Sydney climate
Sydney (New South Wales, Australia) has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa). The average temperature over the year is 18 °C65 °F, and about 888 mm35 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Sydney climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2578 | 2068 | 2373 | 833.3 |
| Feb | 2577 | 2069 | 2373 | 1355.3 |
| Mar | 2475 | 1967 | 2271 | 1044.1 |
| Apr | 2271 | 1763 | 2067 | 732.9 |
| May | 1967 | 1558 | 1763 | 542.1 |
| Jun | 1763 | 1355 | 1559 | 873.4 |
| Jul | 1661 | 1152 | 1457 | 441.7 |
| Aug | 1763 | 1253 | 1458 | 461.8 |
| Sep | 1967 | 1356 | 1661 | 431.7 |
| Oct | 2170 | 1559 | 1865 | 642.5 |
| Nov | 2373 | 1762 | 2068 | 833.3 |
| Dec | 2475 | 1865 | 2170 | 722.8 |
| Year | 2578 | 1152 | 1865 | 88835 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 75% | 59% | 6.5 | 14:10 |
| Feb | 77% | 61% | 5.7 | 13:21 |
| Mar | 75% | 59% | 4.8 | 12:23 |
| Apr | 73% | 54% | 3.8 | 11:17 |
| May | 71% | 52% | 3.0 | 10:23 |
| Jun | 74% | 58% | 2.4 | 9:55 |
| Jul | 72% | 49% | 2.8 | 10:06 |
| Aug | 69% | 46% | 3.7 | 10:53 |
| Sep | 68% | 47% | 4.8 | 11:56 |
| Oct | 70% | 55% | 5.7 | 13:00 |
| Nov | 73% | 61% | 6.2 | 13:57 |
| Dec | 73% | 60% | 6.6 | 14:24 |
Humid. = average relative humidity at 2 m; cloud = average cloud amount; solar = average daily solar energy reaching the ground in kWh/m² (all-sky); daylight in hours:minutes, calculated for the 15th of each month.
What the climate of Sydney is like
The warmest month is January, with an average high of 25 °C78 °F and a low of 20 °C68 °F. The coldest is July, when highs average 16 °C61 °F and lows 11 °C52 °F. There is a clear seasonal cycle, with 8.9 °C16.1 °F between the average temperature of the warmest and the coolest month.
Annual precipitation is moderate at about 888 mm35 in. The wettest three-month stretch is January–March, which brings 36% of the annual total. The wettest month is February (135 mm5.3 in), the driest is September (43 mm1.7 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 68% in September to 77% in February. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 46%) are typical of August. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 11 km/h (7 mph) in April to 12 km/h (8 mph) in August. Daylight lasts from about 9.9 hours in June to 14.4 hours in December.
Best time to visit Sydney
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are September–January and April and May: average highs of 19 °C67 °F to 25 °C78 °F with 43 mm1.7 in to 83 mm3.3 in of precipitation per month.
Comfort score: months are ranked by how close they come to an average high of 21–28 °C (70–82 °F), lows above 5 °C (41 °F), little precipitation and moderate humidity. The best-ranked months of each place are recommended, even where none meets all of these. These are general rules of thumb applied to long-term averages.
Sydney weather by month
- January25 °C78 °F / 20 °C68 °F
- February25 °C77 °F / 20 °C69 °F
- March24 °C75 °F / 19 °C67 °F
- April22 °C71 °F / 17 °C63 °F
- May19 °C67 °F / 15 °C58 °F
- June17 °C63 °F / 13 °C55 °F
- July16 °C61 °F / 11 °C52 °F
- August17 °C63 °F / 12 °C53 °F
- September19 °C67 °F / 13 °C56 °F
- October21 °C70 °F / 15 °C59 °F
- November23 °C73 °F / 17 °C62 °F
- December24 °C75 °F / 18 °C65 °F
What to pack for Sydney
- Summer (December–February) — highs 2475 to 25 °C78 °F, lows 1865 to 20 °C69 °F, about 97 mm3.8 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Autumn (March–May) — highs 1967 to 24 °C75 °F, lows 1558 to 19 °C67 °F, about 77 mm3.0 in of precipitation a month. Pack light layers — T-shirts plus a light sweater or jacket.
- Winter (June–August) — highs 1661 to 17 °C63 °F, lows 1152 to 13 °C55 °F, about 59 mm2.3 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket.
- Spring (September–November) — highs 1967 to 23 °C73 °F, lows 1356 to 17 °C62 °F, about 63 mm2.5 in of precipitation a month. Pack light layers — T-shirts plus a light sweater or jacket.
How Sydney compares
Of the 39 places in Australia covered by World Climates, Sydney is the 20th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 14th wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the Australia climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern: Mdantsane (South Africa, Cfa), Rio Grande (Brazil, Cfa) and Ponta Grossa (Brazil, Cfb).
Nearby places
- Liverpool 27 km · 18 °C64 °F · 1,013 mm40 in
- Central Coast 51 km · 19 °C65 °F · 913 mm36 in
- Richmond (New South Wales) 52 km · 18 °C65 °F · 973 mm38 in
- Wollongong 68 km · 18 °C64 °F · 925 mm36 in
- Newcastle 117 km · 19 °C66 °F · 994 mm39 in
- Nowra 126 km · 18 °C64 °F · 992 mm39 in
- Maitland 130 km · 19 °C66 °F · 802 mm32 in
- Orange 206 km · 13 °C56 °F · 649 mm26 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Sydney?
January is the warmest month in Sydney, with an average high of 25 °C (78 °F) and an average low of 20 °C (68 °F).
What is the coldest month in Sydney?
July is the coldest month, with an average high of 16 °C (61 °F) and an average low of 11 °C (52 °F).
When does it rain the most in Sydney?
February is the wettest month with about 135 mm (5.3 in) of precipitation; September is the driest with about 43 mm (1.7 in).
What is the best time to visit Sydney?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are September–January and April and May.
About this data
All figures are 25-year averages (January 2001 – December 2025) from the NASA POWER project. Temperature, humidity, wind and precipitation come from the MERRA-2 reanalysis (precipitation is the bias-corrected MERRA-2 product), cloud and solar values from CERES satellite data. They describe a grid cell of roughly 50–70 km, not a single weather station, so they can differ from airport records — most of all on coasts, in mountains and for rainfall. Average highs and lows are the monthly mean temperature plus/minus half of the average daily temperature range. Counts of rainy days are not part of this dataset.