Monday, 3 December 2012 - Seasonal Climate Summary for Sydney - Product code IDCKGC15L0

Sydney in spring 2012: Dry, warm and sunny spring for Sydney

• Driest spring since 2002, but average rain days
• Warmer than average temperatures, equal fewest cold days on record
• Coolest nights since 2003

Extremes Records Summaries Important notes the top

Rainfall - Driest spring in a decade

Sydney Observatory Hill recorded 105.2 mm of rain during spring, well below the historical average of 229.3 mm. This was the driest spring since 2002, with below average rainfall recorded across the city and in all three months.

The rain fell over 35 days, normal for spring, but only seven recorded at least 5 mm (average 11 days), the fewest since 2002. No days recorded at least 15 mm (average 4 days) for only the 10th time on record, with the wettest day at Sydney Observatory Hill reaching just 13.2 mm on September 29. Most of the rain during the season was associated with thunderstorms or coastal trough systems, which brought higher falls to some suburbs.

Temperature - Warm days across the city

The average maximum temperature at Sydney Observatory Hill during spring was 23.3 °C, 1.4 °C above the historical average. This is the warmest spring since 2009, and the 17th consecutive warm spring for Sydney. Temperatures were above average throughout the season and across the city, associated with generally dry and sunny conditions during the season as well as several hot days. Seven days reached at least 30 °C in the city (average 4 days), while only two were cooler than 18 °C (average 14 days); this is only the second time on record with so few cool days.

The average minimum temperature at Sydney Observatory Hill was 14.2 °C, 0.8 °C above the historical average. This was the coolest spring since 2003 in the city, while nights were slightly below average at shorter-record stations in western Sydney. Temperatures were particularly cool at the start of the season, with a cold spell breaking records on September 1 and giving the city its coldest spring night since 1995, while a cold snap in mid-October resulted in two consecutive nights below 9 °C, the first such spell since 2003.

See a list of spring temperature records.

Other phenomena

The prevailing wind direction at 3pm was easterly, with 41% of winds between E and NE and 44% between ESE and S, slightly above normal for spring. There were 24 strong wind days at Sydney Airport during the season, with the strongest wind gust reaching 89 km/hr on November 18, while wind gusts in western Sydney reached 107 km/hr during a thunderstorm on 8 Nov.

Seven thunderstorms were reported at Sydney Airport, with seventeen storms reported anywhere in the metropolitan area. There were an average of 8.3 hours of bright sunshine during the season, above the historical average of 7.7 hours and the sunniest spring since 2007. Conditions were particularly sunny during September and October, with below average sunshine during November.

Extremes Records Summaries Important notes the top

Extremes Records Summaries Important notes the top

Extremes Records Summaries Important notes the top