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Sydney weather by month: averages, rainfall & climate trends

Seasons run to extremes in Sydney: monthly means span 23.6°C between the coldest month and the warmest. Rainfall is spread quite evenly across the year. Sydney weather by month: average temperatures, rainfall, extremes and how the climate has changed since 1940.

Today vs average

+5.0°Chigh well above average

16° / 7°Today
11° / 6°Average
see today in detail →

How it's changed

+1.5°Caverage temperature, 2016–2025 vs 1940–1949average temperature vs 1940–49118frost days a year now (2016–2025) · 135 in the 1940sfrost days a year · 135 in the 1940s16days above 25°C a year now (2016–2025) · 6 in the 1940sdays above 25°C · 6 in the 1940s+1.5°C vs the 1940s · see how it's changed →
Weather by montha typical year, averaged over the full recordJanuary, rain 129 mmhigh −1°low −7°February, rain 115 mmhigh −2°low −8°March, rain 112 mmhigh 1°low −5°April, rain 106 mmhigh 5°low 0°May, rain 90 mmhigh 10°low 4°June, rain 87 mmhigh 16°low 10°July, rain 82 mmhigh 21°low 15°August, rain 94 mmhigh 21°low 16°September, rain 101 mmhigh 18°low 13°October, rain 125 mmhigh 12°low 8°November, rain 138 mmhigh 7°low 3°December, rain 142 mmhigh 2°low −3°wettest month December, 142 mm · 1,322 mm a yearsee month by month →

Right now

What it's doing today vs the historical average for this date.
Clear

Right now

8.1°

4°feels like
60%humidity
1°dew point
16 km/hfrom SW
UV index0.0
sunrise07:33sunset17:55day length10h 23m
TodayClear16°7°
TuePartly cloudy9°2°
WedPartly cloudy8°1°
ThuOvercast13°2°
FriOvercast15°5°
SatPartly cloudy6°−2°
SunMostly clear12°−3°

On this date: October 26

Today (forecast)
16° / 7°
Average for October 26
11° / 6°

High well above average · +5.0°C

  • Highest since 1940: 19.7° · 2022
  • Lowest since 1940: 1.6° · 1986
  • One year ago: 12° / 6°

Every October 26 in history, coldest to hottest

▲ Daily highs▼ Daily lows

Dots show daily highs (top) and lows (bottom) for each October 26 on record (n = 87). Outlined dots are today's forecast.

Area we sample

Each city's history comes from one ERA5 grid cell, about 28 km across, shown by the dashed box. Near mountains or coasts, conditions can vary across the cell.

Location & data

Historical weather for Sydney is sampled from the ECMWF ERA5 reanalysis at 46.14°N, 60.18°W, with daily records since 1940.

Coordinates
46.14°N, 60.18°W
Time zone
America/Glace Bay
Period
1940–2026
Data source
ERA5 (ECMWF)

Last 30 days

14 of the last 31 days were warmer than the historical average for that date. Average difference: −0.5°C.

Each bar is one day, from morning low to afternoon high. Warm-colored bars are days whose mean ran above average; cool bars ran below. The dot inside the bar is the daily mean. The shaded band is the typical 10–90% range expected for that date. Average = the day's mean temperature averaged across every year of record (1940–2026) for that calendar date.

This date over the years

One dot per year, showing the mean temperature on this calendar date. Dots are warmer or cooler than the long-term average (dashed line); the shaded band is the typical 10–90% range, and the highlighted dot is today's forecast. Based on ERA5 reanalysis: modelled estimates, not station readings.

Weather by month

Average temperatures and rainfall for each month: a typical year, from the full record.

Climate overview

The warmest month is August, with typical afternoon highs of 21.5°C and nights around 16.1°C. Roughly 15 days a year now top 25°C. At the other extreme, February brings afternoon highs of about −1.6°C and typical overnight lows of −8.2°C. Around 120 days a year dip below freezing.

The yearly total for Sydney comes to about 1,322 mm; monthly amounts range from 82 mm in July up to 142 mm in December.

Over the full record (since 1940), the annual mean temperature in Sydney has risen by 1.5°C between its first decade and its last. No period since 1940 has been warmer than the most recent decade.

Climate graph (climograph)

August is the warmest month, February the coolest: a yearly swing of 24°C. Wettest month: December (~142 mm). Whole year averages ~1,322 mm of rain.

Bars = average monthly rainfall (right axis). Lines = average daily high and low (left axis). Average = each month's value averaged across every year of record (1940–2026).

Rainy days by month

About 119 rainy days a year: most in December (~12), fewest in July (~8).

Bars = average number of days with ≥ 2 mm per month. Hover for the monthly rainfall total.

Monthly wind

Average daily peak wind at 10 m, by month.

Monthly solar energy

Average daily incoming solar energy in megajoules per square metre: the record's own proxy for how sunny the month is.

Sydney month by month: what to expect

Typical conditions for each month, averaged across the full record (since 1940). Daylight is the time from sunrise to sunset. Highest and Lowest are the most extreme values in the ERA5 dataset (modelled since 1940), so they can differ from official weather-station readings.

MonthAvg highAvg lowRainRainy daysDaylightHighestLowest
January−0.9°−6.9°129 mm118.8 h12.7° (2006)−25.6° (1982)
February−1.6°−8.2°115 mm1010.1 h10.6° (2016)−23.7° (2023)
March0.9°−4.9°112 mm1011.6 h17.5° (2012)−19.9° (1994)
April5.0°−0.2°106 mm1113.3 h21.5° (2009)−11.0° (1995)
May10.4°4.3°90 mm1014.8 h24.6° (2020)−4.6° (1972)
June15.8°9.6°87 mm915.6 h28.6° (1975)2.3° (1956)
July20.9°15.0°82 mm815.2 h30.7° (1975)6.9° (2009)
August21.5°16.1°94 mm914.0 h30.5° (2001)9.6° (1982)
September17.8°12.6°101 mm812.3 h28.2° (2001)4.7° (1971)
October12.5°7.7°125 mm1010.6 h24.0° (2025)−0.4° (1944)
November7.3°2.9°138 mm119.2 h19.1° (2022)−7.7° (2018)
December2.1°−2.7°142 mm128.4 h13.8° (2008)−17.0° (1989)

How it's changed

Year-by-year signals from 1940 to today.

Climate stripes

Annual mean shifted from 1940–1949 to 2016–2025 by +1.5°C.

Each vertical stripe is one year. Color encodes how much that year's annual mean differed from the long-term average. Average = each year's annual mean compared to the average of all years (1940–2026). cooler ← → warmer

Annual mean temperature

Long-term trend: +0.19°C per decade.

One point per year, showing the temperature averaged across the whole year. The dashed line is the least-squares long-term trend. Based on ERA5 reanalysis: modelled estimates, not station readings.

Seasonal warming

Jun–Aug is warming fastest: +0.23°C per decade.

Each faint line is one three-month period's average per year; the bold dashed line is its long-term trend. Different parts of the year often warm at different rates. Based on ERA5 reanalysis: modelled estimates, not station readings.

Hot days vs frost days

Days ≥ 25°C per year: 5.5 early in the record → 15.9 recently. Frost days: 135 → 118.

Thin lines are raw yearly counts; thick lines are the smoothed trend that removes year-to-year noise. The hot-day threshold is auto-picked per city so the line actually moves. Average = a centered 5-year rolling average to smooth weather noise.

Yearly hot & cold extremes

Hottest day since 1940 in 1975, coldest in 1982: 30.7°C / −25.6°C.

One point per year: the single hottest and coldest day recorded that year.

Annual rainfall

~1,322 mm/year on average. Last decade: +6% vs that average. Long-term trend: +20 mm per decade.

One bar per year of total rainfall. Dashed line is the long-term average. Average = the average annual rainfall across every year of record (1940–2026).

Day-by-day grid

Each tiny square is one calendar day across the full record, about 30,000 days per city. Use the mode switch above the chart: Anomaly colors each day by how far it ran from the historical average for that date (red = warmer, blue = cooler), Daily mean temp shows the absolute mean temperature for the day (useful to see seasons and heatwaves), and Precipitation shows daily rainfall (useful to spot wet/dry seasons and droughts). Average = the long-term average for that calendar date (1940–2026).

Frequently asked questions about Sydney

Which is the warmest month in Sydney?
On long-term average, the warmest month in Sydney is August (mean daily temperature of about 18.5°C) and the coolest is February (about −5.0°C).
How does today's temperature in Sydney compare to the historical average?
On October 26, 2026, Sydney is forecast to reach a high of 15.7°C and a low of 7.1°C. The long-term average for this date (the full record since 1940) is a high of 10.7°C and a low of 6.3°C, so today's high is 5.0°C warmer than that average.
How much has Sydney warmed since 1940?
Comparing the first decade of the record (1940–1949) with the most recent (2016–2025), the annual mean temperature in Sydney is about 1.5°C warmer.
How much does it rain in Sydney?
Sydney receives about 1,322 mm of precipitation per year on long-term average, with December typically the wettest month.
What is the average temperature in Sydney?
Over the full record (since 1940), the annual mean temperature in Sydney is about 6.4°C. The warmest month is August and the coolest is February.
What are the average temperatures in Sydney by month?
Average daily highs and lows for each month in Sydney (°C, full record since 1940): January −1°/−7°, February −2°/−8°, March 1°/−5°, April 5°/0°, May 10°/4°, June 16°/10°, July 21°/15°, August 21°/16°, September 18°/13°, October 12°/8°, November 7°/3°, December 2°/−3°.
What is the weather like in Sydney in summer?
June to August is summer in Sydney, and it is mild. It warms from 16°C by day and 10°C at night in June to 21°C and 16°C in August. Rain falls on about 9 days a month, adding up to around 88 mm.
What is the weather like in Sydney in winter?
Winter in Sydney (December to February) is wet and cold, with afternoons close to freezing. December is still 2°C by day and −3°C at night; by February it is down to −2°C and −8°C. Rain and snow are steady at around 129 mm a month, spread over roughly 11 days.
What is the weather like in Sydney in spring?
March to May is spring in Sydney, and it is wet and cold. March is still 1°C in the afternoon and −5°C at night, May already 10°C and 4°C. Rain and snow fall on about 10 days a month, adding up to around 103 mm.
What is the weather like in Sydney in autumn?
Autumn in Sydney (September to November) is wet and cool. It cools from 18°C by day and 13°C at night in September to 7°C and 3°C in November. Rain is steady at around 121 mm a month, spread over roughly 10 days.
How many days a year does it rain in Sydney?
On long-term average, Sydney has about 119 days a year with at least 2 mm of rain or snow. The annual total is roughly 1,322 mm.

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