June 2014 Review - Sydney

Once again Sydney experienced an above average month in terms of temperature. June 2014 at Sydney Airport ranked as one of the warmest in its 76 year history with both the overall minimum for the month and lowest maximum the highest on record. Rainfall dominated the first half of the month but dry conditions were experienced from June 17 onwards.

The graph below shows the June averages since 2009 plus the long term average.

June averages at Sydney Airport for the period 2009-2014 plus the long term average

As seen in the graph, the averages from last month rank as the highest or second highest in the years since 2009. The long term average is well below figures from the past 6 years. The 19.4C average maximum ranks as the equal 4th highest since 1939. The very warm June of 1957 holds the record at 20.4C. The average minimum was also quite high, ranking as the 6th warmest.

Winter minimums have been gradually increasing over the past couple of decades in Sydney. June 2014 further highlighted this with the month's overall minimum of 8.0C recorded on the 9th. This was the highest June minimum on record, beating last year's 7.6C. The 8 highest June minimums since 1939 have all been recorded in the years since 2001.

Cold days were few and far between. The lowest maximum of 16.4C was recorded on June 6. This was also the highest figure on record beating the 15.9C recorded in both 1991 and 2003.

The month's highest temperature came late in the month, a recording of 23.2C on June 28. While fairly warm for June, it is not within the top 90th percentile of all June records. The highest minimum of 14.8C was recorded on June 5.

Despite not recording the highest average maximum on record, June 2014 saw 14 days go above 20C. This is the third highest number since 1939. As shown in the graph below, the number of days that were entirely above 10C was the highest figure on record. Only 8 days recorded a minimum below the mark.

Number of June days with a minimum above 10C at Sydney Airport since 1939

June 2014 saw a monthly rainfall total of 109.0mm, making it the second wettest month so far this year. It was below the long term average of 122.8mm though, and far below June 2013's measurement of 305.6mm.

The month's wettest day was the 5th. A total of 55.2mm was recorded then and it is currently the highest daily total this year. June 4 through to the 11th all saw rain, the longest streak of the month. Of the first 16 days, 13 recorded rain. June 17 saw dry weather return and it stayed dry for the remainder of the month.

Daily rainfall totals during June 2014

The trend of weaker wind gusts for most of this year continued at the start of the month. June 13 was responsible for the weakest monthly gust of 24km/h. A strong low pressure system moved east across Australia's south-east from June 23, however, and brought very strong and gusty winds to the region. June 24 saw a strongest gust at the Airport of 81km/h, the 25th a 85km/h gust, before the 28th recorded the equal strongest gust since at least the start of last year, a westerly at 94km/h.