Summary

• Equal 3rd warmest year for average maximum temperatures.
• Total of 26 hot days when temperature exceeded 30°C (normally 15 days).
• Mild nights on coast but cool in western suburbs.
• Below average rainfall but sunshine hours equalled the historic average.

Sydney commenced the year with record high temperatures on 1 January when Observatory Hill recorded a maximum of 44.2°C (2nd highest ever recorded) and Sydney Airport 45.2°C (highest on record).  Sydney experienced its equal third warmest year on record during 2006.   The average maximum (daytime) temperature at Observatory Hill was 23.1°C, well above the historic average¹ of 22.1°C and ranking equal 3rd warmest year since records commenced in 1859.  In 2002 and 2001 the average temperature was also 23.1°C.  The warmest year was 2004 with an average of 23.4°C.  The average maximum in the western suburbs was about 1°C warmer than coastal suburbs mainly due to the absence of cooling sea-breezes during the warmer months.  There were 26 hot days (temperature exceeding 30°C) at Observatory Hill during 2006 compared to an historic average of 15 days.  This ranks as the 7th highest in 147 years of record.  The highest was 31 hot days in 1922, followed by 29 days in 1926, 28 days in 1940 and 27 days in 1977,1998 and 2004.  The above average temperatures in Sydney are consistent with above average temperatures over NSW.  The last 7 years have all been above average, a pattern consistent with the observed trend of global rising temperatures.

Average maximum temperatures were consistently above the historic average for all months except June and December.  The greatest departures from normal were in Spring with Sydney recording its second warmest Spring in 147 years of record.  Average maximum temperatures in September were 2.7°C above average (the hottest September on record) and in October they were 2.0°C above.  Record heat also occurred earlier in the year during March (1.9°C above average) and February (1.6°C above).  In contrast Sydney recorded its coldest June in 24 years.

Average minimum (night-time) temperatures at Sydney Observatory Hill were slightly above the historic average¹ during 2006.  The average minimum of 14.6°C was 0.4°C above the historic average¹.  However, the western suburbs experienced much colder minimum temperatures with an annual average of 10.3°C at Richmond or 0.8°C below the historic average¹. This is the lowest since 1982 and the 7th lowest on record (records since 1929).  During winter a total of 41 frosts (temperature below 2°C) were recorded at Richmond compared to the historic average of 27 frosts.  Sydney also experienced a higher than average annual temperature range (difference between annual average maximum and minimum temperatures) away from the coast, where cool nights followed by warm days were typical.  Richmond recorded an annual range of 14.0°C, its 3rd greatest range since records commenced in 1929.  The highest was 14.4° in 1944. Both the low minimum temperatures and the high annual temperature range were a product of clear skies and low humidity which allowed heating by day and maximum cooling at night.

The highest temperature at Sydney Observatory Hill during 2006 was 44.2°C on 1 January while the lowest temperature was 5.8°C on 12 June.  Corresponding annual extremes across the Sydney metropolitan area ranged from 45.2°C at Sydney Airport on 1 January to −3.3°C at Richmond on 9 July.

The total annual rainfall of 994.0 mm at Observatory Hill was below the historic annual average of 1217 mm and ranks in the lowest 30% of totals.  There were 136 rain days during the year which is close to the historic average of 138 rain days.  Almost two-thirds of the rain fell from June to September with generally well below average rainfall for all other months. However, the western suburbs were much drier than the coast and significantly below average in the west and south-west.  Although Sydney Observatory Hill received 994.0 mm for 2006 (82% of the normal), Richmond received only 490.6 mm (60% of the normal).  This rainfall distribution over the metropolitan area has followed a similar pattern since late Autumn with coastal suburbs receiving reasonable falls but the rain failing to penetrate inland.  Annual rainfall extremes ranged from 1149.0 mm at Rose Bay in the eastern suburbs to only 475 mm at Camden in the far south-west.

Sydney's Warragamba Dam catchment area also received well below average rainfall during 2006, especially during Autumn when only 43 mm was recorded.  The only months to receive significantly above average rainfall were January (165 mm) and September (78 mm).

Windy conditions persisted in coastal suburbs during the year with 83 windy days recorded at Sydney Airport, the highest since 1996.  The historic average is 57 windy days. Many of these windy days were associated with southerly changes or strong NE sea-breezes.    Gale force winds on 24 September caused widespread damage and power failures in western Sydney with bushfires destroying at least 6 houses.  Winds reached 109 km/h at Camden.  Further large bushfires west and north of Sydney during November caused thick smoke haze over the metropolitan area with visibility reduced to 5 km at times.

During the year Sydney recorded 22 thunderstorms compared to the historic average of 23 storms.  On 15 August a thunderstorm with heavy hail accumulated to a depth of several centimetres in the inner west and the CBD area.

Perry Wiles
NSW Climate Services Centre
Bureau of Meteorology
Phone (02) 9296 1525

* recorded at Sydney Airport.  Windy day defined as average speed of 40km/h or more at synoptic times.

¹Averages: Historic average temperatures for Observatory Hill and Richmond are based on the period 1961 to 1990 which is a convention of the World Meteorological Organisation.  Average temperatures for Parramatta are based on all available data, 1968 - 2005 and Camden 1972 - 2005.  Rainfall averages and extremes for Observatory Hill are based on all years of record 1859 - 2005.

• Warnings
• Water
• Climate
• Environment
• Tropical Cyclones
• Tsunami Warning Centre
• Agriculture - Water and the Land
• Marine & Ocean
• UV & Sun Protection
• Rainfall & River Conditions

• Graphical Views

  • Radar
  • Sat
  • Maps
• Rainfall Forecasts
• Seasonal Outlooks
• Climate Variability & Change
• Climate Data Online
• Seasonal Streamflow Forecasts
• Water Storage

• MetEye™
• National Weather Services
• Aviation Weather Services
• Defence Services
• Space Weather Services
• Registered User Services
• Industry Solutions
• Supplier Entry Point

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Youtube
• Blog
• Instagram
• RSS
• Careers
• Sitemap
• Feedback
• Freedom of Information
• Indigenous Weather Knowledge
• Glossary
• Students and Teachers

This page was created at on

© Copyright Commonwealth of Australia , Bureau of Meteorology (ABN 92 637 533 532) | Disclaimer | Privacy | Accessibility