Friday, 2 September 2022 - Seasonal Climate Summary for Greater Sydney - Product code IDCKGC25L0

Greater Sydney in winter 2022: A dry June followed by a wettest on record July

Winter rainfall for Greater Sydney was around 1.5 to 2.5 times the average, with the wettest on record July since records began in 1900. Mean maximum temperatures were close to average while mean minimum temperatures were up to around 1 °C warmer than average.

Wet winter due to a record wet July

• Winter rainfall for Greater Sydney was around 1.5 to 2.5 times the average.
• This was despite much of Greater Sydney recording less than 20% of its average rainfall during June, as well as August being drier than average.
• A record wet July where many sites recorded at least five to eight times their monthly averages, resulted in an overall significantly wetter than average winter.
• For many sites, more than half of their winter total rainfall was recorded during the first week of July, from the influence of an East Coast Low.
• An East Coast Low developed off the Hunter Coast on the 2nd July, and although moving offshore on the 3rd July, onshore flow continued to bring persistent rain to Greater Sydney.
• The rainfall intensified on the 4th July, when a trough extending from the East Coast Low passed over Greater Sydney.
• During that week, some sites had their highest winter daily rainfall on record.
• A number of sites had their highest total winter rainfall on record or their highest total winter rainfall for at least 20 years.

Warmer than average nights for the majority of winter

• Although mean monthly minimum temperatures were 1.5 to 2.5 °C cooler than average during June, a warmer than average July and August resulted in mean minimum temperatures being up to around 1°C above the winter average for most of Greater Sydney.
• Mean maximum temperatures were close to average for most sites, being within 0.5 °C of their winter average.
• Camden Airport AWS had its lowest winter mean daily maximum temperature for at least 20 years.

Sydney (Observatory Hill)

• Total rainfall for Sydney (Observatory Hill) was 480.0 mm, which is 155% of the average over all years at the former site of 309.6 mm, or 161% of the 1991–2020 average of 297.4 mm.
• The monthly total of 404.0 mm is a July record for Observatory Hill, exceeding the previous July record of 336.1 mm at the former site in 1950.
• The year-to-date rainfall total at Sydney Observatory Hill is 2010.6 mm, which despite a drier than average August, is the highest on record year-to-date total across both the current and the former site (from which full year records began in 1859).
• 2022 is already the fourth-wettest year on record at Observatory Hill (across both the current and former site), with year-to-date rainfall being 166% of the annual average over all years at the former site of 1213.4 mm.
• The mean daily maximum temperature for Sydney (Observatory Hill) was 18.4 °C which is 1.3 °C above the average over all years at the former site of 17.1 °C, or 0.1 °C below the 1991–2020 average of 18.5 °C.
• The warmest day was 24.7 °C on 3 August, and the coolest day was on 1 July when the temperature reached 12.0 °C.
• The mean daily minimum temperature for Sydney (Observatory Hill) was 9.5 °C which is 0.7 °C above the average over all years at the former site of 8.8 °C, or the same as the 1991–2020 average.
• The coldest morning was 5.0 °C on 16 July, and the warmest morning was on 5 August when the minimum temperature was 16.0 °C.

Major flooding in the Hawkesbury-Nepean catchment

• The intense rainfall during the first week of July, in addition to wet antecedent soil conditions, resulted in major flooding for the Hawkesbury-Nepean catchment.
• The river height at Menangle Bridge on the Nepean River peaked at 16.59 m on the 3rd, slightly lower than the level observed during the flooding in April 2022, but higher than the level observed in March 2022.

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top

Extremes Maps Records Summaries 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 Important notes the top

Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top