Monday, 1 March 2021 - Seasonal Climate Summary for Greater Sydney - Product code IDCKGC25L0

Greater Sydney in summer 2020-21: cooler than recent years

Greater Sydney in summer 2020–21 was much cooler than recent summers, with daytime temperatures 1-2 °C below the average of recent decades. Summer rainfall was close to or slightly above average.

Close to average rainfall

• Rainfall across Greater Sydney in summer 2020–21 was close to or slightly above the average of recent decades.
• Rainfall was above average in the northermost parts of metropolitan Sydney and on the Central Coast, with the highest summer total of 614.0 mm at Olney Forest near Wyong.
• December saw above average rainfall across Greater Sydney, particularly some northern suburbs and on the Central Coast, with frequent rain in the second half of the month.
• Severe thunderstorms affected Greater Sydney on 1 December, with power outages and some tree damage in high winds; a gust of 106 km/h was reported at Richmond, the highest of the summer.
• January rainfall was close to or below average, although a low pressure trough from 27 to 29 January brought 20-100 mm of rain, with the highest falls on the Central Coast.
• February rainfall was close to average, with thunderstorms and showers bringing 20-40 mm of rain several times during the month.

Cooler than recent summers

• Daytime temperatures across Greater Sydney in summer 2020–21 were 1-2 °C below the average of recent decades.
• In contrast, summers in recent years have seen daytime temperatures 1-3 °C above the average.
• Days were generally mild throughout, with only a few periods in December and January reaching into the 30s.
• A stationary high pressure system in the Tasman Sea combined with an inland trough brought very hot air over the Sydney Basin from 22 to 26 January.
• Temperatures were around 6 to 10 °C above the January average during this period, although no records were set.
• Night-time temperatures were generally within 1 °C of average in December and February, and around 1 °C below average in January.

Sydney (Observatory Hill)

• Total rainfall for Sydney (Observatory Hill) was 337.4 mm, 13% above the average at the former Observatory Hill site.
• The mean daily maximum temperature for Sydney (Observatory Hill) was 26.7 °C, 1.0 °C above the average at the former Observatory Hill site.
• The warmest day was 37.1 °C on 26 January, and the coolest day was on 19 December when the temperature reached 19.6 °C.
• Sydney (Observatory Hill) recorded 5 consecutive days over 30 °C from 22 to 26 January; only the ninth such instance since records at Observatory Hill began in 1859, but the third year in a row that this has occurred.
• The mean daily minimum temperature for Sydney (Observatory Hill) was 18.8 °C, 0.4 °C above the average at the former Observatory Hill site and the lowest for summer since 2011–12.
• The coldest morning was 14.4 °C on 9 December, and the warmest morning was on 24 January when the minimum temperature was 22.2 °C.

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top