Blue Sky at Sydney Harbour Bridge
Sydney enjoys a temperate, humid climate with abundant sunshine.
The sunshine is well spread through the year. In fact, Sydney basks in more blue-sky days in winter than in summer. Given the strong summer sun, this is considered a blessing by many of Sydney’s fair-skinned citizens.
As a coastal city, afternoon sea breezes are the norm in Sydney; these can be very refreshing on a humid summer’s day. On hot, calm days smog can become more noticeable. National Environment Protection standard ozone quality guidelines are exceeded on average about ten days each year in Sydney.
Sydney is prone to droughts, but usually has an adequate amount of year-round rainfall. In 2005 the reservoirs that supply the city with water reached all-time lows. Water levels since then have recovered (2013).
Sea temperatures around Sydney are very pleasant and Sidneysiders make full use of their ocean playground for swimming, yachting and watersports.
Most people find Sydney’s climate is agreeable all year round – the main reservations are the summer humidity and the strength of the sun in the summer months (this is a concern in all Australian cities).
Sydney’s Climate Figures
| Month | Av. Daily Max Temp. (OC) | Av. Daily Min Temp. (OC) | Av. Days with Rainfall | Av. After noon Humidity | Av. hours Sunshine (per day) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan. | 26 | 19 | 12 | 65 | 8 |
| Feb. | 26 | 19 | 12 | 65 | 7 |
| Mar. | 25 | 17 | 13 | 65 | 7 |
| Apr. | 23 | 14 | 12 | 65 | 7 |
| May | 20 | 11 | 13 | 66 | 6 |
| Jun. | 17 | 8 | 12 | 60 | 6 |
| Jul. | 17 | 8 | 12 | 60 | 7 |
| Aug. | 18 | 8 | 10 | 55 | 8 |
| Sep. | 20 | 11 | 12 | 55 | 8 |
| Oct. | 22 | 13 | 12 | 55 | 8 |
| Nov. | 24 | 16 | 12 | 60 | 8 |
| Dec. | 26 | 17 | 13 | 60 | 8 |
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Coastal vs Inland Temperatures
The temperatures in the table above are typical for suburbs near the coast. Inland, in Sydney’s western suburbs, summer highs are around 2 degrees Centigrade higher and winter lows around 2 degrees lower than the coastal suburbs.