Tuesday, 7 February 2023 - Annual Climate Summary for Greater Sydney - Product code IDCKGC55L0
Greater Sydney in 2022: wettest year on record for many areas, cooler than average
Rainfall was well above average during 2022 with many areas recording their wettest year on record. This was associated with cloudier than usual conditions which resulted in the annual mean maximum temperature being cooler than average for many sites.
Wettest year on record for many areas
- Rainfall for Greater Sydney was well above average during 2022, being around two times the annual average.
- Rainfall was above average for the majority of months with March and July being particularly wet.
- Some sites had their highest daily rainfall on record, either on 3 March or during early July from the impacts of East Coast Lows.
- Many sites had their highest total rainfall on record or their highest for at least 20 years.
- Observatory Hill had its highest annual rainfall on record (with records extending back to 1858 across the current and former site) of 2530.0 mm, exceeding the previous record of 2194.0 mm in 1950.
Cooler than average maximum temperatures
- Daytime temperatures were generally below average during 2022, with the annual mean maximum temperature at most sites being 1 to 1.5 °C below their average.
- Annual mean minimum temperatures were close to average to slightly above average (up to 1 °C) for most sites.
- Several sites had their lowest mean daily maximum temperature on record or their lowest for at least 20 years.
- Camden Airport AWS had its highest mean daily minimum temperature since 1998.
- Mount Boyce AWS and Katoomba (Farnells Rd) had their lowest mean temperature since 1996.
Sydney (Observatory Hill)
- Total rainfall for Sydney (Observatory Hill) was 2530.0 mm, which is 209% of the average over all years at the former site of 1213.4 mm, or 221% of the 1991–2020 average of 1145.8 mm.
- The mean daily maximum temperature for Sydney (Observatory Hill) was 22.6 °C, which is 0.8 °C above the average over all years at the former site of 21.8 °C, or 0.3 °C below the 1991–2020 average of 22.9 °C.
- The warmest day was 31.9 °C on 1 February, and the coolest day was on 1 July when the temperature reached 12.0 °C.
- The mean daily minimum temperature for Sydney (Observatory Hill) was 14.4 °C, which is 0.6 °C above the average over all years at the former site of 13.8 °C, or 0.3 °C below the 1991–2020 average of 14.7 °C.
- The coldest morning was 5.0 °C on 16 July, and the warmest morning was on 11 January when the minimum temperature was 22.7 °C.
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- Media
- media@bom.gov.au (03) 9669 4057
Further information
Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top
| Extremes in 2022 | |
|---|---|
| Hottest day | 36.6 °C at Penrith Lakes AWS on 24 Dec |
| Warmest days on average | 23.7 °C at Penrith Lakes AWS |
| Coolest days on average | 15.7 °C at Mount Boyce AWS |
| Coldest day | 4.1 °C at Mount Boyce AWS on 1 Jun |
| Coldest night |
-2.1 °C at Camden Airport AWS on 15 Jun -2.1 °C at Mount Boyce AWS on 24 Aug |
| Coolest nights on average | 7.7 °C at Mount Boyce AWS |
| Warmest nights on average | 15.7 °C at Sydney Harbour (Wedding Cake West) |
| Warmest night | 23.2 °C at Sydney Harbour (Wedding Cake West) on 11 Jan |
| Warmest on average overall | 18.8 °C at Norah Head AWS |
| Coolest on average overall | 11.7 °C at Mount Boyce AWS |
| Wettest overall | 3437.0 mm at Darkes Forest (Kintyre) |
| Wettest day | 298.0 mm at Darkes Forest (Kintyre) on 3 Jul |
| Strongest wind gust |
104 km/h at Mount Boyce AWS on 17 Jul 104 km/h at Wattamolla AWS on 9 Oct |
Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top
| Record highest daily rainfall | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
New record (mm) |
Old record |
Years of record |
||||
| Lucas Heights (ANSTO) | 247.2 | on 3 Jul | 232.6 | on 11 Jun 1991 | 65 | |
| St Albans (Espie St) | 142.0 | on 5 Jul | 124.0 | on 6 Jan 1968 | 57 | |
| Campbelltown (Kentlyn (Georges River Roa | 193.0 | on 3 Jul | 154.0 | on 5 Jun 2016 | 46 | |
| Bilpin Post Office | 207.0 | on 4 Jul | 204.8 | on 10 Feb 1992 | 35 | |
| Richmond RAAF | 126.4 | on 3 Mar | 113.4 | on 21 Apr 2015 | 29 | |
| Oyster Bay (Green Point Road) | 178.0 | on 3 Jul | 174.0 | on 10 Feb 2020 | 25 | |
| Abbotsbury (Fairfield (City Farm)) | 151.0 | on 5 Jul | 149.0 | on 31 Jan 2001 | 23 | |
| Menangle Bridge (Nepean River) | 166.0 | on 3 Jul | 137.0 | on 5 Jun 2016 | 23 | |
| Canoelands (Canoelands) | 153.2 | on 3 Mar | 140.0 | on 9 Jun 2007 | 20 | |
| Record highest annual total rainfall | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
New record (mm) |
Old record |
Years of record |
Annual average |
||
| Camden (Brownlow Hill) | 1704.4 | 1631.3 | in 1950 | 138 | 751.1 |
| Darkes Forest (Kintyre) | 3437.0 | 3048.6 | in 1950 | 117 | 1434.8 |
| Randwick (Randwick St) | 2620.0 | 2123.4 | in 1963 | 114 | 1215.4 |
| Centennial Park | 2536.6 | 2189.1 | in 1950 | 100 | 1249.0 |
| Sydney Airport AMO | 2276.0 | 2025.2 | in 1963 | 92 | 1093.4 |
| Marrickville Golf Club | 2241.0 | 1945.5 | in 1950 | 83 | 1025.6 |
| Maroota (Old Telegraph Road) | 1881.4 | 1773.6 | in 1950 | 66 | 938.1 |
| Seven Hills (Collins St) | 1846.6 | 1711.2 | in 1950 | 62 | 928.9 |
| Castle Cove (Rosebridge Ave) | 2685.5 | 2183.9 | in 1998 | 58 | 1351.1 |
| Parramatta North (Masons Drive) | 1877.8 | 1713.1 | in 1990 | 55 | 984.9 |
| Bankstown Airport AWS | 2038.4 | 1397.8 | in 1988 | 52 | 890.5 |
| Rose Bay (Royal Sydney Golf Club) | 2600.4 | 2030.2 | in 1990 | 50 | 1249.0 |
| Yarramalong (Lewensbrook) | 2017.4 | 1856.6 | in 1990 | 49 | 1134.9 |
| Colo Heights (Mountain Pines) | 1900.1 | 1675.5 | in 1963 | 47 | 1046.6 |
| Camden Airport AWS | 1887.4 | 1261.2 | in 1978 | 41 | 823.2 |
| Mount Kuring-Gai (Ledora Farm) | 2180.8 | 2005.9 | in 1988 | 41 | 1202.8 |
| Campbelltown (Kentlyn (Georges River Roa | 2053.0 | 1283.2 | in 1978 | 39 | 797.9 |
| Mount Wilson (Clarine) | 2310.7 | 1900.1 | in 1978 | 39 | 1311.4 |
| Peakhurst Golf Club | 2030.0 | 1318.0 | in 2020 | 38 | 925.6 |
| Audley (Royal National Park) | 2562.0 | 1669.4 | in 1990 | 37 | 1139.5 |
| Douglas Park ( St. Marys Towers) | 1800.8 | 1240.1 | in 1990 | 36 | 772.1 |
| Mona Vale Golf Club | 2265.8 | 1820.5 | in 1988 | 36 | 1185.0 |
| Orchard Hills Treatment Works | 1741.4 | 1363.0 | in 1978 | 36 | 853.4 |
| Macquarie Park (Willandra Village) | 2218.7 | 1951.4 | in 1988 | 34 | 1157.7 |
| Kulnura (Mangrove Creek Dam) | 1886.2 | 1664.0 | in 1990 | 32 | 994.9 |
| Wedderburn (Booalbyn) | 2070.0 | 1438.0 | in 1978 | 32 | 893.8 |
| Belrose (Evelyn Place) | 2312.0 | 1863.2 | in 1998 | 29 | 1306.8 |
| Mount Boyce AWS | 2074.6 | 1585.6 | in 2020 | 28 | 1044.0 |
| Collaroy (Long Reef Golf Club) | 2345.0 | 1598.5 | in 1967 | 27 | 1223.9 |
| Richmond RAAF | 1498.0 | 1053.0 | in 2021 | 26 | 770.2 |
| Badgerys Creek AWS | 1721.0 | 1064.0 | in 2021 | 25 | 716.9 |
| Oakdale (Cooyong Park) | 1837.2 | 1422.6 | in 2020 | 22 | 940.7 |
| Bilpin Post Office | 2222.6 | 1762.9 | in 1990 | 21 | 1219.1 |
| Blackheath (Wombat Street) | 2325.0 | 1786.0 | in 2021 | 21 | 1186.9 |
| Wyong (Olney Forest) | 2553.0 | 1659.0 | in 2020 | 20 | 1257.2 |
| Highest annual total rainfall for at least 20 years | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Observed (mm) |
Most recent higher |
Annual average |
|||
| Katoomba (Farnells Rd) | 2609.8 | 2782.7 | in 1950* | 1416.7 | |
| Bilpin (Fern Grove) | 2253.2 | 2541.9 | in 1950* | 1317.8 | |
| Kurrajong Heights (Bells Line of Road) | 2052.7 | 2659.3 | in 1950* | 1250.9 | |
| Richmond - UWS Hawkesbury | 1471.2 | 1718.2 | in 1950* | 804.0 | |
| Bringelly (Maryland) | 1663.0 | 1699.7 | in 1950* | 774.6 | |
| Concord Golf Club | 2068.8 | 2636.7 | in 1950* | 1140.2 | |
| Castlereagh (Castlereagh Road) | 1581.5 | 1677.5 | in 1950* | 853.1 | |
| Faulconbridge (St Georges Crescent) | 2012.5 | 2408.0 | in 1950* | 1154.3 | |
| Avoca Beach Bowling Club | 2171.4 | 2187.3 | in 1990* | 1364.6 | |
| Duffys Forest (Namba Rd) | 2288.6 | 2297.0 | in 1988* | 1380.2 | |
* note: there are gaps in the historical record at this site, so it is possible a higher value has gone unreported
| Record lowest annual mean daily maximum temperature | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
New record (°C) |
Old record |
Years of record |
Annual average |
||
| Badgerys Creek AWS | 22.9 | 23.1 | in 2008 | 27 | 24.0 |
| Canterbury Racecourse AWS | 22.3 | = 22.3 | in 2008 | 26 | 23.1 |
| Horsley Park Equestrian Centre AWS | 22.3 | 22.7 | in 2008 | 25 | 23.8 |
| Lowest annual mean daily maximum temperature for at least 20 years | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Observed (°C) |
Most recent lower |
Annual average |
|||
| Mount Boyce AWS | 15.7 | 15.4 | in 1992 | 17.1 | |
| Parramatta North (Masons Drive) | 22.6 | 22.3 | in 1992 | 23.4 | |
| Katoomba (Farnells Rd) | 16.2 | 15.7 | in 1992* | 16.9 | |
| Camden Airport AWS | 22.5 | 22.4 | in 1992* | 23.8 | |
| Bankstown Airport AWS | 22.8 | 22.6 | in 1999 | 23.4 | |
* note: there are gaps in the historical record at this site, so it is possible a lower value has gone unreported
| Highest annual mean daily minimum temperature for at least 20 years | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Observed (°C) |
Most recent higher |
Annual average |
|||
| Camden Airport AWS | 11.0 | 11.3 | in 1998 | 10.3 | |
| Lowest annual mean temperature for at least 20 years | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Observed (°C) |
Most recent lower |
Annual average |
|||
| Mount Boyce AWS | 11.7 | 11.6 | in 1996 | 12.6 | |
| Katoomba (Farnells Rd) | 12.0 | =12.0 | in 1996* | 12.5 | |
* note: there are gaps in the historical record at this site, so it is possible a lower value has gone unreported
Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top
| Summary statistics for 2022 | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum temperatures (°C) |
Minimum temperatures (°C) |
Rainfall (millimetres) |
||||||||||
| Mean for 2022 |
Diff from average |
Highest for 2022 |
Mean for 2022 |
Diff from average |
Lowest for 2022 |
Total for 2022 |
Average annual total |
Rank of 2022 |
Fraction of annual average |
|||
| Badgerys Creek AWS | 22.9 | -1.1 | 35.8 | 24 Dec | 11.3 | +0.4 | -1.3 | 16 Jul | 1721.0 | 716.9 | highest | 240% |
| Bankstown Airport AWS | 22.8 | -0.6 | 36.0 | 1 Feb | 12.7 | +0.6 | 1.2 | 15 Jun | 2038.4 | 890.5 | highest | 229% |
| Camden Airport AWS | 22.5 | -1.3 | 34.9 | 24 Dec | 11.0 | +0.7 | -2.1 | 15 Jun | 1887.4 | 823.2 | highest | 229% |
| Campbelltown (Mount Annan) | 22.7 | -1.3 | 35.6 | 24 Dec | 11.0 | +0.3 | -0.1 | 15 Jun | 1664.6 | 792.6 | v high | 210% |
| Canterbury Racecourse AWS | 22.3 | -0.8 | 36.1 | 1 Feb | 12.4 | +0.1 | 0.8 | 9 Jun | 2074.6 | 1030.5 | v high | 201% |
| Cooranbong (Lake Macquarie AWS) | 22.8 | -1.0 | 34.2 | 1 Feb | 11.7 | +0.3 | 0.2 | 15 Jun | 1894.4 | 1142.0 | v high | 166% |
| Gosford AWS | 22.1 | 33.9 | 17 Feb | 13.3 | 2.0 | 16 Jul | ||||||
| Holsworthy Aerodrome AWS | 22.1 | -1.6 | 35.9 | 1 Feb | 12.1 | +0.2 | 0.0 | 16 Jul | 1881.8 | 915.5 | v high | 206% |
| Holsworthy Defence AWS | 21.6 | 35.6 | 1 Feb | 11.8 | 1.0 | 16 Jul | 2220.8 | |||||
| Horsley Park Equestrian Centre AWS | 22.3 | -1.5 | 35.5 | 1 Feb | 12.1 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 9 Jun | ||||
| Katoomba (Farnells Rd) | 16.2 | -0.7 | 31.5 | 28 Dec | 7.9 | -0.2 | -2.0 | 24 Aug | 2609.8 | 1416.7 | v high | 184% |
| Mangrove Mountain AWS | 21.5 | -0.5 | 35.1 | 1 Feb | 11.2 | -0.4 | 1.0 | 14 Jun | ||||
| Mount Boyce AWS | 15.7 | -1.4 | 29.4 | 28 Dec | 7.7 | -0.4 | -2.1 | 24 Aug | 2074.6 | 1044.0 | highest | 199% |
| Norah Head AWS | 22.5 | +0.1 | 31.2 | 10 Feb | 15.1 | -0.1 | 6.6 | 9 Jun | 1528.4 | 1179.1 | v high | 130% |
| Parramatta North (Masons Drive) | 22.6 | -0.8 | 35.7 | 1 Feb | 12.6 | +0.4 | 2.1 | 16 Jul | 1877.8 | 984.9 | highest | 191% |
| Penrith Lakes AWS | 23.7 | -1.0 | 36.6 | 24 Dec | 12.4 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 9 Jun | ||||
| Richmond RAAF | 23.2 | -1.1 | 35.7 | 17 Feb | 11.8 | +0.6 | -1.0 | 9 Jun | 1498.0 | 770.2 | highest | 194% |
| Sydney (Observatory Hill) | 22.6 | 31.9 | 1 Feb | 14.4 | 5.0 | 16 Jul | 2530.0 | |||||
| Sydney Airport AMO | 22.4 | 0.0 | 35.9 | 1 Feb | 14.5 | +0.9 | 4.9 | 16 Jul | 2276.0 | 1093.4 | highest | 208% |
| Sydney Harbour (Wedding Cake West) | 20.9 | -0.4 | 33.2 | 20 Feb | 15.7 | 0.0 | 7.4 | 30 Jul | ||||
| Sydney Olympic Park AWS (Archery Centre) | 22.7 | -1.2 | 36.3 | 1 Feb | 13.1 | +0.1 | 2.6 | 16 Jul | 1911.8 | |||
| Terrey Hills AWS | 20.8 | -1.0 | 32.9 | 1 Feb | 13.1 | -0.1 | 3.3 | 9 Jun | 2327.2 | 1196.0 | v high | 195% |
Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top
Notes
The Annual climate summary, lists the main features of the weather in Greater Sydney using the most timely and accurate information available on the date of publication; it will generally not be updated.
This summary includes data from observing sites in or near the Greater Sydney “Greater Capital City Statistical Area” (GCCSA). The Australian Bureau of Statistics designed the GCCSAs to “include the population within the urban area of the city, as well as people who regularly socialise, shop or work within the city, and live in small towns and rural areas surrounding the city. It is important to note that GCCSAs do not define the built up edge of the city. They provide a stable definition for these cities and are designed for the output of a range of social and economic survey data.”
This statement has been prepared based on information available at 7 pm on Tuesday 7 February 2023. Some checks have been made on the data, but it is possible that results will change as new information becomes available.
In some situations, some or all of the rainfall is in the form of hail or snow. In these cases the totals given are for the water equivalent: the depth of liquid water that results from melting any frozen precipitation. There can be significant 'undercatch' of snow in strong winds, meaning the true precipitation can be higher than that reported.
Averages for individual sites are long-term means based on observations from
all available years of record, which vary widely from site to site.
They are not shown for sites with less than 10 years of record, as they cannot then be calculated reliably.
The median
is sometimes more representative than the
mean
of long-term average rain.
The Rank indicates how rainfall this time compares with the climate record for the site,
based on the
decile ranking
(very low rainfall is in decile 1, low in decile 2 or 3,
average in decile 4 to 7, high in decile 8 or 9
and very high is in decile 10).
The Fraction of average shows how much rain has fallen this time as a
percentage of the long-term mean.
Where temperature area averages are mentioned, they are derived from the ACORN-SAT dataset.
Information about Australian Indigenous seasonal calendars is available at the Indigenous Weather Knowledge website.
Further information
Unless otherwise noted, all maps, graphs and diagrams in this page are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence
