Wednesday, 1 June 2016 - Seasonal Climate Summary for Sydney - Product code IDCKGC25L0

Sydney in autumn 2016: Persistent warmth breaks autumn records

Autumn 2016 was the warmest on record for Sydney, with persistently warm temperatures throughout the season. Rainfall was well below average across most of the city, with the exception of Observatory Hill.

• Warmest autumn on record across the Sydney region
• Most autumn days above 25 °C on record for Observatory Hill
• Record-breaking spell of 232 nights of 12 °C or higher
• Very dry autumn across most of Sydney
• Short-lived storm produced heavy rain at Observatory Hill in early April

Autumn 2016 was the warmest on record for all stations in Sydney, with the mean temperature at Observatory Hill 0.4 °C above the previous record, set in 2014. Autumn average daytime temperatures were also the warmest on record at all Sydney stations, with some stations such as Richmond RAAF exceeding their previous record by more than 1 °C. At Observatory Hill the autumn average minimum temperature was also the warmest on record, with warmer than average nights recorded across the city.

The warm temperatures reflected prolonged warmth throughout the season. While several stations recorded their warmest March night on record or hottest April or May day, few autumn daily temperature records were broken. However, just five days failed to reach 20 °C at Observatory Hill, the second-fewest on record, while 46 days reached at least 25 °C, the most warm days on record. Nights were also persistently warm, with only six nights below 12 °C, the equal second-fewest on record. These nights ended a record spell of 232 nights above 12 °C, which extended between 30 September 2015 and 18 May 2016. The only significant cold snap during the season occurred during the final week of May, when Richmond recorded its coldest autumn night since 1987.

Rainfall was close to average during autumn at Observatory Hill, which experienced a very dry May but above average rainfall during both March and April. While there were 32 rain days at Observatory Hill, below the average of 39 rain days, four recorded at least 25 mm of rain. This included 94.4 mm on 4 April, of which 80 mm fell in just 3 hours, while Randwick also recorded 95.4 mm in an isolated storm on 21 March. However, the heavy falls were isolated to the eastern suburbs, with well below average rainfall recorded across most of the Sydney region and the driest autumn on record at Richmond.

Extremes Records Summaries Important notes the top

Extremes Records Summaries Important notes the top

* note: there are gaps in the historical record at this site, so it is possible a lower value has gone unreported.

Extremes Records Summaries Important notes the top

Extremes Records Summaries Important notes the top