Monday, 1 April 2019 - Monthly Climate Summary for Greater Sydney - Product code IDCKGC15L0

Greater Sydney in March 2019: wet and warm

Thunderstorms and heavy falls in the second half of the month saw above average rainfall overall for Greater Sydney. Days and nights were warmer than average in March.

Overall wetter than average

• March rainfall was generally well above average across much of Greater Sydney, although it was close to average in Western Sydney, including Springwood
• The heaviest falls were between the 15th and 18th as a low pressure system developed off the northeast coast of New South Wales
• The low pressure system moved south and the highest daily total, 123.8 mm, was recorded at Gosford AWS (on the Central Coast) in the 24 hours to 9am on the 17th
• Mona Vale Golf Club (in northern regions of Greater Sydney) recorded its highest March daily rainfall on record in the 24 hours to 9am on the 15th and its highest total March rainfall on record, receiving 329.8 mm during the month
• Some sites had their highest total March rainfall in several decades

Warm days and nights

• Daytime temperatures were warmer than average across Greater Sydney, with most sites reporting temperatures between 1 and 2 degrees above the March average
• For most sites, the warmest day of the month was the 6th, the maximum temperature did not drop below 35 degrees across most locations. The highest daytime temperature, 38.4 °C, was recorded at Penrith Lakes AWS on this day
• Norah Heads AWS experienced its highest mean daily maximum temperature on record and Sydney Airport had its highest March mean daily maximum temperature since 1940
• March ended with a chilly night, many sites across Greater Sydney experienced an overnight temperature 3 to 7 degrees cooler than average on the 31st, including Norah Heads AWS that had its lowest March temperature on record

Sydney (Observatory Hill)

• Total rainfall for Sydney (Observatory Hill) was 229.2 mm, which is 174% of the long-term average of 131.4 mm
• The mean daily maximum temperature for Sydney (Observatory Hill) was 26.8 °C, which is 2.0 °C above the long-term average of 24.8 °C. The warmest day was 35.6 °C on the 6th, and the coolest day was on the 17th when the temperature reached 20.5 °C
• The mean daily minimum temperature for Sydney (Observatory Hill) was 19.1 °C, which is 1.5 °C above the long-term average of 17.6 °C. The coldest morning was 12.5 °C on the 31st, and the warmest morning was on the 6th when the minimum temperature was 22.2 °C

Severe thunderstorms

• Severe thunderstorms, associated with a coastal trough, produced giant hail, flash flooding and heavy falls across Greater Sydney on the evening of the 14th. More than 620 calls were made to the SES and Mona Vale Golf Club (in the Northern Beaches) recorded 120.8 mm in 2 hours, a greater than 1 in 100 year event for this site
• A strong cold front swept across Greater Sydney in the last few days of the month, with many sites recording gusts in excess of 60 km/h resulting in downed trees throughout Hornsby, Blacktown and Kooringal

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Daily observations Important notes the top

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Daily observations Important notes the top

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

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Daily observations Important notes the top

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Daily observations Important notes the top

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Daily observations Important notes the top