Sydney Climate Summary - NSW Regional Office 

Cool, cloudy and rainy end to March in Sydney

March 2005

Temperatures:   Cool southerly winds and showers during the second half of March caused below average monthly temperatures for the first time in Sydney since November 2003. Both average maximum and minimum temperatures were about 1 deg below the historic March average making it the coolest March since 1994.  In the last 50 years there have been only 5 instances when a cooler March was recorded. Nights were particularly cool, Sydney recording 6 nights when temperatures fell below 14 deg, the highest number since 1935. Sydney CBD's highest daily maximum temperature this March was 29 deg on the 5th and the lowest overnight minimum was 12 deg on the 26th. The highest temperature in metropolitan Sydney was 33 deg at Penrith on the 15th, and the lowest was 7 deg at Camden on the 25th.

Rainfall and strong winds:  Sydney's total rainfall of 153.6mm during March was above the historic average of 131mm. Almost half the month's rain fell in one day on the 23rd associated with an east coast low-pressure system. However,  much of the rainfall was coastal with only light falls in the western suburbs. Metropolitan monthly totals ranged from 169mm at St Ives to only 33mm at Badgerys Creek.  Gale force winds associated with the east coast low on the 23rd  reached 100km/h at Sydney Airport causing power outages in many suburbs and generating sea swells of up to 11 metres. There were 2 thunderstorms during the month which is average.

Further information:
Mike De Salis, Climate and Consultancy Section, tel: (02) 9296 1555, e-mail: reqnsw@bom.gov.au

Climate summary for Sydney (Observatory Hill), March 2005  

* Long-term temperature averages calculated since site change in 1947.
# Median March rainfall is 99mm.
Climate averages for Sydney are available, here.

**recorded at Observatory Hill.

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Australian 3-month Climate Outlook 1902 935 251 
NSW Daily Rainfall Bulletin 1902 935 223

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