Sydney is finally drying out after the wettest late winter/early spring in 80 years. During the past 30 days the city has had 24 days of rain and received 255mm, the most number of rainy days and most rain in the city this deep into September since 1934. In 1934 Sydney gained 315mm in 25 rainy days in the 30 days to September 19th. The unusual wet spell has turned gardens, parks and sporting grounds to mud, driven kids and parents mad and caused washing baskets to overflow. Warmer-than-normal water on the surface of the Tasman Sea has enabled three low pressure systems to develop, which is more typical of early winter. The lows have combined with passing cold air to bring many rainy days to much of the New South Wales coast, some of them very wet. In the past 30 days more than 500mm has fallen over parts of the Illawarra Escarpment, including Robertson, more than 400mm over parts of the Hunter and Mid North Coast, including Mount Seaview, and more than 300mm over parts of eastern Sydney and Northern Rivers, including Cronulla and Ballina. Passing pools of cold air are now becoming less frequent and are generally losing their intensity and the weather pattern is returning to normal for this time of year. As a result, days are now becoming sunnier and warmer as they would typically do from mid-August, allowing the ground to dry out, flowers to bloom, giving parents more happy-kid options and sending washing machines whirring. The blooming flowers will lead to a spike in pollen levels, particularly when wind picks up, a concern for allergy sufferers. Not every day this week is going to be sunny and dry but showers will be less frequent and briefer than during the past month due to fronts and low pressure troughs generally weakening. During the next week Sydney can expect showers tonight and tomorrow morning, Friday, Saturday and Monday, but these will only amount to about five millimetres.