Sydney General Weather

General Weather

Sydney is perhaps best described as 'sub-tropical' - although Sydneysiders talk about 'four seasons', it is truer to say that Sydney has but two seasons: a hot, mildly humid one (summer), and a colder one (winter). Others , citing indigenous traditions claim up to six seasons (not all in the same year) : hot/dry, hot/humid, warm/dry, warm/humid, cool/dry, cool/wet. The city is generally comfortable for travellers to visit any time of year. The average annual temperature in central Sydney is 25°C (77°F). The city enjoys in excess of 300 sunny days each year - that said, when it rains, it really can rain, varying between days of grey drizzle to over a week of bucketing downpours with occasional localised flooding (although Sydney is currently in the middle of a years-long drought).

Summer can be extremely hot, with temperatures climbing to over 40 degrees Celsius for a number of days each year in Summer, accompanied alternately by stifling humidity and searing dry winds. Sydney is generally well equipped with air conditioning in public buildings, however, and the beaches and harbour are only a short journey away -- just remember your sun protection, as the UV exposure risk is extreme in Australia! Hot summer days frequently (though not always...) end with a "Southerly buster", a cold front sweeping up from the south, bringing a clearly noticeable drop in temperature, driving rain and thunderstorms -- a "mini monsoon". Within hours, the storm can pass and the evening continues cooler. Summer is also the season when bush fires on the margins of the city are most prevalent. For this reason, in hot weather lighting of outdoor fires (non-gas BBQ's etc) is frequently banned (reported as a "total fire ban" during weather reports) and visits to National Parks can be hindered .

Winter in Sydney is generally cool, not cold - daytime temperatures rarely drop below 13°C, but night-time temperatures can fall to below 8°C.

Most Sydney residents would agree that autumn and spring are the most equable times to visit. March and April, especially, tend to have clear, warm days with mild nights. Spring is very similar, though perhaps with the chance of more rain.