      | 13.0 (55.4)                                     | 15.2 (59.4)                                     | 10.2 (50.4)                                     |
| Record low °C (°F)                              | 7.9 (46.2)                                      | 7.2 (45.0)                                      | 5.9 (42.6)                                      | −0.7 (30.7)                                     | −2.2 (28.0)                                     | −5.4 (22.3)                                     | −6.0 (21.2)                                     | −4.0 (24.8)                                     | −1.8 (28.8)                                     | 1.3 (34.3)                                      | 3.8 (38.8)                                      | 5.7 (42.3)                                      | −6.0 (21.2)                                     |
| Average precipitation mm (inches)               | 84.1 (3.31)                                     | 96.9 (3.81)                                     | 89.3 (3.52)                                     | 68.5 (2.70)                                     | 53.5 (2.11)                                     | 67.0 (2.64)                                     | 37.6 (1.48)                                     | 46.0 (1.81)                                     | 39.6 (1.56)                                     | 61.2 (2.41)                                     | 75.8 (2.98)                                     | 56.8 (2.24)                                     | 777.3 (30.60)                                   |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 1 mm)             | 5.0                                             | 5.1                                             | 5.1                                             | 4.1                                             | 3.6                                             | 3.6                                             | 3.0                                             | 2.9                                             | 3.2                                             | 4.4                                             | 4.9                                             | 4.4                                             | 49.3                                            |
| Average afternoon relative humidity (%)         | 49                                              | 52                                              | 52                                              | 52                                              | 52                                              | 53                                              | 50                                              | 43                                              | 44                                              | 47                                              | 50                                              | 46                                              | 49                                              |
| Average dew point °C (°F)                       | 14.7 (58.5)                                     | 15.1 (59.2)                                     | 13.8 (56.8)                                     | 11.0 (51.8)                                     | 8.5 (47.3)                                      | 6.2 (43.2)                                      | 4.7 (40.5)                                      | 4.0 (39.2)                                      | 6.2 (43.2)                                      | 8.8 (47.8)                                      | 11.6 (52.9)                                     | 12.5 (54.5)                                     | 9.8 (49.6)                                      |
| Source:                                         |                                                 |                                                 |                                                 |                                                 |                                                 |                                                 |                                                 |                                                 |                                                 |                                                 |                                                 |                                                 |                                                 |

^[note a] : The Observatory Hill weather station covers the climate for Sydney CBD, the City of Sydney's northern portion and as well as the harbourside eastern suburbs and the Lower North Shore suburbs which lie on Port Jackson. The suburbs in the southern parts of the City of Sydney or the Inner City region are more adjacent to Sydney Airport's climate station.
| Climate data for Sydney CBD (miscellaneous data) | Climate data for Sydney CBD (miscellaneous data) | Climate data for Sydney CBD (miscellaneous data) | Climate data for Sydney CBD (miscellaneous data) | Climate data for Sydney CBD (miscellaneous data) | Climate data for Sydney CBD (miscellaneous data) | Climate data for Sydney CBD (miscellaneous data) | Climate data for Sydney CBD (miscellaneous data) | Climate data for Sydney CBD (miscellaneous data) | Climate data for Sydney CBD (miscellaneous data) | Climate data for Sydney CBD (miscellaneous data) | Climate data for Sydney CBD (miscellaneous data) | Climate data for Sydney CBD (miscellaneous data) | Climate data for Sydney CBD (miscellaneous data) |
| Month                                            | Jan                                              | Feb                                              | Mar                                              | Apr                                              | May                                              | Jun                                              | Jul                                              | Aug                                              | Sep                                              | Oct                                              | Nov                                              | Dec                                              | Year                                             |
| ------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------ |
| Average dew point °C (°F)                        | 16.5 (61.7)                                      | 17.2 (63.0)                                      | 15.4 (59.7)                                      | 12.7 (54.9)                                      | 10.3 (50.5)                                      | 7.8 (46.0)                                       | 6.1 (43.0)                                       | 5.4 (41.7)                                       | 7.8 (46.0)                                       | 10.2 (50.4)                                      | 12.6 (54.7)                                      | 14.6 (58.3)                                      | 11.4 (52.5)                                      |
| Mean daily sunshine hours                        | 7.5                                              | 7.1                                              | 6.8                                              | 7.1                                              | 6.6                                              | 5.7                                              | 6.7                                              | 8.0                                              | 8.1                                              | 7.9                                              | 7.5                                              | 7.6                                              | 7.2                                              |
| Mean daily daylight hours                        | 13.5                                             | 13.4                                             | 12.4                                             | 11.3                                             | 10.4                                             | 10.0                                             | 10.1                                             | 10.9                                             | 11.9                                             | 13.0                                             | 13.9                                             | 14.4                                             | 12.1                                             |
| Percentage possible sunshine                     | 53                                               | 54                                               | 56                                               | 61                                               | 59                                               | 60                                               | 65                                               | 72                                               | 66                                               | 61                                               | 55                                               | 55                                               | 60                                               |
| Average ultraviolet index                        | 12                                               | 11                                               | 8                                                | 5                                                | 3                                                | 2                                                | 2                                                | 3                                                | 5                                                | 8                                                | 10                                               | 11                                               | 7                                                |
| Source 1: Bureau of Meteorology                  |                                                  |                                                  |                                                  |                                                  |                                                  |                                                  |                                                  |                                                  |                                                  |                                                  |                                                  |                                                  |                                                  |
| Source 2: Bureau of Meteorology (UV index)       |                                                  |                                                  |                                                  |                                                  |                                                  |                                                  |                                                  |                                                  |                                                  |                                                  |                                                  |                                                  |                                                  |

| Sea temperature                 | Sea temperature | Sea temperature | Sea temperature | Sea temperature | Sea temperature | Sea temperature | Sea temperature | Sea temperature | Sea temperature | Sea temperature | Sea temperature | Sea temperature | Sea temperature |
| Month                           | January         | February        | March           | April           | May             | June            | July            | August          | September       | October         | November        | December        | Year            |
| ------------------------------- | --------------- | --------------- | --------------- | --------------- | --------------- | --------------- | --------------- | --------------- | --------------- | --------------- | --------------- | --------------- | --------------- |
| Average sea temperature °C (°F) | 23.3 (73.9)     | 23.7 (74.7)     | 23.4 (74.1)     | 22.7 (72.8)     | 20.7 (69.3)     | 19.3 (66.8)     | 19.1 (66.4)     | 18.8 (65.8)     | 18.5 (65.3)     | 19.2 (66.5)     | 20.6 (69.0)     | 21.9 (71.4)     | 20.9 (69.6)     |
| Source: Metoc (sea temperature) |                 |                 |                 |                 |                 |                 |                 |                 |                 |                 |                 |                 |                 |

### Classifications
| Climatic scheme     | Initials | Description                  |
| ------------------- | -------- | ---------------------------- |
| Köppen system       | Cfa      | Humid subtropical climate    |
| Trewartha system    | Cf       | Subtropical humid climate    |
| Alisov system       | —        | Subtropical oceanic climate  |
| Strahler system     | —        | Moist subtropical climate    |
| Thornthwaite system | B1 B'2   | Humid and mesothermal        |
| Neef system         | —        | Humid climate of trade winds |

title: Climate of Sydney

wikitext:
{{Short description|none}}
<!-- "none" is preferred when the title is sufficiently descriptive; see [[WP:SDNONE]] -->
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}}
{{Use Australian English|date=February 2012}}
[[File:Sydney Storm - panoramio.jpg|thumb|A thunderstorm in [[Sydney]]]]
The '''climate of [[Sydney]]''', Australia is [[humid subtropical]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]]: ''Cfa''),<ref name="sydneycfa">{{cite web | title= Modelling and simulation of seasonal rainfall | publisher= Centre for Computer Assisted Research Mathematics and its Applications (CARMA) | quote= Brisbane and Sydney each have a humid sub-tropical or temperate climate with no pronounced dry season...the classification is Cfa | date= 20 May 2014 | url= https://www.carma.newcastle.edu.au/jon/matcom.pdf | access-date= 25 February 2016 | archive-date= 13 March 2019 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190313193032/https://www.carma.newcastle.edu.au/jon/matcom.pdf | url-status= dead }}</ref> shifting from mild<ref name=bom2>{{cite web |url=http://www.bom.gov.au/water/nwa/2017/sydney/climateandwater/climateandwater.shtml |title=Sydney: Climate and water |publisher=[[Bureau of Meteorology]] | quote= The Sydney region has a temperate climate with warm summers (December–February) and mild winters (June–August).|date = April 2017|access-date=20 April 2024}}</ref><ref name=met>{{cite web |url=https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/travel/holiday-weather/australasia/australia/sydney |title=Sydney holiday weather |publisher=[[Met Office]] | quote= Sydney's winter weather is generally mild. |access-date=29 August 2023 |archive-date=29 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230829114341/https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/travel/holiday-weather/australasia/australia/sydney |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.australia.com/en/facts-and-planning/weather-in-australia/sydney-weather.html |title=WEATHER IN SYDNEY |website=Australia.com |date=23 May 2023 |publisher=[[Tourism Australia]] | quote= Sydney enjoys a sunny climate with mild winters...|access-date=29 August 2023 |archive-date=29 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230829114342/https://www.australia.com/en/facts-and-planning/weather-in-australia/sydney-weather.html |url-status=live }}</ref> and cool<ref name=olympic>{{cite web |title=Climate and the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games |work=Australian Government |publisher=Australian Bureau of Statistics |date=24 September 2007 |url=http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Previousproducts/1301.0Feature%20Article32000?opendocument&tabname=Summary&prodno=1301.0&issue=2000&num=&view= |access-date=21 December 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080610031914/http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Previousproducts/1301.0Feature%20Article32000?opendocument&tabname=Summary&prodno=1301.0&issue=2000&num=&view= |archive-date=10 June 2008}}</ref> in winter to warm and occasionally hot<ref name=olympic/> in the summer, with no extreme seasonal differences since the weather has some maritime influence.<ref name=met/> Contrasting temperatures are recorded in the [[Greater Western Sydney|western suburbs]], as [[Sydney CBD]] is more affected by the [[oceanic climate]] drivers than the [[hinterland]] (due to moderation by the [[Pacific Ocean]]).<ref name=mdpi>{{cite web|title=Impact of Accelerated Climate Change on Maximum Temperature Differences between Western and Coastal Sydney|url=https://www.mdpi.com/2225-1154/11/4/76|publisher=School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, University of Technology Sydney|access-date=23 October 2024|author= Varsha Bubathi, Lance Leslie, Milton Speer, Joshua Hartigan, Joanna Wang and Anjali Gupta}}</ref><ref name=dan>{{cite web|title=Why Western Sydney is feeling the heat from climate change more than the rest of the city|url=https://theconversation.com/why-western-sydney-is-feeling-the-heat-from-climate-change-more-than-the-rest-of-the-city-201477|publisher=The Conversation|access-date=23 October 2024|author= Dean Lewins|date= 27 March 2023}}</ref> Despite the fact that there is no distinct dry or [[wet season]], rainfall peaks during summer and autumn months,<ref name=bom2/> and is at its lowest just around the middle of the year, though [[precipitation]] can be erratic throughout the year.<ref>{{cite news|title=Sydney future: high temps, erratic rain|url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/sydney-future-high-temps-erratic-rain-20081028-5a7x.html|publisher=The Sydney Morning Herald|access-date=29 September 2020|archive-date=18 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210118051756/https://www.smh.com.au/national/sydney-future-high-temps-erratic-rain-20081028-5a7x.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| title = Commuters in Sydney and eastern NSW brace for erratic weather| url = https://www.news.com.au/technology/environment/commuters-in-sydney-and-eastern-nsw-brace-for-erratic-weather/news-story/5b8e9db5c801b8a93ce86c8ad37fc5f8| publisher = [[News.com.au]]| access-date = 29 September 2020| archive-date = 24 January 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210124034706/https://www.news.com.au/technology/environment/commuters-in-sydney-and-eastern-nsw-brace-for-erratic-weather/news-story/5b8e9db5c801b8a93ce86c8ad37fc5f8| url-status = live}}</ref> Precipitation varies across the region, with areas adjacent to the coast being the wettest.<ref>{{cite web | title = Sydney Basin - climate | work = New South Wales Government | publisher = Department of Environment and Climate Change | url = http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/bioregions/SydneyBasin-Climate.htm | access-date = 21 December 2008 | archive-date = 24 July 2008 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080724115029/http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/bioregions/SydneyBasin-Climate.htm | url-status = live }}</ref>

In the February 1938 issue of ''[[The Home]]'', journalist Basil Burdett wrote, "...Even [[Melbourne]] seems like some grey and stately city of [[Northern Europe]] compared with Sydney's sub-tropical splendours."<ref>{{Cite book |last=Spearritt |first=Peter |title=Sydney's century, a history |publisher=UNSW Press |year=2000 |isbn=0868405213 |location=Sydney |pages=57–58}}</ref> In 2023, Sydney was placed at 9th place by ''Stars Insider'' for having the best weather in the world.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.msn.com/en-ca/travel/tripideas/cities-with-the-best-weather-in-the-world/ss-AA1n89q9?ocid=UCPNC1 |title=Cities with the best weather in the world |date=September 2024 |website=[[MSN.com]] |access-date=7 January 2024}}</ref> Though in 1788, Lieutenant [[Ralph Clark]], a member of the [[First Fleet]], stated that the [[thunderstorm]]s were the most terrible he has ever experienced.<ref name=aplin>{{cite web | url =https://www.researchgate.net/publication/326471599 | title = A Strange Natural Environment: Colonists in Eighteenth-Century Sydney| author =Graeme Aplin| work = Sydney Journal Vol 4, No 1| quote= the Thunder and Lightning is the most Terrible I ever herd [sic]|date = 2013| publisher = UTSePress and the author|accessdate=10 August 2025}}</ref> In 1819, Australian explorer [[William Wentworth]] described the summer heat as "sometimes excessive" and "oppressive to Europeans", although he noted that [[sea breeze]]s effectively moderated temperatures.<ref name=wentworth/>

==General climatology==
[[File:Charles Conder (1868-1909) - Windy Day at Brighton - N03645 - National Gallery.jpg|thumb|Windy day at [[Brighton-Le-Sands, New South Wales|Brighton Beach]], 1904]]
According to the [[Bureau of Meteorology]], Sydney falls in the [[temperate climate]] zone with warm to hot summers{{efn|[[Sydney CBD]] and the [[Northern Suburbs]] are within the warm summer zone, whereas [[Greater Western Sydney]] is in the hot summer zone.}} and no [[dry season]].<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.bom.gov.au/iwk/climate_zones/map_2.shtml | title = Map 2. Sub divisions within the key climate groups | work = Australian Government | publisher = Bureau of Meteorology | access-date = 18 November 2020 | archive-date = 7 November 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201107002542/http://www.bom.gov.au/iwk/climate_zones/map_2.shtml | url-status = live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title = Australian climatic zones | work = Australian Government | publisher = Bureau of Meteorology | url = http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/environ/travel/map.shtml | access-date = 21 December 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080705050256/http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/environ/travel/map.shtml|archive-date=5 July 2008}}</ref> Under the [[Holdridge life zones|Holdridge Life Zones]] classification, coastal Sydney falls in the Subtropical Moist Forest zone and the inland, western suburbs in the [[Tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests|Subtropical Dry Forest]] zone.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Jia |first1=M. |last2=Liu |first2=Dianwei |last3=Song |first3=K. |last4=Wang |first4=Zongming |last5=Ren |first5=C. |title=2012 International Conference on Computer Vision in Remote Sensing |chapter=Mapping biomes of Australia based on the Holdridge Life Zone Model |date=2012 |pages=362–365 |doi=10.1109/CVRS.2012.6421291 |isbn=978-1-4673-1274-5 |s2cid=18208667 }}</ref> According to Troll-Paffen climate classification, Sydney has a ''warm-temperate subtropical'' climate.<ref>[http://web.tiscali.it/linnets/Troll-Paffen.jpg Climatic map by Istituto Geografico De Agostini, according to Troll-Paffen climate classification] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121004052732/http://web.tiscali.it/linnets/Troll-Paffen.jpg |date=October 4, 2012 }}</ref> Sydney's plant [[hardiness zone]] ranges from [[Ecology of Sydney#Hardiness zone|zone 11a in the east to 9b in the far west]].<ref name= "plantmaps">{{cite web|url=https://www.plantmaps.com/interactive-australia-plant-hardiness-zone-map-celsius.php|title=Australia Plant Hardiness Zone Map|website=PlantMaps|access-date=20 May 2021|archive-date=20 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210520072816/https://www.plantmaps.com/interactive-australia-plant-hardiness-zone-map-celsius.php|url-status=live}}</ref>

Sydney has 109.5 clear days and 127.2 cloudy days annually,<ref name="acnoh6">{{cite web |url= http://www.bom.gov.au/jsp/ncc/cdio/cvg/av?p_stn_num=066062&p_prim_element_index=0&p_comp_element_index=0&redraw=null&p_display_type=full_statistics_table&normals_years=1991-2020&tablesizebutt=normal |title= Sydney (Observatory Hill) Period 1991-2020 |publisher= Bureau of Meteorology |access-date= 14 April 2020 |archive-date= 9 February 2020 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200209095647/http://www.bom.gov.au/jsp/ncc/cdio/cvg/av?p_stn_num=066062&p_prim_element_index=0&p_comp_element_index=0&redraw=null&p_display_type=full_statistics_table&normals_years=1991-2020&tablesizebutt=normal |url-status=live}}</ref> though it has around 200 days of visible sunshine if [[Cloud cover|partly cloudy]] days or sunny breaks are counted.<ref>{{cite web | title = SUNNIEST PLACES IN AUSTRALIA| date = 10 September 2018 | publisher = Sunlit Vibes | url = https://www.sunlitvibes.com/sunniest-places-in-australia/ | access-date = 5 March 2024}}</ref> Overall, Sydney has just about 66% of possible sun for Jun-Aug and around 54% for Dec-Feb, making winter sunnier than summer on average, in addition to the city being sunny around 65% of the time in the year with its 2,640 hours of annual sunshine.<ref name=airport>{{cite web| title = Climate statistics for Australian locations Sydney Airport AMO| url = http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_066037_All.shtml| publisher = Bureau of Meteorology| access-date = 7 October 2015| archive-date = 23 September 2015| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150923225517/http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_066037_All.shtml| url-status = live}}</ref> On some hot summer days, [[southerly buster]]s decrease temperatures by late afternoon or early evening.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bom.gov.au/nsw/amfs/Sea-Breeze.shtml|title=Sea Breezes on the NSW Coast|work=BOM|publisher=Ken Batt|access-date=12 November 2014|archive-date=18 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170118054312/http://www.bom.gov.au/nsw/amfs/Sea-Breeze.shtml|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>Batt, K, 1995: Sea breezes on the NSW coast, Offshore Yachting, Oct/Nov 1995, Jamieson Publishing.</ref> In the warm season, [[Trough (meteorology)|trough]]s combined with a humid air mass can bring large amounts of rainfall.<ref>{{cite web|title=Sydney weather: storms and torrential rain lash NSW as humidity soars to 90%|url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/feb/22/nsw-weather-storms-torrential-rain-sydney-forecast-humidity-thunderstorm-warning|work=The Guardian|date=22 February 2022|access-date=22 February 2022|archive-date=22 February 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220222040446/https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/feb/22/nsw-weather-storms-torrential-rain-sydney-forecast-humidity-thunderstorm-warning|url-status=live}}</ref> In late autumn to early winter, the city can be affected by [[Australian east coast low|east coast lows]].<ref>{{cite web|title=About East Coast Lows|url=http://www.bom.gov.au/nsw/sevwx/facts/ecl.shtml|publisher=Bureau of Meteorology|access-date=6 April 2013|archive-date=2 April 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130402033212/http://www.bom.gov.au/nsw/sevwx/facts/ecl.shtml|url-status=live}}</ref> Afternoon [[windspeed]] recorded in [[Sydney Airport]] averages at 24.3 km/h (15.0 mph) in an annual basis, making Sydney the windiest capital city in Australia.<ref name=airport/>

Sydney experiences an [[urban heat island]] effect,<ref name="UrbanHeatIsland">{{cite web|url=http://www.smh.com.au/environment/sydney-area-an-urban-heat-island-vulnerable-to-extreme-temperatures-20160113-gm4v14.html|title=Sydney area an 'urban heat island' vulnerable to extreme temperatures|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=14 January 2016|access-date=14 January 2016|archive-date=14 January 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160114173411/http://www.smh.com.au/environment/sydney-area-an-urban-heat-island-vulnerable-to-extreme-temperatures-20160113-gm4v14.html|url-status=live}}</ref> making certain parts of the city more vulnerable to extreme heat, particularly the west.<ref name="UrbanHeatIsland" /> Efforts have been introduced to investigate and mitigate this heat effect, including increasing shade from tree canopies, adding [[Roof garden|rooftop gardens]] to high rise structures and changing pavement colour.<ref>{{cite web|title=Urban heat island effect - City of Sydney|work=City of Sydney.com|url=http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/vision/towards-2030/sustainability/carbon-reduction/urban-heat-island|access-date=14 January 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160129083728/http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/vision/towards-2030/sustainability/carbon-reduction/urban-heat-island|archive-date=29 January 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aila.org.au/imis_prod/documents/AILA/Governance/Position%20Statement%20Cool%20Cities_for%20review_final.pdf|title=Cooling cities - urban heat island effect|work=aila.org.au|date=2013|access-date=14 January 2016|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304185842/http://www.aila.org.au/imis_prod/documents/AILA/Governance/Position%20Statement%20Cool%20Cities_for%20review_final.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> The [[El Niño]] [[Southern Oscillation]], the [[Indian Ocean Dipole]] and the [[Southern Annular Mode]]<ref name= "ABC news">{{Cite web|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-08-14/southern-annular-mode-and-how-it-affects-our-weather/10106134|title=Southern Annular Mode: The climate 'influencer' you may not have heard of|website=ABC News|date=14 August 2018|access-date=29 September 2020|archive-date=25 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201025113922/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-08-14/southern-annular-mode-and-how-it-affects-our-weather/10106134|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="BOM71">{{cite web|url=http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/current/statements/scs71.pdf|title=Special Climate Statement 71—severe fire weather conditions in southeast Queensland and northeast New South Wales in September 2019|date=24 September 2019|website=[[Bureau of Meteorology]]|access-date=5 January 2020|archive-date=9 January 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200109060418/http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/current/statements/scs71.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> play an important role in determining Sydney's weather patterns: drought and [[Bushfires in Australia|bushfire]] on the one hand, and storms and flooding on the other. Sydney is prone to [[heat wave]]s and [[Drought in Australia|drought]], which have become more common in the 21st century.<ref>{{cite news|title=Sydney heatwave: Is it hot enough for you?|url=http://www.smh.com.au/comment/sydney-heatwave-is-it-hot-enough-for-you-20131010-2va5m.html|date=10 October 2013|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|access-date=23 January 2014|archive-date=17 January 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140117045825/http://www.smh.com.au/comment/sydney-heatwave-is-it-hot-enough-for-you-20131010-2va5m.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title=Living in Sydney | publisher=Sydney Institute of Business & Technology | url=http://www.sibt.nsw.edu.au/index.php/about-australia/living-in-sydney.html | access-date=21 December 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080801090711/http://www.sibt.nsw.edu.au/index.php/about-australia/living-in-sydney.html|archive-date=1 August 2008}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.sydneywater.com.au/WaterQuality/WaterQualityandDrought/ |title=Water quality and drought|publisher=[[Sydney Water]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091120163359/http://www.sydneywater.com.au/WaterQuality/WaterQualityandDrought/ |archive-date=20 November 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sca.nsw.gov.au/water-quality/drought |title=Drought| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120115111110/http://www.sca.nsw.gov.au/water-quality/drought |archive-date=15 January 2012}}</ref>

The region of Sydney, and as well as the rest of the New South Wales coastline, is warmed by the [[East Australian Current]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://theconversation.com/things-warm-up-as-the-east-australian-current-heads-south-31889|title=Things warm up as the East Australian Current heads south|first=Jaci|last=Brown|website=[[The Conversation (website)|The Conversation]]|date=2014-11-21|access-date=19 November 2021|archive-date=19 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211119131741/https://theconversation.com/things-warm-up-as-the-east-australian-current-heads-south-31889|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.smh.com.au/environment/climate-change/going-with-the-flow-scientists-probe-changes-in-the-east-australian-current-20150515-gh2fvj.html|title=Going with the flow: scientists probe changes in the East Australian Current|first=Peter|last=Hannam|newspaper=Sydney Morning Herald|date=2015-05-15|access-date=19 November 2021|archive-date=19 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211119131741/https://www.smh.com.au/environment/climate-change/going-with-the-flow-scientists-probe-changes-in-the-east-australian-current-20150515-gh2fvj.html|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2020, researchers at ''[[The Australia Institute]]'' discovered that Sydney was experiencing longer summers and shorter winters in recent decades, compared to those in the 1950s and 1960s.<ref name=dan/><ref>[https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-03-02/australian-summers-getting-longer-winters-shorter/12013978 Summers are now twice as long as winters in all Australian capital cities, report finds] by Liv Casben from ABC News Australia. 2 March 2020. Retrieved 1 January 2024.</ref> Since the early 1990s, Western Sydney has experienced more intense summer heatwaves than coastal Sydney, with maximum temperatures exceeding those of coastal Sydney by up to {{convert|10|C-change|0}}.<ref name=mdpi/> Moreover, since the early 2020s, Sydney's summers have become more humid due to [[global warming]], which result in [[sea temperature]]s being {{convert|1|-|3|C-change|0}} above normal.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.unsw.edu.au/newsroom/news/2024/01/yes--it-s-getting-more-humid-in-summer--here-s-why|title=Yes, it's getting more humid in summer. Here's why|website=[[University of Sydney]]|author = Steven Sherwood|date= 29 January 2024|access-date=25 October 2024}}</ref>

==Seasons==

===Summer===
[[File:Bondi Beach 4.jpg|thumb|Beaches are a common visit among residents and tourists alike in summer ([[Bondi Beach]]).]]
Summer is generally warm to hot, and often humid (particularly in late summer).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.smh.com.au/environment/weather/hot-enough-things-are-going-to-get-hotter-20141030-11e0oq.html|title=Hot Enough? Things are going to get hotter|publisher=The Sydney Morning Herald|year=2014|access-date=30 October 2014|archive-date=30 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141030150440/http://www.smh.com.au/environment/weather/hot-enough-things-are-going-to-get-hotter-20141030-11e0oq.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dailyliberal.com.au/story/1217189/sydney-to-be-spared-worst-of-giant-heat-wave/|title=Sydney heatwave|publisher=Daily Liberal|year=2013|access-date=4 February 2014|archive-date=21 February 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140221173722/http://www.dailyliberal.com.au/story/1217189/sydney-to-be-spared-worst-of-giant-heat-wave/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=McDonald|first1=Josephine|title=Dreamtime superhighway an analysis of Sydney Basin rock art and prehistoric information exchange|date=2008|publisher=ANU E Press|location=Canberra, A.C.T.|isbn=9781921536175|page=11}}</ref> The [[ultraviolet index]] rating averages at 12, but can reach 13 in the midst of the season, which may lead to [[Skin condition|skin damage]] among those having [[light skin]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.9news.com.au/national/weather-uv-ratings-extreme-sydney-new-south-wales-forecast-skin-cancer-danger/d8a7c657-ce79-4907-bace-13c8ebf34a35 |access-date=25 March 2022 |title=Australia's UV index peaks as thousands flock to beach unprotected |archive-date=21 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211121233549/https://www.9news.com.au/national/weather-uv-ratings-extreme-sydney-new-south-wales-forecast-skin-cancer-danger/d8a7c657-ce79-4907-bace-13c8ebf34a35 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Sydney can receive hot, dry [[brickfielder|northwesterly winds]] from the [[Outback]] that make the temperatures soar above {{convert|40|C|0}}. This happens after the northwesterlies are carried entirely over the continental landmass, not picking up additional moisture from a body of water and retaining most of their heat. On these occasions, the city can experience the fury of the [[desert climate]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/heatwave-blows-in-on-a-fiery-desert-wind/story-e6frg6n6-1226527039191|title=Heatwave blows in on a fiery desert wind|publisher=The Australian|access-date=1 July 2023|archive-date=17 January 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150117150748/http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/heatwave-blows-in-on-a-fiery-desert-wind/story-e6frg6n6-1226527039191|url-status=live}}</ref> although they are often ended with a [[southerly buster]], which is a [[gale|windy]], shallow [[cold front]] or a [[sea breeze]] that sweeps up from the southeast abruptly cooling the temperature. At times, it may be accompanied by a thunderstorm and drizzle, and it may keep the temperatures cool the following few days as well.<ref>[https://www.weatherzone.com.au/news/winds-of-australia/1330912 Winds of Australia] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230701135949/https://www.weatherzone.com.au/news/winds-of-australia/1330912 |date=1 July 2023}} by Weatherzone. Accessed 1 July 2023.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://media.bom.gov.au/social/blog/1001/the-big-chill-what-is-a-cold-front/|title=The big chill: what is a cold front? - Social Media Blog - Bureau of Meteorology|website=media.bom.gov.au|access-date=15 January 2022|archive-date=15 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220115060435/https://media.bom.gov.au/social/blog/1001/the-big-chill-what-is-a-cold-front/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.9news.com.au/national/weather-sydney-brisbane-warm-and-sunny-caused-by-cold-front-from-south-australia-explained/082b9544-3459-483b-9ae2-038854bc2541|title=Why cold fronts are creating warm weather for NSW and Queensland|website=www.9news.com.au|date=28 July 2021 |access-date=15 January 2022|archive-date=15 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220115060435/https://www.9news.com.au/national/weather-sydney-brisbane-warm-and-sunny-caused-by-cold-front-from-south-australia-explained/082b9544-3459-483b-9ae2-038854bc2541|url-status=live}}</ref>

In the [[Sydney central business district]], an average of 15 days a year have temperatures of more than {{convert|30|C|0}} and 3 days with temperatures over {{convert|35|C|0}}.<ref name="acnoh6"/> In contrast, [[Greater Western Sydney|western suburbs]] such as [[Liverpool, New South Wales|Liverpool]] and [[Penrith, New South Wales|Penrith]] have 41 and 67 days with temperatures above {{convert|30|C|0}}, 10 and 19 days above {{convert|35|C|0}}, and, 1 and 4 days above {{convert|40|C|0}}, respectively.<ref name="acnli">{{BoM Aust stats|site_ref=cw_067035_All|site_name=Liverpool|access-date=15 November 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_067113_All.shtml |title=Climate statistics for Penrith Lakes |publisher=Bureau of Meteorology |access-date=21 February 2015 |archive-date=15 June 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080615033209/http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_067113_All.shtml |url-status=live}}</ref>

The highest recorded maximum temperature at Sydney Airport was 46.4 °C (115.5 °F), which was on 18 January 2013.<ref name=airport/> The highest recorded maximum temperature at Sydney CBD was recorded on that same day with the temperature climaxing at 45.8 °C (114.4 °F).<ref>[https://www.news.com.au/national/nsw-act/city-chaos-as-mercury-hits-record-458c/news-story/5e8de66bfabd1f8e23e58ac40945a383 City chaos as mercury hits record 45.8C] by News.com.au. Retrieved 9 November 2024.</ref> The highest recorded maximum temperature within Sydney's Metropolitan area was recorded at [[Penrith, New South Wales|Penrith]] with a high of 48.9 °C (120 °F), a Western Sydney suburb, on 4 January 2020. At that time, Penrith was the hottest place on the planet and the hottest temperature recorded within Australia and the Southern Hemisphere for all of 2020.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.smh.com.au/environment/weather/hottest-place-on-the-planet-penrith-in-sydney-s-west-tops-48-degrees-20200104-p53osu.html|title='Hottest place on the planet': Penrith in Sydney's west approaches 50 degrees |author1=Janek Drevikovsky |author2=Sally Rawsthorne |date=2020-01-04|website=The Sydney Morning Herald|language=en|access-date=2023-09-13|archive-date=25 January 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200125064216/https://www.smh.com.au/environment/weather/hottest-place-on-the-planet-penrith-in-sydney-s-west-tops-48-degrees-20200104-p53osu.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Autumn===
[[File:Autumn Colors, Centennial Park Sydney Australia (3613606566).jpg|thumb|[[Autumn leaf color|Autumn leaves]] observed in [[Centennial Park, Sydney]]]]
Late summer conditions usually continue until the last week of March. Most heavy rainfall events usually occur in late summer and early autumn as the [[subtropical ridge]] of high pressure, which rotates counterclockwise, is to the [[Australian High|south of Australia]] and therefore give way for moist easterlies from the [[Tasman Sea]] and as well as low pressure systems to penetrate the region.<ref name= "ABC news"/><ref name="rmets">{{cite journal|url=https://rmets.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdfdirect/10.1002/joc.1196|journal= International Journal of Climatology|date= 16 March 2005|doi=10.1002/joc.1196 |access-date=29 September 2020|title=The latitude of the subtropical ridge over Eastern Australia: TheL index revisited |last1=Drosdowsky |first1=Wasyl |volume=25 |issue=10 |pages=1291–1299 |bibcode=2005IJCli..25.1291D |s2cid=140198125 |url-access=subscription }}</ref>

The transition from late summer to autumn is gradual, with noticeably cooler and crisper conditions taking in effect by around mid-April.<ref>''Power, S., Tseitkin, F., Torok, S., Lavery, B., Dahni, R. and McAvaney, B. 1998.'' Australian temperature, Australian rainfall and the Southern Oscillation, 1910–1992: coherent variability and recent changes. Aust. Met. Mag., 47, 85–101</ref> Temperatures in autumn are usually consistent and stable, lacking any extremes that tend to be experienced in spring and summer.<ref name="acnli"/>

The lowest maximum temperature in autumn is {{convert|11.3|C}}, recorded on 24 May 1904.<ref name="acnoh6"/> The highest maximum autumn temperature ever recorded at Sydney Airport was recorded on 9 March 1983, with the temperature peaking at {{convert|41.2|C}}.<ref name=airport/> Though the hottest autumn day ever recorded in Sydney's metropolitan area was on 6 March 1938 when [[Richmond, New South Wales|Richmond]] RAAF hit {{convert|41.9|C}}.<ref name=richmond>[http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_067033_All.shtml Richmond RAAF] by the Bureau of Meteorology. Retrieved 9 November 2024.</ref>

===Winter===
[[File:Sydneyfoggy b.jpg|thumb|A foggy winter morning in the [[Sydney Harbour]]]]
Winter in central Sydney tends to be mild where the lows rarely drop below {{convert|7|C|0}}, mainly due to proximity to the ocean.<ref name="acnoh6"/> Furthermore, Sydney CBD (Observatory Hill) has never recorded frost.<ref name="acnoh6"/> In the far west (in places such as [[Richmond, New South Wales|Richmond]] and [[Camden, New South Wales|Camden]]), the [[Diurnal temperature variation|diurnal range]] can be relatively great, particularly in late winter. In the west, Liverpool and Richmond have 4 and 38 nights, respectively, where temperatures dip below {{convert|2|C|0}}. On average, only 1 night in Liverpool and 17 nights in Richmond have lows that go below {{convert|0|C|0}}. In such cold mornings, [[frost]] can form in the far western suburbs. The lowest maximum temperature in Liverpool was {{convert|8.2|C|0}}, recorded on 28 July 1981.<ref name="acnli"/>

Sydney receives around 15 days of [[fog]] annually,<ref>[http://gungahlin.net/articles/greatweatherdebate.htm The Great Australian Weather Debate! Which Australian City has the best weather?] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221008183515/http://gungahlin.net/articles/greatweatherdebate.htm |date=8 October 2022 }} Gungahlin Weather Centre - March 2002. Retrieved 28 November 2029</ref> which occurs in winter mornings; some can be thick enough to divert planes and cancel ferry services.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.smh.com.au/environment/weather/sydney-weather-planes-diverted-ferries-cancelled-as-city-blanketed-in-fog-20150710-gia0p3.html|title=Sydney weather: Planes diverted, ferries cancelled as city blanketed in fog|newspaper=Sydney Morning Herald|date=2015-07-10|access-date=26 October 2015|archive-date=23 November 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151123083638/http://www.smh.com.au/environment/weather/sydney-weather-planes-diverted-ferries-cancelled-as-city-blanketed-in-fog-20150710-gia0p3.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>Russell, H. C. 1877. Climate of New South Wales: Descriptive, Historical, and Tabular. C. Potter, Sydney, Australia.</ref> During late winter, warm dry westerly winds which dominate may raise the maximum temperatures as high as {{convert|25|C}} in some instances. As the [[subtropical ridge]] is north of Sydney in mid-to-late winter, it picks up dry westerlies from the continent's interior because of its anticlockwise rotation, thus producing more sunny days in the region.<ref name= "ABC news"/><ref>Evans, J. P., Ji, F., Lee, C., Smith, P., Argüeso, D., and Fita, L. (2014) A regional climate modelling projection ensemble experiment – NARCliM, Geoscientific Model Development, 7(2), 621-629, {{doi|10.5194/gmd-7-621-2014|doi-access=free}}</ref>
The lowest recorded minimum at Observatory Hill was {{convert|2.1|C}} on 22 June 1932,<ref name="acnoh6"/> while the coldest in the Sydney metropolitan area was {{convert|-8|C}}, in Richmond. The lowest recorded maximum temperature at Observatory Hill was {{convert|7.7|C}}. Although not usually considered a [[Sydney suburbs|suburb of Sydney]], [[Picton, New South Wales|Picton]], a town in the [[Macarthur Region]] of Sydney, recorded a low of {{convert|-10.0|C}} on 16 July 1970.<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_068052_All.shtml
| publisher = Bureau of Meteorology
| title = Climate statistics for Picton
| access-date = 18 November 2013
| archive-date = 23 September 2015
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150923225626/http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_068052_All.shtml
| url-status = live
}}</ref>
Sydney's warmest winter day was recorded on 30 August 2024 at [[Sydney Airport]] when the temperature hit {{convert|31.6|C}} at 2:48 PM.<ref>[https://www.weatherzone.com.au/news/sydney-hits-30c-in-winter/1889812 Sydney hits 30°C in winter] by Anthony Sharwood from WeatherZone. Retrieved 9 November 2024.</ref>
[[File:Jacaranda in Sydney University.jpg|thumb|[[Jacaranda mimosifolia|Jacaranda tree]]s bloom ostentatiously in springtime, where they attract [[tourist|sightseer]]s and [[Landscape photographer|photographers]] (pictured: [[University of Sydney]]).<ref>[https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/where-to-see-jacaranda-trees-in-nsw/news-story/ae9605caa1981f7276055ab4bebc9f48 It's peak jacaranda season: Here’s where to see them] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181106223305/https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/where-to-see-jacaranda-trees-in-nsw/news-story/ae9605caa1981f7276055ab4bebc9f48 |date=6 November 2018 }} by Wilson Smith, The Daily Telegraph, 25 October 2018</ref>]]

===Spring===
Early spring is rapidly transitional and erratic. Cool conditions from late winter may continue in September, but due to the drastic transition, temperatures above {{convert|30|C}} can also be expected in that month, including the odd thunderstorm. By November, summery conditions begin, albeit with relatively low humidity.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/current/month/nsw/archive/201308.sydney.shtmlSydney|title=in August 2013: Warm, dry, sunny end to winter|publisher = Bureau of Meteorology}}</ref> Because the subtropical ridge lies to the north of Sydney this time of the year, it will bring westerly winds from the interior that produce mostly sunny conditions,<ref name= "ABC news"/><ref name="rmets"/> with relatively low dewpoints.<ref name="Sydney’s Climate">{{Cite web|url=http://www.livingin-australia.com/climate-weather-sydney/|title=Sydney's Climate|website=www.livingin-australia.com|access-date=21 February 2011|archive-date=22 August 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110822165925/http://www.livingin-australia.com/climate-weather-sydney/|url-status=live}}</ref> Extreme, changeable and inconsistent temperatures are much more prevalent in spring than other seasons.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.smh.com.au/pdf/climate.pdf|title=Climate Change in the Sydney Metropolitan Catchments|access-date=26 October 2015|archive-date=16 August 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080816171433/http://www.smh.com.au/pdf/climate.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> Furthermore, the diurnal range is higher in this season than it is in autumn.<ref name="acnoh6"/>

The lowest maximum temperature in spring was {{convert|9.5|C}}, recorded on 8 September 1869.<ref name="acnoh6"/> 9am relative humidity is the lowest in the year during spring, ranging from 58% to 68%, with early spring receiving lower figures.<ref name="acnli"/> The highest maximum Spring temperature ever recorded at Sydney Airport was on 25 November 1982, when the temperature eclipsed at {{convert|43.4|C}}.<ref name=airport/> Sydney CBD also recorded its hottest spring day on this same day, peaking at {{convert|41.8|C}}. The highest spring temperature recorded in Sydney's Metropolitan area was registered at Richmond on 23 November 2014, peaking at {{convert|45.3|C}}.<ref name=richmond/>

==Warm and cool periods==
[[File:Sydney harbour bridge duststorm.jpg|thumb|220px|left|[[Sydney Harbour Bridge]] during the [[2009 Australian dust storm]]]]
The [[Bureau of Meteorology]] reported in 2011 that 2002 to 2005 had been the warmest years in Sydney since records began in 1859. 2004 saw an average daily maximum temperature of {{Convert|23.4|C}}, 2005 of {{Convert|23.4|C}}, 2002 of {{convert|22.9|C}}, and 2003 of {{convert|22.7|C}}. The average daily maximum between 1859 and 2004 was {{convert|21.6|C}}. Seven (of the ten) warmest years in 151 years of recordkeeping have occurred in the ten years between 2001 and 2010, with this decade being the warmest on record for minimum temperatures.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/current/annual/nsw/archive/2010.sydney.shtml|title=Sydney in 2010: 18th consecutive warm year|publisher=Bureau of Meteorology|access-date=21 February 2011|archive-date=12 January 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120112162124/http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/current/annual/nsw/archive/2010.sydney.shtml|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/current/statements/scs27.pdf|title=Special Climate Statement 27 - An exceptional summer heatwave in greater Sydney and the Hunter Valley. 8 February 2011|access-date=2 February 2012|archive-date=28 February 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120228150619/http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/current/statements/scs27.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>

The Bureau of Meteorology reported that the summer of 2007–08 was the coolest in 11 years, the wettest in six years, the cloudiest in 16 years, and one of only three summers in recorded history to lack a maximum temperature above {{convert|31|C}}.<ref>[http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/current/season/nsw/archive/200802.sydney.shtml Sydney has coolest summer in 11 years] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140201213539/http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/current/season/nsw/archive/200802.sydney.shtml |date=1 February 2014 }} in ''Sydney Climate Summary — NSW Regional Office'', Bureau of Meteorology. Retrieved 25 March 2008.</ref> The Bureau of Meteorology reported that 2009 was a warm year. The average annual daytime [[temperature]] at Observatory Hill was {{Convert|22.9|C}}, which is {{convert|0.9|C-change}} above the historical annual average. This ranks as the seventh highest annual average maximum temperature since records commenced in 1859.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/current/annual/nsw/archive/2009.sydney.shtml|title=Year 2009: Very warm with below average rainfall in Sydney|access-date=21 February 2011|archive-date=20 March 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150320201433/http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/current/annual/nsw/archive/2009.sydney.shtml|url-status=live}}</ref> 2010 was the equal fourth warmest year on record for Sydney, with an average maximum of {{Convert|22.6|C}}, which was {{convert|0.6|C-change}} above the historical annual average.

Climate models in 2014 suggested that [[sea temperature]]s off Sydney are decades away from becoming "tropical". A scenario of increasing [[CO2 emission|CO<sub>2</sub> emission]]s proposed winter sea surface temperatures will consistently exceed {{Convert|18|C}} between 2020 and 2030, and summer sea surface temperatures will consistently surpass {{Convert|25|C}} between 2040 and 2060.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://theconversation.com/sydneys-waters-could-be-tropical-in-decades-heres-the-bad-news-31523|title= Sydney's waters could be tropical in decades, here's the bad news…|work=[[The Conversation (website)|The Conversation]]|date=16 September 2014|access-date=20 April 2024}}</ref>

July 2017 to June 2018 in southeastern Australia proved to be the hottest [[financial year]] on record with maximum temperatures being the warmest on record and minimums above average.<ref>[https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-07-05/hottest-fin-year-on-record-bom-data-show/9930606 Hottest financial year on record BOM data shows] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181121232309/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-07-05/hottest-fin-year-on-record-bom-data-show/9930606 |date=21 November 2018 }} By Kate Doyle (ABC News)</ref>  The warmest year on record was 2016, with a mean temperature of {{Convert|19.6|C}} degrees.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.news.com.au/technology/environment/weather-forecast-sydney-brisbane-adelaide-heatwave-hell/news-story/2987928bc491cd60b3c5543ba36620e6|title=Weather forecast: Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide heatwave hell|work=[[News.com.au]]|date=10 February 2017|access-date=10 February 2017|archive-date=10 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170210011659/http://www.news.com.au/technology/environment/weather-forecast-sydney-brisbane-adelaide-heatwave-hell/news-story/2987928bc491cd60b3c5543ba36620e6|url-status=live}}</ref> Sydney's 2017 mean temperature of {{Convert|19.5|C}} degrees was  {{Convert|1.7|C-change||abbr=}} degrees above the long term average and the second highest value in 158 years of records. The 2020-21 summer was the coolest in a decade due to La Nina's influence.<ref>[https://www.news.com.au/technology/environment/climate-change/troubling-detail-in-aussie-weather-data/news-story/fdcd982802506f6a7356433b77c8fd14 Troubling detail in Aussie weather data] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210523065447/https://www.news.com.au/technology/environment/climate-change/troubling-detail-in-aussie-weather-data/news-story/fdcd982802506f6a7356433b77c8fd14 |date=23 May 2021 }} by Benedict Brook from [[News.com.au]]. 3 March 2021. Retrieved 23 May 2021.</ref>

==Microclimate==
{{multiple image
| align             = right
| total_width       = 400
| image_style       = border:none;
| image1            = Summer Hill Rosemount Ave.jpg
| alt1              =
| caption1          = Streets with tree canopy, which are usually found in the [[inner West]] and [[northern Sydney]], tend to have lower air temperatures ([[Summer Hill, New South Wales|Summer Hill]]).<ref>[https://www.thefifthestate.com.au/urbanism/planning/greater-sydney-commission-report-sydneys-gaping-urban-heat-and-liveability-imbalance/ Greater Sydney Commission report: Sydney’s gaping urban heat and liveability imbalance] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201206025239/https://www.thefifthestate.com.au/urbanism/planning/greater-sydney-commission-report-sydneys-gaping-urban-heat-and-liveability-imbalance/ |date=6 December 2020 }} by Poppy Johnston from The Fifth State. Retrieved 28 November 2020.</ref>
| image2            = Plumpton streetscape.jpg
| alt2              =
| caption2          = Streets with lower tree cover, usually found in recent suburbs in the west, experience hotter temperatures due to [[Thermal radiation|heat radiation]] ([[Plumpton, New South Wales|Plumpton]]).<ref name = sydneystreets/>
}}
The region of Sydney is subject to phenomena typical of a [[microclimate]], namely in late spring and summer, where the western suburbs are hotter than the Sydney CBD by {{convert|6|-|10|C-change|0}}<ref>[https://www.miragenews.com/first-western-sydney-microclimate-maps-reveal-extent-of-heat-variation-in-region/ First western Sydney microclimate maps reveal extent of heat variation in region] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230912221533/https://www.miragenews.com/first-western-sydney-microclimate-maps-reveal-extent-of-heat-variation-in-region/ |date=12 September 2023 }} by Mirage News. Retrieved 25 November 2020.</ref> due to [[urban sprawl]] exacerbating the [[urban heat island]] effect and less exposure to mitigating sea breezes which cool down Sydney's eastern edge and fail to move {{Convert|9|km|abbr=on}} inland. The dramatic temperature difference between coastal and inland areas is caused by a combination of desert-warmed air from [[central Australia]] reaching the west, and as well as density of housing, lack of vegetation or open spaces, and the Blue Mountains which help [[temperature inversion|trap the hot air]].<ref name = foreground>[https://www.foreground.com.au/technology/extreme-measures-an-ecologists-urban-sensors-show-us-just-how-hot-western-sydney-is-getting/ Extreme measures: An ecologist’s urban sensors show us just how hot Western Sydney is getting] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201029185636/https://www.foreground.com.au/technology/extreme-measures-an-ecologists-urban-sensors-show-us-just-how-hot-western-sydney-is-getting/ |date=29 October 2020 }} by Foreground.com.au. Retrieved 25 November 2020</ref><ref name = Sydney>[https://www.smh.com.au/environment/weather/sydney-weather-how-urbanisation-creates-hot-microclimates-in-our-suburbs-20170209-gu9b02.html Sydney weather: How urbanisation creates hot microclimates in our suburbs] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230227014056/https://www.smh.com.au/environment/weather/sydney-weather-how-urbanisation-creates-hot-microclimates-in-our-suburbs-20170209-gu9b02.html |date=27 February 2023 }} by The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 25 November 2020</ref>

When it is {{convert|25|C|F}} at [[Bondi, New South Wales|Bondi]] for instance, the temperature will be around {{convert|30|C|F}} just west of the [[Sydney Harbour Bridge]], around {{convert|35|C|F}} near [[Parramatta]] and as much as {{convert|40|C|F}} {{Convert|40|km|abbr=on}} inland. Such extreme temperature differences in the Sydney metropolitan area usually occur in late spring when the western Pacific Ocean is still quite cool and the inland air is warm.<ref>[https://www.weatherzone.com.au/news/16-degree-temperature-difference-in-sydney-suburbs-on-friday-why/532913 16-degree temperature difference in Sydney suburbs on Friday: Why?] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201124180943/https://www.weatherzone.com.au/news/16-degree-temperature-difference-in-sydney-suburbs-on-friday-why/532913 |date=24 November 2020 }} by Anthony Sharwood from [[Weatherzone]]</ref> Furthermore, within the CBD, [[heat map]]s show the area around [[Central railway station, Sydney|Central Station]] (in [[Haymarket, New South Wales|Haymarket]]) is {{convert|0.5|-|1.0|C-change|0}} warmer than [[Circular Quay]] and surrounds, making it the hottest place in the CBD.<ref name = news.com.au>[https://www.news.com.au/technology/environment/climate-change/heat-dome-surrounding-australian-cbds-leave-suburbs-to-scorch/news-story/3a1e3e464db9f34229ac3539bea19cd7 ‘Heat dome’ surrounding Australian CBDs leave suburbs to scorch] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210303194318/https://www.news.com.au/technology/environment/climate-change/heat-dome-surrounding-australian-cbds-leave-suburbs-to-scorch/news-story/3a1e3e464db9f34229ac3539bea19cd7 |date=3 March 2021 }} by Benedict Brook from News.com.au. Retrieved 25 November 2020.</ref>

According to ecologist Sebastian Pfautsch from the [[University of Freiburg]], in Sydney's hot days there could be discrepancies of up to 22 more days above {{convert|40|C|F}} recorded in urban space compared to a weather station from the Bureau of Meteorology.<ref>[https://www.thefifthestate.com.au/urbanism/environment/tiny-sensors-and-giant-temperature-map-could-help-cool-western-sydney/ Tiny sensors and giant temperature map could help cool Western Sydney] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201020083737/https://www.thefifthestate.com.au/urbanism/environment/tiny-sensors-and-giant-temperature-map-could-help-cool-western-sydney/ |date=20 October 2020 }} by Wendy Frew from The Fifth State. Retrieved 28 November 2020</ref> Because {{convert|48.9|C|F}} was recorded in Penrith (on 4 January 2020), it will not be unusual to have a {{convert|50|C|F}} reading somewhere nearby, especially if it lacked green space and retained heat to intensify heatwave temperatures.<ref name = foreground/>
[[Richmond, New South Wales|Richmond]] has the second largest overall temperature range recorded in Australia, after [[Mitchell, Queensland]]; {{convert|-8.3|to|47.8|C}}.<ref>[http://www.ga.gov.au/scientific-topics/national-location-information/dimensions/climatic-extremes Climatic Extremes] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210321022424/http://www.ga.gov.au/scientific-topics/national-location-information/dimensions/climatic-extremes |date=21 March 2021 }} by [[Geoscience Australia]] from the [[Australian Government]]</ref><ref>[http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_043020_All.shtml Climate statistics for Mitchell Post Office] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210527082733/http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_043020_All.shtml |date=27 May 2021 }} Bureau of Meteorology</ref>

===Urban heat island===
A study by the [[University of Western Australia]] and [[RMIT]] indicated that the western suburbs have a much stronger urban heat island effect than those east of the CBD and that hotter temperatures in the west are human contributed due to [[solar radiation]] absorbing materials in black [[Asphalt concrete|asphalt]] and dark roofs, [[Anthropogenic impact on the environment|anthropogenic]] heat from cars and less natural environments, thereby creating a "[[heat dome]]" that blocks the cooler air from the sea. [[Greening Australia]] stated that January mean maximum temperatures in the west have risen at a pace of 0.65 °C per decade, over twice as much as eastern Sydney's 0.28 °C per decade.<ref>[https://junctionjournalism.com/2019/11/26/how-the-west-got-hot/ How the west got hot] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210802093219/https://junctionjournalism.com/2019/11/26/how-the-west-got-hot/ |date=2 August 2021 }} by Joshua Kindl, Georgina Goddard, Zac Gay & Lachlan Moffet Gray from the [[University of Technology Sydney]]. Retrieved 26 November 2020</ref> The [[New South Wales Office of Environment and Heritage|OEH]] warned that further development could cause more exceedingly hot days in the west by 2030.<ref name = Sydney/>

Urban heat island of the CBD has been efficaciously blocking the cooler air from reaching the inland suburbs because the CBD's "high temperature, is like a wall that stops the sea breeze in its tracks. Over Sydney’s CBD is a heat dome because of the high density of concrete and asphalt. If we want to cool western Sydney and demolish this wall, we need to cool the CBD first", Professor Mattheos Santamouris from [[UNSW]] states. He explained that cooling the CBD would reduce the temperature by 1.5 °C in the west and tree coverage could cool down suburban streets by as much as 10 °C (18 °F) in hot days since high-density [[housing development]]s and scarce trees trap heat.<ref name =  news.com.au/><ref>[https://climatechange.environment.nsw.gov.au/Impacts-of-climate-change/Heat/Urban-heat Urban Heat] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126001024/https://climatechange.environment.nsw.gov.au/Impacts-of-climate-change/Heat/Urban-heat |date=26 January 2021 }} by the [[NSW government]]. Retrieved 25 November 2020</ref> Waterbodies and [[Urban green space|open spaces]] also provide cooling benefits in urban areas.<ref name = sydneystreets>[https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-11-21/western-sydney-heatwave-alleviated-by-tree-cover/11721698 These two Western Sydney streets are completely different temperatures — here's why] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201127131629/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-11-21/western-sydney-heatwave-alleviated-by-tree-cover/11721698 |date=27 November 2020 }} By Mridula Amin from ABC News. Retrieved 28 November 2020</ref>

According to climate researchers, relatively easy modifications such as constructing [[fountain]]s and water playgrounds could also lower temperatures in the western suburbs. The city now has 3.6% more trees in 2016 than it did in 2009 and [[Penrith City Council]] had planned to plant 100,000 trees from August 2018, in addition to planning a large city park, creating a water-sensitive urban design, street shading, and the use of [[Cool pavement|cool materials]] in its building developments.<ref>[https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2020-09-15/sydney-s-new-suburbs-get-so-hot-that-people-could-die-there Sydney’s New Suburbs Are Too Hot for People to Live In] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201114083703/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2020-09-15/sydney-s-new-suburbs-get-so-hot-that-people-could-die-there |date=14 November 2020 }} by Emily Cadman from [[Bloomberg News]]. Retrieved 26 November 2020</ref> Furthermore, [[Parramatta City Council]] has installed 20 temperature sensors among different tree species in its suburbs to compare how different species can help reduce urban heat.<ref>[https://www.thefifthestate.com.au/urbanism/environment/during-its-hottest-summer-penrith-calls-on-the-experts-to-help-it-cool-down/ During its hottest summer, Penrith calls on the experts to help it cool down] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210117203633/https://www.thefifthestate.com.au/urbanism/environment/during-its-hottest-summer-penrith-calls-on-the-experts-to-help-it-cool-down/ |date=17 January 2021 }} by The Fifth State. Retrieved 25 November 2020.</ref><ref>[https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-03-01/how-western-sydney-is-tackling-the-heat-island-effect/9361156 How Western Sydney is tackling the mysterious 'heat island' effect behind rising temperatures] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201127213119/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-03-01/how-western-sydney-is-tackling-the-heat-island-effect/9361156 |date=27 November 2020 }} By Yasmin Parry from ABC News. Retrieved 25 November 2020</ref>

==Precipitation==
[[File:Parramatta Wharf bridge flooding 2021 at Phillip Street.png|thumb|[[Parramatta ferry wharf]] bridge flooded during the [[2021 Eastern Australian floods]]]]
Rainfall is slightly higher or dominant during the first half of the year, particularly in late summer and early autumn, when the ocean has peaked its warmth.<ref>[https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-02-25/australian-rainfall-zones/7200050?nw=0 Australia's new seasonal rainfall zones] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211021090953/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-02-25/australian-rainfall-zones/7200050?nw=0 |date=21 October 2021 }} by ABC News, 25 February 2016</ref> Rainfall will tend to be lower in the second half of the year when the subtropical ridge is just to the north of the city.<ref name="rmets"/><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.travelbrain.us/living-in-australia/climate-of-sydney-australia.html|title=Climate of Sydney Australia - Living in Australia|first=Thomas|last=Shelton|date=10 February 2022|website=Travel Brain|access-date=27 March 2022|archive-date=13 October 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221013140633/https://www.travelbrain.us/living-in-australia/climate-of-sydney-australia.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Most rain comes mostly from major storms, rarely [[drizzle]], particularly from subtropical lows that bring warm, moist air onshore.<ref>[http://www.australiantravelguide.com.au/nsw/sydney/ Australia > New South Wales > Sydney] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110218061424/http://www.australiantravelguide.com.au/nsw/sydney/ |date=18 February 2011 }}</ref><ref name=uwyo/>

Due to the unpredictability of rain, the wettest and driest months change on a yearly basis. Rain falls on 40% of days, anytime of the year, but usually in January to June. Coastal showers, which are mostly [[precipitation types|stratiform]], occur in post-frontal south-east flow, where they become volatile over the warm ocean near Sydney, thereby setting up an "[[lake-effect rain#Sea-effect rain|ocean-effect]]" (where rainfall is intensified leeward of a waterbody).<ref name=uwyo/>

[[Cold front|Frontal lows]] frequently affect Sydney in winter, but they are generally dry because such lows remain farther south, and the cold front's passage is connected with a shift from warm and dry northwesterly winds to colder, damp south-westerlies, which lose much of their moisture over the Great Dividing Range.<ref name=uwyo/> Therefore, the drier winters are due to its [[rain shadow]] position on the leeward (eastern) side of the Great Dividing Range, which shield the region from south-[[Westerlies|westerly]] [[polar vortex|cold fronts]] that arrive from the [[Southern Ocean]].<ref>[https://www.willyweather.com.au/news/5291/rain+shadows.html Rain Shadows] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210922232632/https://www.willyweather.com.au/news/5291/rain+shadows.html |date=22 September 2021 }} by Don White. Australian Weather News. Willy Weather. Retrieved 24 May 2021.</ref><ref>[https://thenewdaily.com.au/weather/2020/05/28/bom-winter-weather-forecast-2020/ And the outlook for winter is … wet] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725121537/https://thenewdaily.com.au/weather/2020/05/28/bom-winter-weather-forecast-2020/ |date=25 July 2021 }} by Kate Doyle from [[The New Daily]]. Retrieved 24 May 2021.</ref>

Within the city and surrounds, rainfall varies, from around {{Convert|730|mm|2|abbr=on}} at [[Badgerys Creek, New South Wales|Badgerys Creek]]<ref name="acnbc">{{BoM Aust stats|site_ref=cw_067108_All|site_name=Badgerys Creek AWS|access-date=19 January 2014}}</ref> (in the west) to {{convert|1400|mm|2|abbr=on}} at [[Turramurra]] (the northeast) in the [[Northern Suburbs]], which create an [[Orographic lift|orographic rainfall]].<ref>{{cite web|last1=Ku-ring-gai Historical Society|title=Turramurra|url=http://www.khs.org.au/local/turramurra.html|access-date=21 February 2015|archive-date=27 February 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150227042017/http://khs.org.au/local/turramurra.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The annual [[evaporation]] rate for Sydney is {{convert|1,600|mm|2|abbr=on}},<ref>[http://www.bom.gov.au/jsp/ncc/climate_averages/evaporation/index.jsp?period=an#maps Average pan evaporation - Average annual, monthly and seasonal evaporation] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200727120848/http://www.bom.gov.au/jsp/ncc/climate_averages/evaporation/index.jsp?period=an#maps |date=27 July 2020 }} Bureau of Meteorology</ref> with the rate in the summer being {{convert|600|mm|2|abbr=on}}<ref>[http://www.bom.gov.au/jsp/ncc/climate_averages/evaporation/index.jsp?period=sum#maps Average pan evaporation - Summer] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200727161646/http://www.bom.gov.au/jsp/ncc/climate_averages/evaporation/index.jsp?period=sum#maps |date=27 July 2020 }} Bureau of Meteorology</ref> and in winter {{convert|300|mm|2|abbr=on}}.<ref>[http://www.bom.gov.au/jsp/ncc/climate_averages/evaporation/index.jsp?period=win#maps Average pan evaporation - Winter] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200727120850/http://www.bom.gov.au/jsp/ncc/climate_averages/evaporation/index.jsp?period=win#maps |date=27 July 2020 }} Bureau of Meteorology</ref>

===Storms===
{{see also|Severe weather events in Sydney}}
[[File:Sydneyhail.jpg|thumb|Heavy hailstorm in [[Pagewood, New South Wales|Pagewood]], April 2015]]
[[File:Storm rolling over Coogee (24412957367).jpg|thumb|Storm rolling over [[Coogee, New South Wales|Coogee Beach]], December 2017]]
[[Australian east coast low|East coast lows]], which strike from the southeast in the [[Tasman Sea]], bring heavy rainfall typically in autumn to early winter.<ref>[http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/sam/#tabs=SAM-in-winter Southern Annular Mode and the Australian climate – The Southern Annular Mode in winter] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126130549/http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/sam/#tabs=SAM-in-winter |date=26 January 2021 }}  Bureau of Meteorology. Retrieved 23 January 2021</ref> The precipitation of the low comes from a [[nimbostratus cloud]] that dumps as much as {{convert|70|mm|2|abbr=on}} of rain for as much as two days.<ref name=uwyo>[http://www-das.uwyo.edu/~geerts/cwx/notes/chap16/sydney_clim.html The climate of Sydney, Australia] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200219190550/http://www-das.uwyo.edu/~geerts/cwx/notes/chap16/sydney_clim.html |date=19 February 2020 }} E. Linacre and B. Geerts. November 1998</ref> Annually, there are around 40 days with [[convective]] thunderstorms, which particularly occur in late spring and summer – Such storms arrive from the west, and normally involve northeasterly winds at the surface.

The western suburbs are more inclined to receive thunderstorms in summer due to the stabilizing effect of a [[sea breeze]] in the afternoon near the CBD and Eastern Suburbs.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Saunders |first=Tom |date=5 December 2020 |title=NSW weather: Lightning and thunderstorm forecast for summer |work=the daily telegraph |url=https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/nsw-weather-lightning-and-thunderstorm-forecast-for-summer/news-story/e7ea0b06512fca5b1e23e2ec522c1e52 |access-date=29 April 2022}}</ref> Isolated convective showers form when a [[cold pool]] arrives from the southwest, particularly on hot and sultry days.<ref>[https://www.9news.com.au/national/weather-news-freak-storm-sweeps-through-sydney-heavy-rain-wind/2058c472-45d5-4afa-b2e6-5e5f3b240fb2 Temperatures plummet after freak thunderstorm hits Sydney] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221222111223/https://www.9news.com.au/national/weather-news-freak-storm-sweeps-through-sydney-heavy-rain-wind/2058c472-45d5-4afa-b2e6-5e5f3b240fb2 |date=22 December 2022 }} By Savannah Meacham from 9 News Sydney. 12 December 2022. Retrieved 22 December 2022.</ref> These showers usually come in heavy downpours and can include hail, squalls, and drops in temperature, but they generally pass very quickly.<ref>[http://arr.ga.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0019/40267/ARR_Project_1_Stage3_Climate_Change_Research_Plan.pdf Australian Rainfall & Runoff PROJECT 1 Development of Intensity Frequency-Duration Information across Australia] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200307130701/http://arr.ga.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0019/40267/ARR_Project_1_Stage3_Climate_Change_Research_Plan.pdf |date=7 March 2020 }} Climate Change Research Plan Project, Engineers Australia, December 2015</ref> [[Black nor'easter]]s may bring persistent rainfall for a few consecutive days in the warm months, and [[Australian northwest cloudbands]] produce light rainfall in the cool months.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article15284763 |title=BLACK NOR-EASTER. |newspaper=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] |date=30 October 1911 |access-date=27 March 2015 |page=7 |publisher=National Library of Australia |archive-date=12 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230912221536/https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/15284763 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="acnoh6"/><ref name="acnli"/>

The city is rarely affected by [[tropical cyclone|cyclones]], although remnants of ex-cyclones do affect the city.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bom.gov.au/cyclone/about/cyclones-nsw-impacts.shtml|title=Tropical Cyclones in New South Wales|access-date=21 February 2011|archive-date=2 April 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110402133139/http://www.bom.gov.au/cyclone/about/cyclones-nsw-impacts.shtml|url-status=live}}</ref> The city is prone to severe [[hail]]storms, windstorms, and [[flash flood]]ing. Scientists have predicted that rainfall will become more unpredictable and temperatures will be on the rise.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.sydneywater.com.au/SW/teachers-students/facts-about-water/secondary-students/the-water-cycle-in-nature/weather---climate/index.htm<|title=Weather & climate|access-date=25 December 2014}}{{Dead link|date=September 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bom.gov.au/watl/about-weather-and-climate/australian-climate-influences.shtml?bookmark=eastcoastlow|title=East Coast Lows|access-date=4 January 2016|archive-date=28 January 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160128225612/http://www.bom.gov.au/watl/about-weather-and-climate/australian-climate-influences.shtml?bookmark=eastcoastlow|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2011, Sydney recorded its wettest July since 1950, where the CBD recorded {{convert|244|mm|2|abbr=on}} of rain that month. 2011 was also the wettest year since records began in 1858.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sydney-records-its-wettest-july-in-50-years/story-e6freuy9-1226099501499|title=Sydney records its wettest July in 50 years as parts of NSW are declared disaster zones}}</ref> Parts of western Sydney were substantially flooded during the [[March 2021 New South Wales floods|New South Wales 2021 floods]], with many areas around [[Richmond, New South Wales|Richmond]] and [[Windsor, New South Wales|Windsor]] submerged in floodwaters.<ref>[https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-03-21/sydney-weather-live-bom-evacuation-warnings-flooding/100019438 Sydney weather live: Evacuation warnings across Western Sydney and Mid-North Coast as Warragamba Dam overflows] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210322032117/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-03-21/sydney-weather-live-bom-evacuation-warnings-flooding/100019438 |date=22 March 2021 }} by ABC News. 21 March 2021</ref> In [[2022 eastern Australia floods|early 2022]], Sydney recorded its wettest start to a year on record with the running annual total being {{convert|821.6|mm|2|abbr=on}}, topping {{convert|782.8|mm|2|abbr=on}} to the same date in 1956 and {{convert|753.8|mm|2|abbr=on}} in 1990, respectively (rainfall data at Sydney Observatory Hill dates back to 1858).<ref>[https://www.weatherzone.com.au/news/sydneys-wettest-start-to-a-year-on-record-as-flooding-worsens-over-eastern-nsw/536527 Sydney's wettest start to a year on record as flooding worsens over eastern NSW] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220308013746/https://www.weatherzone.com.au/news/sydneys-wettest-start-to-a-year-on-record-as-flooding-worsens-over-eastern-nsw/536527 |date=8 March 2022 }} Ben Domensino from Weatherzone. 8 March 2022.</ref>

===Snowfall===
Snow is extremely rare in Sydney, with significant snowfall being last reported in the Sydney area on 28 June 1836. On that date, it was reported that [[convicts in Australia|convicts]] and British settlers in [[Hyde Park, Sydney|Hyde Park]] woke up to snow "nearly {{convert|1|inch|cm|abbr=on}} deep", with the meteorological table in [[The Sydney Herald]] recording that on the morning of the snow the temperature dropped to {{convert|3|C}}. The snow event affected trading where sellers were unable to transport goods to markets in the colony. The snowfall occurred at the end of the [[dalton minimum]], a [[solar cycle]] period representing low [[solar activity]], where colder temperatures were recorded globally.<ref>[https://climatehistory.com.au/2011/12/06/1836-snow-in-sydney/ 1836: Snow in Sydney] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220216015225/https://climatehistory.com.au/2011/12/06/1836-snow-in-sydney/ |date=16 February 2022 }} CLIMATE HISTORY AUSTRALIA</ref> A keeper of weather observations during that period, T. A. Browne noted:<ref>MacDonnell, Freda. Thomas Nelson (Australia) Limited, 1967. Before King's Cross</ref>

{{blockquote|The years 1836, 1837 and 1838 were years of [[drought]], and in one of these years (1836) a remarkable thing happened. There was a fall of snow; we made [[snowball]]s at [[Enmore, New South Wales|Enmore]] and enjoyed the usual schoolboy amusements therewith.}}

''The Sydney Morning Herald'' reported on the event, saying:

{{blockquote|For the first time in the memory of the oldest inhabitants, snow fell in Sydney on the morning of Tuesday last. 27 June 1836, about 7 o'clock in the morning, a drifting fall covered the streets nearly one inch in depth...A razor-keen wind from the west blew pretty strongly at the time and altogether, it was the most [[climate of England|English like winter]] morning ever experienced.}}
[[File:Sydney 2008 "snow" (graupel).jpg|thumb|Fall of graupel (July 2008)]]
''[[The Sydney Monitor]]'' reported:<ref>[https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-05-11/the-day-it-snowed-in-sydney/9743600 Sydney weather: Winter of 1836 remembered, the day it snowed in the Harbour City] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210802130943/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-05-11/the-day-it-snowed-in-sydney/9743600 |date=2 August 2021 }} by Nick Sas, 11 May 2018. [[ABC News Australia]]. Retrieved 22 May 2021.</ref>

{{blockquote|We believe snow was never seen in Sydney before the previous night. The weather was cold, but not more so than we have often felt it before.}}

Scant snowfall has been recorded in latter dates:
*On 22 June 1951, light [[snowflake]]s (which melted into rain) were reported in the suburbs of Liverpool, [[Pymble, New South Wales|Pymble]] and [[Kingsgrove]].<ref>[https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/18219788 Snow Reported in Sydney; Heavy Falls In Mountains] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220216023935/https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/18219788 |date=16 February 2022 }} Trove Partners</ref>
*On 25 July 1986, [[Rain and snow mixed|melting snow]] was observed in Sydney CBD, [[Sydney Airport]] and [[Bankstown]], which did not settle on the ground.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.aer.gov.au/system/files/Attachment%203%20-%20Bureau%20of%20Meteorology%20-%20A%20history%20of%20stormy%20weather.pdf|title=Ausgrid's pass through application Bureau of Meteorology: A history of stormy weather|date=August 2015|work=AAP|access-date= 15 June 2024}}</ref>
*On 27 July 2008, a fall of [[graupel]] or soft hail (which was mistaken for snow by residents), blanketed [[Lindfield, New South Wales|Lindfield]], [[Roseville, New South Wales|Roseville]] and [[Killara, New South Wales|Killara]] in white. Owing to this event, a senior forecaster from the Bureau of Meteorology doubted the 1836 snow account, stating that weather observers in that time period lacked the technology and skill to distinguish snow from soft hail.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,20797,24085664-5003402,00.html?from=public_rss|title=Sydney weather hail, not snow|date=27 July 2008|work=AAP|access-date=11 August 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090106032240/http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0%2C20797%2C24085664-5003402%2C00.html?from=public_rss|archive-date=6 January 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Drought==
{{see also|Federation Drought|1979–83 Eastern Australian drought|2000s Australian drought}}
[[File:Bushfire haze Sydney 002.jpg|thumb|Smoke haze in the [[Sydney Harbour]] during [[2019–20 Australian bushfire season|2019–20 bushfires]].]]
Sydney's winter rainfall is predicted to decrease by 20-35% by the year 2090.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.climatechange.environment.nsw.gov.au/my-region/metropolitan-sydney |title=Climate change in Metropolitan Sydney |publisher=[[NSW Government]] |access-date=9 August 2025}}</ref> The other phenomenon that arises from these long, dry and hot periods is bushfires, which occur frequently in the areas surrounding the city. [[Water supply]] is a recurring concern for the city during drought periods.

In 2005 the [[reservoir]]s reached an all-time low. Many areas of the city bordering bushland have experienced bushfires, notably in 1994 and [[Black Christmas bushfires|2001–02]] — these tend to occur during the spring and summer. Heatwaves, which are regularly occurring in recent years, usually lead to [[Water restrictions in Australia|water restrictions]] and a high risk of [[Bushfires in Australia|bushfires]], which sometimes bring a smoky [[haze]] to the city. [[Smog]] is noticeable on hot days, even without bushfires.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://goaustralia.about.com/cs/practicalinfo/a/sydneysummer.htm |title=The Best Time to Visit Sydney - Summer |access-date=21 February 2011 |archive-date=24 December 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161224223623/http://goaustralia.about.com/cs/practicalinfo/a/sydneysummer.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|publisher=Weather2Travel|date=2014|url=http://www.weather2travel.com/climate-guides/australia/new-south-wales/sydney.php|title=Sydney climate and weather averages|access-date=5 October 2014|archive-date=5 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151005164231/http://www.weather2travel.com/climate-guides/australia/new-south-wales/sydney.php|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|publisher=Meteo365.com|date=2013|url=http://www.surf-forecast.com/breaks/Bondi-Beach/seatemp|title=Bondi Beach water temperature|access-date=5 October 2014|archive-date=6 January 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150106081223/http://www.surf-forecast.com/breaks/Bondi-Beach/seatemp|url-status=live}}</ref> The years 2009 and 2010 had dry conditions, according to Bureau of Meteorology.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/current/annual/nsw/archive/2009.sydney.shtml |title=Year 2009: Very warm with below average rainfall in Sydney |publisher=Bom.gov.au |date=4 January 2010 |access-date=19 January 2014 |archive-date=20 March 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150320201433/http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/current/annual/nsw/archive/2009.sydney.shtml |url-status=live }}</ref>

In September 2013, the combination of dry weather, warm temperatures and strong winds brought early-season bushfires. The summer of 2013-14 was the driest in 72 years. The widespread [[2019–20 Australian bushfire season|bushfires in December 2019]] affected the western periphery of the city, and the Sydney metropolitan area suffered from dangerous smoky [[haze]] for several days throughout the month<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.news.com.au/national/sydney-smoke-haze-reaches-11-times-the-hazardous-level/video/1d45b28f8c2459ee9ecfb9fee65fbbfe|title=Sydney smoke haze reaches 11 times the hazardous level|access-date=1 Jan 2020|archive-date=1 January 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200101102625/https://www.news.com.au/national/sydney-smoke-haze-reaches-11-times-the-hazardous-level/video/1d45b28f8c2459ee9ecfb9fee65fbbfe|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/gallery/2019/dec/10/sydneys-top-landmarks-smothered-in-smoke-in-pictures |title=Sydney smoke: bushfires haze smothers landmarks – in pictures |newspaper=The Guardian |date=10 December 2019 |access-date=1 Jan 2020 |last1=Hromas |first1=Jessica |archive-date=1 January 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200101050649/https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/gallery/2019/dec/10/sydneys-top-landmarks-smothered-in-smoke-in-pictures |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/temperature-inversion-traps-smoke-in-sydney/news-story/b6d804cc21eaaaf9b88ec6a448285be8|title=Bushfire smoke makes Sydney air quality worse than Delhi|date=3 December 2019 |access-date=1 Jan 2020|archive-date=28 March 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220328114042/https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/temperature-inversion-traps-smoke-in-sydney/news-story/b6d804cc21eaaaf9b88ec6a448285be8|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/health/health-problems/sydney-fire-haze-equal-to-smoking-32-cigarettes/news-story/7ab680a39edd6d87ae76e35894f949f6|title=Sydney fire haze equal to 'smoking 32 cigarettes'|access-date=1 Jan 2020|archive-date=31 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191231145659/https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/health/health-problems/sydney-fire-haze-equal-to-smoking-32-cigarettes/news-story/7ab680a39edd6d87ae76e35894f949f6|url-status=live}}</ref> 2019 was one of Sydney's warmest in 161 years and the driest since 2005, which had a few days of raised dust and as well as declining dam levels.

==Wind==
[[File:Todd Weather Folios Synoptic chart 1883 Nov 10.jpg|thumb|The [[Roaring forties]] as they shift towards southeastern Australia]]
As a whole, the Sydney region is generally the windiest from October to January and calmest from March to June. The windier locations are those by the coast, such as the [[Eastern Suburbs (Sydney)|eastern suburbs]]. The [[Prevailing winds|prevailing wind]]s are seasonal in coastal Sydney; northeasterly sea breezes arriving in the summer provide relief on hot days; in winter and early spring, generally strong and cool winds come from the west or north-west, which are related to large scale synoptic events.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/-/media/corporate/files/2020-07-migrated/files_a-2/attachment-b24-draft-central-sydney-planning-strategy-appendix-i-wind-study.pdf?download=true |title=Environmental Wind Assessment |publisher=[[Arup Group|Arup]] Australia Pty Ltd| date =1 July 2021|access-date=30 April 2024}}</ref> Summer winds from the south may be strong (i.e. southerly buster). Spring and autumn winds tend to be variable.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://meetings.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/documents/s60948/Attachment%20A4%20-%20Environmental%20Wind%20Assessment.pdf |author=Cermak Peterka Petersen |title=Appendix I Wind Study |publisher=City of Sydney| date =2016|access-date=30 April 2024}}</ref>

Northeasterlies and easterly sea breezes are dominant from early summer to early autumn, because the anticlockwise-rotating subtropical ridge is to the south of the city where it allows winds from the sea to penetrate. Westerlies are dominant in late winter to mid-spring as the subtropical ridge is just to the north of the city, picking up winds from the interior and blocking easterlies from the sea.<ref name="rmets"/> Westerly winds in Sydney are intensified when the [[Roaring forties]] contract towards the southeastern Australia.<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/may/12/roaring-forties-shift-south-means-more-droughts-for-southern-australia Roaring Forties' shift south means more droughts for southern Australia] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221031230652/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/may/12/roaring-forties-shift-south-means-more-droughts-for-southern-australia |date=31 October 2022}} by Helen Davidson from [[The Guardian]]. 12 May 2014. Retrieved 3 September 2022.</ref>

[[Southerly buster]]s are expected from October to the end of March. They typically look like as if a sheet of cloud is rolled up like a scroll by the advancing wind. The change of wind (in the warm months) is sometimes very sudden, where it may be fresh northeasterly and in ten minutes a southerly gale. [[Katabatic wind]]s are light, south-westerly drainage winds, akin to [[land breeze]]s, that occur when [[air density|air of higher density]] in the Blue Mountains descends under [[gravity force]] into the Sydney metropolitan area and the [[Hawkesbury, New South Wales|Hawkesbury Basin]], usually during a winter night.<ref name="Harris2019">{{cite book|author=Mark Harris|title=Confronting Global Climate Change: Experiments & Applications in the Tropics|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CiGeDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA8|date=7 June 2019|publisher=CRC Press|isbn=978-1-00-000178-5|pages=8–|access-date=18 April 2020|archive-date=12 September 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230912222033/https://books.google.com/books?id=CiGeDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA8|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>[http://www-das.uwyo.edu/~geerts/cwx/notes/chap16/sydney_clim.html The climate of Sydney, Australia] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200219190550/http://www-das.uwyo.edu/~geerts/cwx/notes/chap16/sydney_clim.html |date=19 February 2020}} by E. Linacre and B. Geerts, November 1998. Retrieved 18 April 2020</ref><ref>[https://www.westernsydneyairport.gov.au/sites/default/files/volume-4_appendix-d_-western-sydney-airport-usability-report.pdf Appendix D Western Sydney Airport Usability Report] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200311080925/https://www.westernsydneyairport.gov.au/sites/default/files/volume-4_appendix-d_-western-sydney-airport-usability-report.pdf |date=11 March 2020}} Pages 4 & 15, Head of Aviation and Defence Weather Services, Bureau of Meteorology, 8/04/2015. Retrieved 18 April 2020.</ref>

[[File:Sunny_Sydney_Skyline.jpg|thumb|Sunny winter days in Sydney are usually a result of the [[foehn effect]].]]
Since Sydney is located on the [[Great Dividing Range]]'s eastern side, and is thus in its [[rain shadow]],{{efn|Sydney is only rain shadowed when it comes to westerly frontal systems that originate in the Southern Ocean (which are consequently blocked by the Great Dividing Range as they move east). The city is not entirely located in a rain shadow region as it is still exposed to moist easterlies from the [[Tasman Sea]].}} it experiences a [[Southeast Australian foehn|föhn-like type of wind]], particularly between late autumn and early spring, which is a dry south-westerly that raises the air temperature and provides clear to partly sunny conditions in the lee of the mountains (in this case, the [[Sydney Basin]]), after the arrival of a vigorous westerly cold front from the [[Southern Ocean]].<ref>[https://www.farmonlineweather.com.au/help/glossary.jsp?l=f Weather Glossary - F] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220321075738/https://farmonlineweather.com.au/help/glossary.jsp?l=f |date=21 March 2022}} Farmonline Weather</ref><ref>Drechsel, S., Mayr, G.J. (2008) Objective forecasting of foehn winds for a subgrid-scale alpine valley. Weather and Forecasting, 23, 205-218.</ref><ref name=olympic/> In the cool season, these föhn-like winds can be particularly damaging to homes and [[Flight cancellation and delay|affect flights]].<ref>[https://www.theleader.com.au/story/6319272/update-dozens-of-flights-grounded-as-wild-winds-lash-sydney-and-melbourne/ Cold, damaging winds blast Sydney] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190809215130/https://www.theleader.com.au/story/6319272/update-dozens-of-flights-grounded-as-wild-winds-lash-sydney-and-melbourne/ |date=9 August 2019}} by The Leader, 9 August 2019. Retrieved 22 April 2020</ref><ref>[https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-08-09/bom-weather-warnings-nsw-roof-ripped-off-nursing-home-stockton/11399816 BOM warns NSW to brace for worse weather as strong winds tear roof off Newcastle nursing home] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201107231007/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-08-09/bom-weather-warnings-nsw-roof-ripped-off-nursing-home-stockton/11399816 |date=7 November 2020 }} by [[ABC News Australia]], 9 August 2019. Retrieved 22 April 2020.</ref><ref>[https://ro.uow.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1010&context=wollgeo Local climate processes in the Illawarra] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220527222904/https://ro.uow.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1010&context=wollgeo |date=27 May 2022}} by Edward A. Bryant, Department of Geography, [[University of Wollongong]], 1982</ref>

{| class="wikitable" style="margin: 1em auto;"
! colspan="8" |Wind direction in Sydney from 2002 to 2012 (average values)
|-
|North
|Northeast
|East
|South East
|Southern
|Southwest
|West
|Northwest
|-
|5.9%
|16.9%
|14.1%
|14.6%
|24.9%
|4.1%
|11.9%
|7.6%
|-
| colspan="8" |  ''Source: [https://world-weather.info/archive/australia/sydney/ world-weather.info]''
|}

===Air masses===
Sydney is affected by five [[air mass]] types throughout the year:<ref>[https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0020/137225/air-masses-influencing-australian-weather.pdf Air masses influencing Australian weather] ''NSW Department of Primary Industries'', May 2007. Retrieved 6 February 2024.</ref>
[[File:Todd Weather Folios Early synoptic chart 1882 May 29.jpg|thumb|The region of Sydney being affected by the ''Subtropical continental (ST)'' airmass]]
*'''''Tropical continental (CT)''''': Very hot, dry air from northern half of central Australia that can bring extreme heat, typically from late spring to summer (i.e. [[brickfielder]]). These come from the northwest and are called north-westerlies.
*'''''Tropical maritime Tasman (MT)''''': Mild to warm, moist airmass from the northern Tasman Sea that brings overcast, humid, sometimes showery conditions and even heavy rain at any time of the year (i.e. [[Australian east coast low|east coast lows]], [[black nor'easter]]s). These are north-easterlies or northerlies.
*'''''Subtropical continental (ST)''''': Mild to warm, dry air from southern [[central Australia]] that is more dominant in late winter to early spring (i.e. the [[Australian High]]). These are westerlies.
*'''''Southern maritime (SM)''''': Mild to cool, moist air from the [[Southern Ocean]] that brings drizzle and, at times, cloud cover at any time of the year (i.e. [[southerly buster]]s). These are southerlies or south-easterlies.
*'''''Modified polar maritime (MP)''''': Cool, sometimes cold, generally dry airmass, typically occurring in winter (though not unknown in late autumn and early spring), that can be very windy when it arrives from the southwest over the Great Dividing Ranges (i.e. [[southeast Australian foehn]]).{{efn|Although maritime in origin, this airmass [[foehn effect|becomes dry]] in the lee of Ranges. Incidentally, the foehn effect is also observed when hot, dry northwesterly winds impact the region, as they too cross the Ranges.}} These are south-westerlies.

==Historical descriptions==
=== Aboriginal seasons ===
The [[Sydney Basin]] is in the traditional lands of the [[Dharawal]] people. The Dharawal describe six seasons for their country which extends from the southern shores of Port Jackson (Sydney Harbour) to the northern shores of the Shoalhaven River, and from the eastern shores of the Wollondilly River system to the eastern seaboard.<ref>{{cite web |title=Indigenous Weather Knowledge |url=http://www.bom.gov.au/iwk/calendars/dharawal.shtml |access-date=22 December 2020 |publisher=Bom.gov.au |archive-date=30 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201130014733/http://www.bom.gov.au/iwk/calendars/dharawal.shtml |url-status=live }}</ref>

*January–March (''Burran''): Hot and dry
*April–June (''Marrai'gang''): Wet, becoming cooler
*June–July (''Burrugin''): Cold, frosty, short days
*July–August (''Wiritjiribin''): Cold and windy
*September–October (''Ngoonungi''): Cool, getting warmer
*November–December (''Parra'dowee''): Warm and wet

=== European settlers===
;Winter cold
On 18 July 1791, [[Watkin Tench]] described a particularly cold morning for Sydney's standards, in the area that is now [[Carramar, New South Wales|Carramar]], near a waterbody that was most likely to be [[Prospect Creek (New South Wales)|Prospect Creek]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://heritagecollection.fairfieldcity.nsw.gov.au/nodes/view/386 | title=Cabrogal to Fairfield City: A History of a Multicultural Community| author = Stephen Gapps |publisher=Fairfield City Council | location = [[Wakeley, New South Wales]]| access-date=17 July 2025 | date= 2009}}</ref> Tench carried a thermometer in the area to record the unusually cool temperatures, in which he stated that "a degree of cold for the [[latitude]] of the place that I think myself bound to transcribe it."<ref name=tench/> Such cold mornings can be attributed to the [[The Little Ice Age]], which extended from the 16th to the 19th centuries, and would have [[The Little Ice Age#Australia and New_Zealand|affected south-east Australia's climate]] in the late 18th century, which was at the time when Europeans first colonized Australia.<ref name="sciencedirect.com">{{Cite journal |last1=Tibby |first1=J. |last2=Tyler |first2=J. J. |last3=Barr |first3=C. |date=15 December 2018 |title=Post little ice age drying of eastern Australia conflates understanding of early settlement impacts |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277379118302051 |journal=Quaternary Science Reviews |series=Archives of Humans, Environments and their Interactions – papers in honour of Professor C. Neil Roberts and Professor Henry F. Lamb |volume=202 |pages=45–54 |doi=10.1016/j.quascirev.2018.10.033 |bibcode=2018QSRv..202...45T |s2cid=134005721 |issn=0277-3791|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

On his diary entry regarding the cold conditions, he wrote:<ref name=tench>{{cite web |title=A Complete Account of the Settlement at Port Jackson |url=https://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks/e00084.html|access-date=9 August 2025 |publisher=Project Gutenberg Australia}}</ref>

{{Quote frame|The sun arose in unclouded splendor and presented to our sight a novel and picturesque view. The contiguous country as white as if covered with snow, contrasted with the foliage of trees flourishing in the verdure of [[tropical vegetation|tropical]] luxuriancy. Even the exhalation which steamed from the lake beneath contributed to heighten the beauty of the scene. Wind SSW. Thermormeter at sunrise {{convert|25|°F|abbr=on}}. The following night was still colder. At sunset the thermometer stood at {{convert|45|°F|abbr=on}}; at a quarter before four in the morning, it was at {{convert|26|°F|abbr=on}}; at a quarter before six at {{convert|24|°F|abbr=on}}; at a quarter before seven, at {{convert|23|°F|abbr=on}}; at seven o'clock, {{convert|22.7|°F|abbr=on}}; at sunrise, {{convert|23|°F|abbr=on}}, after which it continued gradually to mount, and between one and two o'clock, stood at {{convert|59.6|°F|abbr=on}} in the shade. Wind SSW. The horizon perfectly clear all day, not the smallest speck to be seen. Nothing but demonstration could have convinced me that so severe a degree of cold ever existed in this [[subtropics|low latitude]]. Drops of water on a tin pot, not altogether out of the influence of the fire, were [[Freezing|frozen]] into solid ice in less than twelve minutes. Part of a leg of [[kangaroo meat|kangaroo]] which we had roasted for supper was frozen quite hard, all the juices of it being converted into ice. On those [[pond]]s which were near the surface of the earth, the [[pancake ice|covering of ice]] was very thick; but on those which were lower down it was found to be less so, in proportion to their [[Depression (geology)|depression]]; and wherever the water was {{convert|12|ft|m|abbr=on}} below the surface (which happened to be the case close to us) it was uncongealed. It remains to be observed that the cold of both these nights, at [[Parramatta|Rose Hill]] and Sydney, was judged to be greater than had ever before been felt. |Watkin Tench|A Complete Account of the Settlement at Port Jackson}}

Notwithstanding, Tench stated that Sydney's climate at that time was still warm enough to sustain plant life all year round: "Nor will this surprise, if the genial influence of the climate be considered. Placed in a latitude where the beams of the sun in the dreariest season are sufficiently powerful [[sunshine hours|for many hours]] of the day to dispense warmth and nutrition, the [[growing season|progress of vegetation]] never is at a stand."<ref name=tench/>

;Microclimate
In December 1791, [[Lieutenant General]] [[Watkin Tench]] described the difference between the climate of Sydney CBD and inland areas such as [[Parramatta]], which included the [[microclimate]], the diurnal range, and as well as a record of [[snowflake]]s:<ref name=tench/>

{{Quote frame|The different temperatures of [[Rosehill, New South Wales|Rose Hill]] and Sydney in winter, though only {{convert|12|mi|km|1}} apart, afford, however, curious matter of speculation. Of a well attested instance of ice being seen at the latter place, I never heard. At the former place its production is common, and once a few flakes of snow fell. The difference can be accounted for only by supposing that the woods stop the warm [[vapour]]s of the sea from reaching Rose Hill, which is at the distance of {{convert|16|mi|km|1}} inland; whereas Sydney is but four. Again, the heats of summer are more violent at the former place than at the latter, and the variations incomparably quicker. The thermometer has been known to alter at Rose Hill, in the course of nine hours, more than {{convert|50|F-change|0}}; standing a little before sunrise at {{convert|50|°F|abbr=on}}, and between one and two at more than {{convert|100|°F|abbr=on}}.|Watkin Tench|A Complete Account of the Settlement at Port Jackson}}

;Summer heat
In 1791–92, Tench described the summers as uncomfortably hot, where settlers felt "A temporary [[nausea|sickness]] at the stomach, accompanied with lassitude and headache". The heat was reported to be "occasioned by the wind blowing over immense deserts...in a north-west direction from Port Jackson". The heat attested in that summer was so intense that it killed bats and parrots in the area.<ref name=tench/>

{{Quote frame|But even this heat was judged to be far exceeded in the latter end of the following February, when the north-west wind again set in, and blew with great violence for three days...Clouds, storms and sunshine pass in rapid succession. Of rain, we found in general not a sufficiency, but torrents of water sometimes fall. Thunder storms, in summer, are common and very tremendous, but they have ceased to alarm, from rarely causing mischief. Sometimes they happen in winter. I have often seen large [[hailstone]]s fall. Frequent strong breezes from the westward purge the air. These are almost invariably attended with a hard clear sky. The easterly winds, by setting in from the sea, bring thick weather and rain, except in summer, when they become regular sea-breezes. The '[[aurora australis]]' is sometimes seen, but is not distinguished by superior brilliancy.|Watkin Tench|A Complete Account of the Settlement at Port Jackson}}

In 1819, British explorer [[William Wentworth]] describes Sydney's climate as being pleasant, though he focuses particularly on the summer heat:<ref name = wentworth/>
[[File:Julian Ashton - Tamarama Beach, forty years ago, a summer morning - Google Art Project.jpg|thumb|Women bathing at [[Tamarama Beach]] in summer, 1899]]

{{Quote frame|The climate of the colony, particularly in the inland districts, is highly salubrious, although the heats in summer are sometimes excessive, the [[thermometer]] frequently rising in the shade to {{convert|90|F|C}}, and even to a {{convert|100|F|C}} and upwards of Fahrenheit – This, it must be admitted, is a degree of heat that would be highly oppressive to [[White people|Europeans]], were it not that the sea breeze sets in regularly about nine o'clock in the morning. If the summers are occasionally a little too hot for the European constitution, it will be remembered that the extreme heats which I have noticed as happening during the north-west winds, are of but short continuance; and that the sea and land breezes, which prevail at this season in an almost uninterrupted succession, moderate the temperature so effectually, that even [[immigration to Australia|new comers]] are but little incommoded by it. The hot season, however, which is undoubtedly the most unhealthy part of the year, does not, as will have been perceived, continue above four months. The remaining eight possess a temperature so highly moderate and congenial to the [[wellbeing|human constitution]], that the climate of this [[History of Sydney|colony]] would upon the whole, appear to justify the glowing enthusiasm of those who have ventured to call it the [[Montpellier]] of the world.}}

====Seasons====
Below, Wentworth describes Sydney's{{efn|William Wentworth is describing the climate of Liverpool in greater western Sydney, which is hotter in the summer and cooler in the winter during nighttime.}} seasonal and annual weather patterns in analytical detail:<ref name = wentworth>[http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks/e00068.html Statistical, Historical, and Political Description of NSW] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210510190151/http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks/e00068.html |date=10 May 2021}} by William Charles Wentworth, 1819</ref>
[[File:Arthur Streeton - The railway station, Redfern - Google Art Project.jpg|thumb|A rainy day in [[Redfern, New South Wales|Redfern]] ([[Arthur Streeton]], 1893)]]
{{Quote frame|
;Summer
During these three months violent storms of thunder and [[lightning]] are very frequent, and the heavy falls of rain which take place on these occasions, tend considerably to refresh the country, of which the [[Vegetation|verdure]] in all but low moist situations entirely disappears. At this season the most unpleasant part of the day is the interval which elapses between the cessation of the [[land breeze]] and the setting in of the sea. This happens generally between six and eight o'clock in the morning, when the [[thermometer]] is upon an average at about {{convert|72|F|C}}. During this interval the sea is as smooth as glass, and not a [[West wind|zephyr]] is found to disport even among the topmost boughs of the loftiest trees.

;Autumn
The weather in March is generally very unsettled. This month, in fact, may be considered the [[rainy season]], and has been more [[soil fertility|fertile]] in floods than any other of the year. The thermometer varies during the day about 12 °C, being at [[dawn|day-light]] as low as from {{convert|55|to|60|F|C}}, and at noon as high as from {{convert|70|to|75|F|C}}. The sea and land breezes at this time become very feeble, although they occasionally prevail during the whole year. The usual winds from the end of March to the beginning of September, are from S. to S. W.

The weather in the commencement of April is frequently showery, but towards the middle it gradually becomes more settled, and towards the conclusion perfectly clear and serene. The thermometer at the beginning of the month varies from {{convert|72|to|74|F|C}} at noon, and from the middle to the end gradually declines to {{convert|66|F|C}} and sometimes to {{convert|60|F|C}}. In the mornings it is as low as {{convert|52|F|C}}, and fires become in consequence general throughout the colony.

The weather in the month of May is truly delightful. The atmosphere is perfectly cloudless, and the mornings and evenings become with the advance of the month more chilly, and render a good fire a highly comfortable and cheering guest. Even during the middle of the day the most violent exercise may be taken without inconvenience. The thermometer at sun-rise is under {{convert|50|F|C}}, and seldom above {{convert|60|F|C}} at noon.

;Winter
The three winter months are June, July, and August. During this interval the mornings and evenings are very chilly, and the nights excessively cold. Hoar frosts are frequent, and become more severe the further you advance into the interior. Ice {{convert|0.5|in|cm}} thick is found at the distance of {{Convert|20|mi|abbr=on}} from the coast. Very little rain falls at this season, but the [[dew]]s are very heavy when it does not freeze, and tend considerably to preserve the young [[crop]]s from the effects of drought. Fogs too are frequent and dense in low damp situations, and on the banks of the rivers. The mean temperature at day-light is from {{convert|40|to|45|F|C}}, and at noon from {{convert|55|to|60|F|C}}.

;Spring
The spring months are September, October, and November. In the beginning of September the fogs still continue; the nights are cold, but the days clear and pleasant. Towards the close of this month the cold begins very sensibly to moderate. Light showers occasionally prevail, accompanied with thunder and lightning. The thermometer at the beginning of the month is seldom above {{convert|60|F|C}} at noon, but towards the end frequently rises to {{convert|70|F|C}}

In October there are also occasional showers, but the weather upon the whole is clear and pleasant. The days gradually become warmer, and the blighting north-west winds are to be apprehended. The sea and land breezes again resume their full sway. The thermometer at sun-rise varies from {{convert|60|to|65|F|C}}, and at noon is frequently up to {{convert|80|F|C}}.

In November the weather may be again called hot. Dry parching winds prevail as the month advances, and squalls of thunder and lightning with rain or hail. The thermometer at day-light is seldom under {{convert|65|F|C}}, and frequently at noon rises to {{convert|80|F|C}}, {{convert|84|F|C}}, and even {{convert|90|F|C}}.|William Wentworth|Statistical, Historical, and Political Description of NSW}}

==Climate data==
{{ref|a|[note a]}}
[[File:SydneyObservatory1 gobeirne.jpg|thumb|The weather of the [[Sydney central business district|Sydney CBD]] is recorded at [[Sydney Observatory|Observatory Hill]].]]
{{Sydney weatherbox}} <!-- "acnoh" ref hides in there -->
[[File:Sydney Airport (2004) By Air.jpg|thumb|Sydney's second official weather station is located at [[Kingsford Smith Airport]].]]
{{Weather box
|location = [[Sydney Airport]] ([[Eastern Suburbs (Sydney)#South East, Port and Airport|Southeastern Sydney]], [[St George, Sydney|St George]], parts of [[Southern Sydney]], and southern City of Sydney)
|metric first = Yes
|single line = Yes
|collapsed = Yes
|rain colour = green
|Jan record high C = 46.4
|Feb record high C = 42.9
|Mar record high C = 41.2
|Apr record high C = 36.8
|May record high C = 30.0
|Jun record high C = 26.8
|Jul record high C = 27.0
|Aug record high C = 31.6
|Sep record high C = 35.9
|Oct record high C = 39.1
|Nov record high C = 43.4
|Dec record high C = 43.5
|year record high C =
|Jan high C = 27.7
|Feb high C = 27.1
|Mar high C = 25.8
|Apr high C = 23.3
|May high C = 20.6
|Jun high C = 18.1
|Jul high C = 17.7
|Aug high C = 19.1
|Sep high C = 21.6
|Oct high C = 23.6
|Nov high C = 24.6
|Dec high C = 26.4
|year high C =
|Jan low C = 20.0
|Feb low C = 20.0
|Mar low C = 18.5
|Apr low C = 15.2
|May low C =12.1
|Jun low C = 9.8
|Jul low C = 8.5
|Aug low C = 9.3
|Sep low C = 11.9
|Oct low C = 14.4
|Nov low C = 16.5
|Dec low C = 18.4
|year low C = 14.5
|Jan record low C = 9.7
|Feb record low C = 11.2
|Mar record low C = 7.4
|Apr record low C = 6.1
|May record low C = 3.0
|Jun record low C = 1.0
|Jul record low C = -0.1
|Aug record low C = 1.2
|Sep record low C = 2.3
|Oct record low C = 4.8
|Nov record low C = 5.9
|Dec record low C = 8.2
|year record low C =
|Jan rain mm = 80.7
|Feb rain mm = 117.2
|Mar rain mm = 96.3
|Apr rain mm = 98.2
|May rain mm = 89.3
|Jun rain mm = 125.9
|Jul rain mm = 69.5
|Aug rain mm = 63.3
|Sep rain mm = 59.0
|Oct rain mm = 55.5
|Nov rain mm = 72.3
|Dec rain mm = 67.1
|year rain mm = 996.2
|Jan rain days = 7.8
|Feb rain days = 8.6
|Mar rain days = 9.4
|Apr rain days = 8.2
|May rain days = 7.6
|Jun rain days =8.9
|Jul rain days = 7.0
|Aug rain days = 5.4
|Sep rain days = 6.3
|Oct rain days = 7.4
|Nov rain days = 8.6
|Dec rain days = 7.9
|year rain days = 93.1
|unit rain days = 1 mm
|humidity colour=green
|Jan afthumidity = 59
|Feb afthumidity = 62
|Mar afthumidity = 60
|Apr afthumidity = 58
|May afthumidity = 59
|Jun afthumidity = 58
|Jul afthumidity = 53
|Aug afthumidity = 46
|Sep afthumidity = 49
|Oct afthumidity = 52
|Nov afthumidity = 56
|Dec afthumidity = 57
|year humidity = 56
|Jan sun = 232.5
|Feb sun = 205.9
|Mar sun = 210.8
|Apr sun = 213.0
|May sun = 204.6
|Jun sun = 171.0
|Jul sun = 207.7
|Aug sun = 248.0
|Sep sun = 243.0
|Oct sun = 244.9
|Nov sun = 222.0
|Dec sun = 235.6
|year sun = 2,639
| Jan dew point C = 16.2
| Feb dew point C = 16.8
| Mar dew point C = 15.5
| Apr dew point C = 12.7
| May dew point C = 9.9
| Jun dew point C = 7.6
| Jul dew point C = 5.6
| Aug dew point C = 5.5
| Sep dew point C =7.7
| Oct dew point C = 9.9
| Nov dew point C = 12.3
| Dec dew point C = 14.3
| year dew point C =  11.2
|source = Bureau of Meteorology<ref name=airport/> (1991-2020 averages, records 1939-)}}

{{Weather box
|location = [[Parramatta]] ([[Western Sydney]])
|metric first = Yes
|single line = Yes
|collapsed= Y
|rain colour = green
|Jan record high C = 47.0
|Feb record high C = 44.5
|Mar record high C = 40.5
|Apr record high C = 37.0
|May record high C = 29.2
|Jun record high C = 25.5
|Jul record high C = 26.8
|Aug record high C = 30.6
|Sep record high C = 36.5
|Oct record high C = 40.1
|Nov record high C = 42.7
|Dec record high C = 44.0
|year record high C = 47.0
|Jan high C = 28.6
|Feb high C = 27.9
|Mar high C = 26.3
|Apr high C = 23.8
|May high C = 20.6
|Jun high C = 17.8
|Jul high C = 17.4
|Aug high C = 19.1
|Sep high C = 21.7
|Oct high C = 24.0
|Nov high C = 25.4
|Dec high C = 27.5
|year high C = 23.3
|Jan low C = 17.6
|Feb low C = 17.6
|Mar low C = 15.9
|Apr low C = 12.8
|May low C = 9.9
|Jun low C = 7.5
|Jul low C = 6.3
|Aug low C = 7.1
|Sep low C = 9.4
|Oct low C = 12.0
|Nov low C = 14.1
|Dec low C = 16.3
|year low C = 12.2
|Jan record low C = 10.1
|Feb record low C = 9.2
|Mar record low C = 6.8
|Apr record low C = 4.0
|May record low C = 1.4
|Jun record low C = 0.8
|Jul record low C = -1.0
|Aug record low C = 0.7
|Sep record low C = 0.7
|Oct record low C = 3.6
|Nov record low C = 4.0
|Dec record low C = 7.7
|year record low C = -1.0
|Jan rain mm = 100.7
|Feb rain mm = 124.8
|Mar rain mm = 109.3
|Apr rain mm = 88.5
|May rain mm = 70.5
|Jun rain mm = 87.1
|Jul rain mm = 45.6
|Aug rain mm = 56.1
|Sep rain mm = 52.8
|Oct rain mm = 68.1
|Nov rain mm = 87.0
|Dec rain mm = 70.2
|year rain mm = 958.6
|Jan rain days = 9.0
|Feb rain days = 9.3
|Mar rain days = 10.1
|Apr rain days =7.1
|May rain days = 6.9
|Jun rain days = 7.5
|Jul rain days = 5.6
|Aug rain days = 5.2
|Sep rain days = 5.8
|Oct rain days = 7.5
|Nov rain days = 8.7
|Dec rain days = 7.7
|year rain days = 90.4
|unit rain days = 1 mm
|humidity colour=green
|Jan afthumidity = 57
|Feb afthumidity = 59
|Mar afthumidity = 59
|Apr afthumidity = 58
|May afthumidity = 60
|Jun afthumidity = 59
|Jul afthumidity = 55
|Aug afthumidity = 46
|Sep afthumidity = 46
|Oct afthumidity = 49
|Nov afthumidity = 54
|Dec afthumidity = 55
|year humidity = 55
| Jan dew point C = 16.7
| Feb dew point C = 17.2
| Mar dew point C = 15.6
| Apr dew point C = 12.5
| May dew point C = 10.6
| Jun dew point C = 8.3
| Jul dew point C = 6.7
| Aug dew point C = 5.5
| Sep dew point C = 7.4
| Oct dew point C = 10.0
| Nov dew point C =12.8
| Dec dew point C = 14.9
| year dew point C = 11.5
|source = Bureau of Meteorology<ref>{{BoM Aust stats|site_ref=cw_066124_All|site_name=Parramatta|access-date=5 August 2017}}</ref>
|source 2= <ref name= "rainfall">{{Cite web |url=http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/cdo/about/definitionsrain.shtml |title=Definitions for rainfall |website=Bureau of Meteorology |access-date=5 July 2016 |archive-date=20 May 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160520052202/http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/cdo/about/definitionsrain.shtml |url-status=live}}</ref>
}}
{{Weather box
|location = Bankstown Airport ([[South Western Sydney]])
|metric first = Yes
|single line = Yes
|collapsed = Yes
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan record high C = 47.0
|Feb record high C = 45.3
|Mar record high C = 41.3
|Apr record high C = 36.9
|May record high C = 28.8
|Jun record high C = 25.4
|Jul record high C = 26.8
|Aug record high C = 30.5
|Sep record high C = 35.6
|Oct record high C = 39.7
|Nov record high C = 43.1
|Dec record high C = 44.9
|Jan high C = 29.0
|Feb high C = 28.2
|Mar high C = 26.5
|Apr high C = 24.0
|May high C = 20.8
|Jun high C = 18.0
|Jul high C = 17.6
|Aug high C = 19.3
|Sep high C = 22.2
|Oct high C = 24.4
|Nov high C = 25.8
|Dec high C = 27.6
|Jan mean C = 23.8
|Feb mean C = 23.3
|Mar mean C = 21.5
|Apr mean C = 18.4
|May mean C = 15.1
|Jun mean C = 12.5
|Jul mean C = 11.5
|Aug mean C = 12.7
|Sep mean C = 15.6
|Oct mean C = 18.2
|Nov mean C = 20.3
|Dec mean C = 22.2
|Jan low C = 18.5
|Feb low C = 18.3
|Mar low C = 16.4
|Apr low C = 12.8
|May low C = 9.3
|Jun low C = 6.9
|Jul low C = 5.4
|Aug low C = 6.0
|Sep low C = 8.9
|Oct low C = 12.0
|Nov low C = 14.7
|Dec low C = 16.8
|Jan record low C = 10.4
|Feb record low C = 10.0
|Mar record low C = 7.8
|Apr record low C = 2.4
|May record low C = 0.7
|Jun record low C = -1.9
|Jul record low C = -4.0
|Aug record low C = -0.7
|Sep record low C = 0.0
|Oct record low C = 4.8
|Nov record low C = 6.8
|Dec record low C = 6.3
|Jan precipitation mm = 87.3
|Feb precipitation mm = 107.3
|Mar precipitation mm = 81.7
|Apr precipitation mm = 67.1
|May precipitation mm = 55.1
|Jun precipitation mm = 83.0
|Jul precipitation mm = 44.5
|Aug precipitation mm = 42.7
|Sep precipitation mm = 44.2
|Oct precipitation mm = 53.2
|Nov precipitation mm = 67.8
|Dec precipitation mm = 66.6
|Jan precipitation days = 7.6
|Feb precipitation days = 7.4
|Mar precipitation days = 8.3
|Apr precipitation days = 6.2
|May precipitation days = 5.8
|Jun precipitation days = 6.8
|Jul precipitation days = 5.4
|Aug precipitation days = 3.9
|Sep precipitation days = 5.0
|Oct precipitation days = 6.0
|Nov precipitation days = 7.4
|Dec precipitation days = 7.5
|unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm
|Jan humidity = 62.5
|Feb humidity = 67.0
|Mar humidity = 66.5
|Apr humidity = 63.5
|May humidity = 66.5
|Jun humidity = 67.5
|Jul humidity = 65.0
|Aug humidity = 55.5
|Sep humidity = 53.5
|Oct humidity = 54.5
|Nov humidity = 60.0
|Dec humidity = 60.0
|Jan dew point C = 16.3
|Feb dew point C = 17.1
|Mar dew point C = 15.2
|Apr dew point C = 12.1
|May dew point C = 9.7
|Jun dew point C = 7.5
|Jul dew point C = 6.0
|Aug dew point C = 5.2
|Sep dew point C = 7.4
|Oct dew point C = 9.7
|Nov dew point C = 12.4
|Dec dew point C = 14.4
|source 1 = Bureau of Meteorology<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bom.gov.au/jsp/ncc/cdio/cvg/av?p_stn_num=066137&p_prim_element_index=0&p_comp_element_index=0&redraw=null&p_display_type=statistics_summary&normals_years=1991-2020&tablesizebutt=normal |title=Climate statistics for Bankstown Airport |publisher=[[Bureau of Meteorology]] |access-date=13 April 2013 |archive-date=26 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220426004757/http://www.bom.gov.au/jsp/ncc/cdio/cvg/av?p_stn_num=066137&p_prim_element_index=0&p_comp_element_index=0&redraw=null&p_display_type=statistics_summary&normals_years=1991-2020&tablesizebutt=normal |url-status=live}}</ref>
}}
{{Weather box
|location = [[Penrith, New South Wales|Penrith]] (Outer Western Sydney)
|metric first = Yes
|single line = Yes
|precipitation colour = green
|collapsed= Y
|Jan record high C = 48.9
|Feb record high C = 46.9
|Mar record high C = 40.6
|Apr record high C = 36.6
|May record high C = 29.4
|Jun record high C = 26.0
|Jul record high C = 28.2
|Aug record high C = 30.3
|Sep record high C = 37.3
|Oct record high C = 38.9
|Nov record high C = 44.9
|Dec record high C = 46.3
|year record high C = 48.9
|Jan high C = 30.8
|Feb high C = 29.3
|Mar high C = 27.5
|Apr high C = 24.4
|May high C = 21.0
|Jun high C = 18.1
|Jul high C = 17.7
|Aug high C = 19.9
|Sep high C = 23.3
|Oct high C = 25.9
|Nov high C = 27.3
|Dec high C = 29.2
|year high C = 24.5
|Jan mean C = 24.8
|Feb mean C = 23.9
|Mar mean C = 22.1
|Apr mean C = 18.8
|May mean C = 15.2
|Jun mean C = 12.5
|Jul mean C = 11.6
|Aug mean C = 13.1
|Sep mean C = 16.4
|Oct mean C = 19.0
|Nov mean C = 21.2
|Dec mean C = 23.1
|year mean C = 18.4
|Jan low C = 18.5
|Feb low C = 18.5
|Mar low C = 16.6
|Apr low C = 13.1
|May low C = 9.3
|Jun low C = 6.9
|Jul low C = 5.4
|Aug low C = 6.2
|Sep low C = 9.4
|Oct low C = 12.1
|Nov low C = 15.0
|Dec low C = 16.9
|year low C = 12.3
|Jan record low C = 10.6
|Feb record low C = 11.6
|Mar record low C = 8.3
|Apr record low C = 3.6
|May record low C = 0.6
|Jun record low C = -1.1
|Jul record low C = -1.8
|Aug record low C = -0.5
|Sep record low C = 2.2
|Oct record low C = 5.0
|Nov record low C = 6.8
|Dec record low C = 9.8
|year record low C = -1.8
|Jan precipitation mm = 90.4
|Feb precipitation mm = 131.6
|Mar precipitation mm = 73.1
|Apr precipitation mm = 42.2
|May precipitation mm = 40.0
|Jun precipitation mm = 51.6
|Jul precipitation mm = 29.6
|Aug precipitation mm = 30.1
|Sep precipitation mm = 31.9
|Oct precipitation mm = 54.5
|Nov precipitation mm = 82.9
|Dec precipitation mm = 60.1
|year precipitation mm = 719.2
|Jan precipitation days = 7.7
|Feb precipitation days = 8.3
|Mar precipitation days = 8.8
|Apr precipitation days = 5.6
|May precipitation days = 4.3
|Jun precipitation days = 5.6
|Jul precipitation days = 4.2
|Aug precipitation days = 3.3
|Sep precipitation days = 4.6
|Oct precipitation days = 5.6
|Nov precipitation days = 8.0
|Dec precipitation days = 7.4
|year precipitation days = 73.4
|unit precipitation days = 1 mm
|humidity colour=green
|Jan afthumidity = 47
|Feb afthumidity = 53
|Mar afthumidity = 52
|Apr afthumidity = 49
|May afthumidity = 52
|Jun afthumidity = 55
|Jul afthumidity = 50
|Aug afthumidity = 41
|Sep afthumidity = 40
|Oct afthumidity = 41
|Nov afthumidity = 46
|Dec afthumidity = 45
|year humidity = 48
| Jan dew point C = 14.7
| Feb dew point C = 16.2
| Mar dew point C = 14.4
| Apr dew point C = 10.8
| May dew point C = 8.9
| Jun dew point C = 7.2
| Jul dew point C = 5.2
| Aug dew point C =3.9
| Sep dew point C =6.2
| Oct dew point C = 7.5
| Nov dew point C = 10.8
| Dec dew point C = 12.6
| year dew point C =  9.9
|source 1 = <ref name="penrith">{{cite web |url=http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_067113_All.shtml |title=Climate statistics for Penrith Lakes |website=Bureau of Meteorology |access-date=30 October 2015 |archive-date=15 June 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080615033209/http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_067113_All.shtml |url-status=live }}</ref>
|date=February 2015
}}
{{Weather box
|location = [[Camden, New South Wales|Camden Airport AWS]] ([[Macarthur, New South Wales|MacArthur]])
|metric first = Yes
|single line = Yes
|precipitation colour = green
|collapsed= Y
|Jan record high C = 46.4
|Feb record high C = 45.6
|Mar record high C = 41.0
|Apr record high C = 38.5
|May record high C = 29.5
|Jun record high C = 24.9
|Jul record high C = 27.0
|Aug record high C = 30.2
|Sep record high C = 36.5
|Oct record high C = 40.5
|Nov record high C = 42.6
|Dec record high C = 44.0
|year record high C = 46.4
|Jan high C = 29.5
|Feb high C = 28.6
|Mar high C = 26.8
|Apr high C = 23.8
|May high C = 20.6
|Jun high C = 17.7
|Jul high C = 17.3
|Aug high C = 19.0
|Sep high C = 21.9
|Oct high C = 24.3
|Nov high C = 26.3
|Dec high C = 28.5
|year high C = 23.7
|Jan low C = 16.8
|Feb low C = 16.8
|Mar low C = 14.9
|Apr low C = 11.1
|May low C = 7.1
|Jun low C = 4.6
|Jul low C = 3.0
|Aug low C = 3.9
|Sep low C = 6.8
|Oct low C = 9.9
|Nov low C = 13.0
|Dec low C = 15.2
|year low C = 10.2
|Jan record low C = 7.9
|Feb record low C = 7.2
|Mar record low C = 5.9
|Apr record low C = -0.7
|May record low C = -2.2
|Jun record low C = -5.4
|Jul record low C = -6.0
|Aug record low C = -4.0
|Sep record low C = -1.8
|Oct record low C = 1.3
|Nov record low C = 3.8
|Dec record low C = 5.7
|year record low C = -6.0
|Jan precipitation mm = 84.1
|Feb precipitation mm = 96.9
|Mar precipitation mm = 89.3
|Apr precipitation mm = 68.5
|May precipitation mm = 53.5
|Jun precipitation mm = 67.0
|Jul precipitation mm = 37.6
|Aug precipitation mm = 46.0
|Sep precipitation mm = 39.6
|Oct precipitation mm = 61.2
|Nov precipitation mm = 75.8
|Dec precipitation mm = 56.8
|year precipitation mm = 777.3
|Jan precipitation days = 5.0
|Feb precipitation days = 5.1
|Mar precipitation days = 5.1
|Apr precipitation days = 4.1
|May precipitation days = 3.6
|Jun precipitation days = 3.6
|Jul precipitation days = 3.0
|Aug precipitation days = 2.9
|Sep precipitation days = 3.2
|Oct precipitation days = 4.4
|Nov precipitation days = 4.9
|Dec precipitation days = 4.4
|year precipitation days = 49.3
|unit precipitation days = 1 mm
|humidity colour=green
|Jan afthumidity = 49
|Feb afthumidity = 52
|Mar afthumidity = 52
|Apr afthumidity = 52
|May afthumidity = 52
|Jun afthumidity = 53
|Jul afthumidity = 50
|Aug afthumidity = 43
|Sep afthumidity = 44
|Oct afthumidity = 47
|Nov afthumidity = 50
|Dec afthumidity = 46
|year humidity = 49
| Jan dew point C = 14.7
| Feb dew point C = 15.1
| Mar dew point C = 13.8
| Apr dew point C = 11.0
| May dew point C = 8.5
| Jun dew point C = 6.2
| Jul dew point C = 4.7
| Aug dew point C =4.0
| Sep dew point C =6.2
| Oct dew point C = 8.8
| Nov dew point C = 11.6
| Dec dew point C = 12.5
| year dew point C =  9.8
|source 1 = <ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_068192_All.shtml |title=Climate statistics for Camden |website=Bureau of Meteorology |access-date=5 October 2017 |archive-date=28 September 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180928003533/http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_068192_All.shtml |url-status=live }}</ref>
|date=October 2017
}}
{{break}}
{{smaller|{{note|a|[note a]}}: The Observatory Hill weather station covers the climate for Sydney CBD, the [[City of Sydney]]'s northern portion and as well as the [[Eastern Suburbs (Sydney)#Harbour|harbourside eastern suburbs]] and the [[Lower North Shore (Sydney)|Lower North Shore suburbs]] which lie on [[Port Jackson]]. The suburbs in the southern parts of the City of Sydney or the Inner City region are more adjacent to Sydney Airport's climate station.}}

{{Weather box
| width = auto
|location = Sydney CBD (miscellaneous data)
|name = Dewpoint, percent of possible Sunshine and UV index
|metric first = Yes
|single line = Yes
| Jan dew point C = 16.5
| Feb dew point C = 17.2
| Mar dew point C = 15.4
| Apr dew point C = 12.7
| May dew point C = 10.3
| Jun dew point C = 7.8
| Jul dew point C = 6.1
| Aug dew point C = 5.4
| Sep dew point C = 7.8
| Oct dew point C = 10.2
| Nov dew point C = 12.6
| Dec dew point C = 14.6
| year dew point C = 11.4
|Jand sun = 7.5
|Febd sun =7.1
|Mard sun = 6.8
|Aprd sun = 7.1
|Mayd sun = 6.6
|Jund sun = 5.7
|Juld sun = 6.7
|Augd sun = 8.0
|Sepd sun = 8.1
|Octd sun = 7.9
|Novd sun = 7.5
|Decd sun = 7.6
|yeard sun = 7.2
|Jan percentsun= 53
|Feb percentsun= 54
|Mar percentsun= 56
|Apr percentsun= 61
|May percentsun= 59
|Jun percentsun= 60
|Jul percentsun= 65
|Aug percentsun= 72
|Sep percentsun= 66
|Oct percentsun= 61
|Nov percentsun= 55
|Dec percentsun= 55
|year percentsun=
| Jan light = 13.5
| Feb light = 13.4
| Mar light = 12.4
| Apr light = 11.3
| May light = 10.4
| Jun light = 10.0
| Jul light = 10.1
| Aug light = 10.9
| Sep light = 11.9
| Oct light = 13.0
| Nov light = 13.9
| Dec light =14.4
| year light= 	12.1
|Jan uv = 12
|Feb uv = 11
|Mar uv = 8
|Apr uv = 5
|May uv = 3
|Jun uv = 2
|Jul uv = 2
|Aug uv = 3
|Sep uv = 5
|Oct uv = 8
|Nov uv = 10
|Dec uv = 11
|source = Bureau of Meteorology<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_066062_All.shtml |title=Sydney (Observatory Hill): all years |publisher=Bureau of Meteorology |access-date=26 March 2022 |archive-date=24 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200524103834/http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_066062_All.shtml |url-status=live }}</ref>
|source 2 = Bureau of Meteorology (UV index)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bom.gov.au/jsp/ncc/climate_averages/uv-index/index.jsp?period=an#maps |title=Average solar ultraviolet (UV) Index |website=Bureau of Meteorology |access-date=31 March 2017 |archive-date=8 May 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180508002231/http://www.bom.gov.au/jsp/ncc/climate_averages/uv-index/index.jsp?period=an#maps |url-status=live }}</ref>}}
{|style="width:90%;text-align:center;font-size:90%;line-height:1.2em;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto" class="wikitable"
|-
!Colspan=14|Sea temperature
|-
!Month
!January
!February
!March
!April
!May
!June
!July
!August
!September
!October
!November
!December
!style="border-left-width:medium"|Year
|-
!Average sea temperature °C (°F)
|style="background:#FFB000;color:#000000;"|23.3<br />(73.9)
|style="background:#FFA400;color:#000000;"|23.7<br />(74.7)
|style="background:#FFA000;color:#000000;"|23.4<br />(74.1)
|style="background:#FFAA00;color:#000000;"|22.7<br />(72.8)
|style="background:#FFAE00;color:#000000;"|20.7<br />(69.3)
|style="background:#FFBE00;color:#000000;"|19.3<br />(66.8)
|style="background:#FFC200;color:#000000;"|19.1<br />(66.4)
|style="background:#FFD344;color:#000000;"|18.8<br />(65.8)
|style="background:#FFDD6E;color:#000000;"|18.5<br />(65.3)
|style="background:#FFD54C;color:#000000;"|19.2<br />(66.5)
|style="background:#FFBE00;color:#000000;"|20.6<br />(69.0)
|style="background:#FFC200;color:#000000;"|21.9<br />(71.4)
|style="background:#FFBC00;color:#000000;border-left-width:medium"| 20.9<br />(69.6)
|-
!Colspan=14 style="background:#f8f9fa;font-weight:normal;font-size:95%;"|Source: Metoc (sea temperature)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.seatemperature.org/australia-pacific/australia/sydney-january.htm |title=Monthly Sydney water temperature chart |website=World sea temperature |access-date=6 August 2017 |archive-date=5 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170805220517/https://www.seatemperature.org/australia-pacific/australia/sydney-january.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>
|}

===Classifications===
{{Schemebox
|city =Sydney

| source_k =<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=76749&cityname=Sydney,+New+South+Wales,+Australia|title=Sydney, New South Wales Köppen Climate Classification (Weatherbase)|website=Weatherbase|access-date=3 July 2019|archive-date=12 September 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230912222034/http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=76749&cityname=Sydney,+New+South+Wales,+Australia|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="sydneycfa"/>
| initial_k ={{KoppenClimate|Cfa}}
| description_k =[[Subtropics|Humid subtropical climate]]

| source_t =<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.fao.org/3/ad652e/ad652e07.htm|title=GLOBAL ECOLOGICAL ZONING FOR THE GLOBAL FOREST RESOURCES ASSESSMENT 2000|website=www.fao.org|access-date=3 July 2019|archive-date=30 March 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190330221222/http://www.fao.org/3/ad652e/ad652e07.htm|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://kkh.ltrr.arizona.edu/kkh/climate/trewartha_maps.htm|title=Trewartha maps|website=kkh.ltrr.arizona.edu|access-date=3 July 2019|archive-date=31 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190131040836/https://kkh.ltrr.arizona.edu/kkh/climate/trewartha_maps.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>
| initial_t ={{TrewarthaClimate|Cf}}
| description_t =[[Subtropics|Subtropical humid climate]]

| source_a =<ref>{{Citation|last=Cmapm|first=Kliimavöötmed svg: Urmasderivative work|title=Русский: Климатические пояса Земли по Б. П. Алисову.|date=16 June 2011|url=https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Alisov%27s_classification_of_climate_ru.jpg|access-date=3 July 2019|archive-date=8 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201208171704/https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Alisov%27s_classification_of_climate_ru.jpg|url-status=live}}</ref>
| initial_a ={{n/a}}
| description_a =[[Subtropics|Subtropical oceanic climate]]

| source_s =<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://i.pinimg.com/originals/c5/16/b8/c516b8c463fa99df0da778f768c85965.jpg|title=World Strahler Climate Map|access-date=3 July 2019|archive-date=1 July 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190701173007/https://i.pinimg.com/originals/c5/16/b8/c516b8c463fa99df0da778f768c85965.jpg|url-status=live}}</ref>
| initial_s ={{n/a}}
| description_s =Moist [[Subtropics|subtropical climate]]

| source_tw =<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Feddema|first=Johannes J.|date=1 January 2005|title=A Revised Thornthwaite-Type Global Climate Classification|journal=Physical Geography|volume=26|issue=6|pages=442–466|doi=10.2747/0272-3646.26.6.442|bibcode=2005PhGeo..26..442F |s2cid=128745497 |issn=0272-3646}}</ref>
| initial_tw ={{center|''B1 B'2''}}
| description_tw =Humid and [[mesothermal]]

| source_n =<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.spektrum.de/lexikon/geographie/klimaklassifikation/4159|title=Klimaklassifikation|website=www.spektrum.de|language=de|access-date=3 July 2019|archive-date=1 July 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190701173007/https://www.spektrum.de/lexikon/geographie/klimaklassifikation/4159|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.klett.de/sixcms/media.php/klett72.a.427.de/upload/klimazonen_neef.jpg|title=Klimazonen nach E. Neef (1989)|publisher=Klett-Perthes|access-date=3 July 2019|archive-date=1 July 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190701173006/https://www.klett.de/sixcms/media.php/klett72.a.427.de/upload/klimazonen_neef.jpg|url-status=live}}</ref>
| initial_n ={{n/a}}
| description_n =Humid climate of [[trade winds]]
}}

==See also==
* [[Climate of Australia]]
* [[Geography of Sydney]]
* [[Environment of Australia]]
* [[Australian region tropical cyclone]]
* [[Climate change in Australia]]
* [[Effects of global warming on Australia]]
* [[Effects of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation in Australia]]
* [[Severe weather events in Sydney]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Weather events in Sydney}}
* [http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/current/month/nsw/archive/index.shtml NSW and Sydney monthly climate summary archive]
* [http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/current/season/nsw/archive/index.shtml NSW & Sydney seasonal climate summary archive]
* [http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/current/annual/nsw/archive/index.shtml NSW & Sydney annual climate summary archive]
* [http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/current/special-statements.shtml Special Climate Statements]

{{Sydney}}
{{Australian climate}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Climate Of Sydney, New South Wales}}
[[Category:Climate by city in Australia|Sydney]]
[[Category:Geography of Sydney]]