30/01/2012: Sydney has just ended its longest summer-spell-below-30-degrees in 15 years, according to weatherzone.com.au.

After a 60-day break, Sydney has finally reached 30 degrees, ending the longest summer run below 30 since 1996/97. In that summer there were 61 consecutive days below 30 degrees. The record number of consecutive summer days below 30 degrees is 90, set in 1952/53. During that summer, not one day reached 30 degrees.

It was 10:30am today when the city reached 30 degrees for the first time since spring. By 12:30pm it had got to 32 degrees, six above average. Western suburbs took a bit longer to reach 30 today, Penrith still hadn't done so by midday. Regardless, nearly all western suburbs have already reached 30 degrees this summer.

"This is consistent with being in a La Nina, when easterly winds are more dominant and there is more cloud cover than normal. Today we got a rare burst of northerly winds, which combined with mostly clear skies and a warm airmass," Weatherzone meteorologist Brett Dutschke said.

"The lack of hot days in the city has led to this being the coolest start to summer in 12 years. Maximum temperatures have averaged only 24.5 degrees so far, about a degree cooler than the long-term average," Dutschke said.

"Tomorrow is looking like a fairly warm day also, not as warm as today, but westerly winds should get us to the mid-to-high-20s throughout Sydney before showers develop. Showers are a good chance to be heavy late in the day, in what looks like the start of a run of wet weather. By the weekend we may have as much as 50mm of rain, continuing with our wetter-than-normal summer."

So far this summer we have 216mm, 37mm more than average.

Media Inquiries:

Brett Dutschke
media@weatherzone.com.au
02 9965 9269

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