Monday, 2 June 2014 - Seasonal Climate Summary for Sydney - Product code IDCKGC25L0

Sydney in autumn 2014: Warmest autumn on record

Sydney Observatory Hill recorded its warmest autumn on record in 2014, with mean temperatures 1.9 °C above average and 0.1 °C above the previous record of 20.1 °C in 1958. Both maximum and minimum temperatures were well above average throughout the season but particularly during May, associated with very warm coastal sea surface temperatures and persistently mild weather. Rainfall was average to below average across the city, although several thunderstorms caused local heavy rain and flooding during March, particularly in southern Sydney.

  • Warmest autumn maximum and mean temperatures on record
  • Equal-fourth-warmest autumn minimum temperatures on record
  • Most days above 20 °C (88) and 25 °C (44) on record for autumn
  • No nights below 10 °C, the second time on record (with 1988)
  • Driest autumn since 2008

Extremes Records Summaries Important notes the top

Further information

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Extremes in autumn 2014
Hottest day 31.6 °C at Holsworthy Aerodrome AWS on 5 Mar
31.6 °C at Bankstown Airport AWS on 22 Mar
Warmest days on average 24.9 °C at Bankstown Airport AWS
24.9 °C at Penrith Lakes AWS
Coolest days on average 22.7 °C at Terrey Hills AWS
Coldest day 14.4 °C at Terrey Hills AWS on 3 May
Coldest night 1.5 °C at Richmond RAAF on 29 May
Coolest nights on average 11.5 °C at Camden Airport AWS
Warmest nights on average 16.1 °C at Sydney Airport AMO
Warmest night 21.9 °C at Sydney (Observatory Hill) on 10 Mar
Warmest on average overall 20.2 °C at Sydney (Observatory Hill)
20.2 °C at Sydney Airport AMO
Coolest on average overall 18.0 °C at Springwood (Valley Heights)
Wettest overall 334.0 mm at Audley (Royal National Park)
Wettest day 132.0 mm at Cronulla South Bowling Club on 25 Mar
Highest wind gust 91 km/h at Fort Denison on 15 Mar

Extremes Records Summaries Important notes the top

Record highest autumn mean daily maximum temperature
Mean daily maximum
temperature
for autumn 2014 (°C) 		Previous warmest
for autumn		 Years of
record		 Average for
autumn
Sydney (Observatory Hill) 24.5 24.1 in 2006 155 22.2
Riverview Observatory 24.2 23.9 in 1969 75 22.5
Bankstown Airport AWS 24.9 24.5 in 1973 45 23.4

Record highest autumn mean temperature
Mean daily
temperature
for autumn 2014 (°C) 		Previous warmest
for autumn		 Years of
record		 Average for
autumn
Sydney (Observatory Hill) 20.2 20.1 in 1958 155 18.4
Sydney Airport AMO 20.2 19.9 in 2007 74 18.5
Bankstown Airport AWS 19.1 = 19.1 in 1989 45 18.1

Extremes Records Summaries Important notes the top

Summary statistics for autumn 2014
Maximum temperatures
for autumn
(°C)		 Minimum temperatures
for autumn
(°C)		 Rainfall
for autumn
(millimetres)
Mean for
autumn
2014		 Diff
from
average		 Highest for
autumn
2014		 Mean for
autumn
2014		 Diff
from
average		 Lowest for
autumn
2014		 Total for
autumn
2014		 Average
for
autumn		 Rank of
autumn
2014		 Fraction of
autumn
average
Badgerys Creek AWS 24.3   31.1 22 Mar 12.5   5.2 16 May 195.6
Bankstown Airport AWS 24.9 +1.5 31.6 22 Mar 13.4 +0.6 6.7 8 May 190.6 252.1 average 76%
Camden Airport AWS 24.7 +1.0 31.2 22 Mar 11.5 +0.6 3.6 16 May 198.4 211.8 average 94%
Campbelltown (Mount Annan) 24.4   30.7 22 Mar 11.7   4.9 5 May 173.2
Canterbury Racecourse AWS 24.2   30.4 5 Mar 13.5   6.6 5 May 213.4
Holsworthy Aerodrome AWS 24.3   31.6 5 Mar 13.0   5.1 5 May 169.4
Holsworthy Control Range 24.4   31.3 22 Mar 12.4   5.3 15 May 152.8
Horsley Park Equestrian Centre AWS 24.1   30.6 22 Mar 13.3   3.6 5 May 196.8
Parramatta North (Masons Drive) 24.4 +0.9 31.0 5 Mar 13.5 +0.7 6.7 5 May 179.8 268.2 low 67%
Penrith Lakes AWS 24.9   30.8 22 Mar 13.6   5.0 5 May 159.0
Prospect Reservoir 24.5 +1.1 31.4 22 Mar 13.6 +0.6 4.9 5 May 242.7 242.3 average 100%
Richmond RAAF 24.5 +0.7 30.5 22 Mar 12.3   1.5 29 May 150.6 173.2 average 87%
Riverview Observatory 24.2 +1.7 30.0 18 Mar 14.4 +1.4 7.4 5 May 244.4 338.7 average 72%
Springwood (Valley Heights) 22.8   29.1 24 Apr 13.1   6.2 6 May 211.4 287.6 average 74%
Sydney (Observatory Hill) 24.5 +2.3 29.9 24 Apr 16.0 +1.4 10.3 5 May 247.6 376.7 average 66%
Sydney Airport AMO 24.3 +1.6 30.8 18 Mar 16.1 +1.9 10.1 5 May 243.6 321.3 average 76%
Terrey Hills AWS 22.7   28.6 24 Apr 14.5   6.4 5 May 230.2

Extremes Records Summaries Important notes the top

Notes

A Seasonal Climate Summary is prepared to list the main features of the weather in Sydney using the most timely and accurate information available on the date of publication; it will generally not be updated. Later information, including data that has had greater opportunity for quality control, will be presented in the Monthly Weather Review, usually published in the fourth week of the month.

A Climate Summary is generally published on the first working day of each month.

This statement has been prepared based on information available at 8 am on Monday 2 June 2014. Some checks have been made on the data, but it is possible that results will change as new information becomes available.

Averages 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 20 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.

Further information

Media
(03) 9669 4057
Enquiries