August 2014 Review - Sydney

After experiencing a very warm May, June and July in 2014, Sydney recorded a rather cold August. The average maximum at Sydney Airport was equal with 2008 as the coldest since 1989. It was also very wet. A series of intense low pressure systems and associated rain events up and down Australia's east coast from the middle of the month helped the Airport record its wettest August since 1998.

The long term averages for August at Sydney Airport, along with those in the years since 2009, are shown below.

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

The average maximum of 17.3C was a degree colder than the next coldest in the years since 2009, and around 4C colder than the August of 2009 and that of last year. The highest average maximum achieved as the month wore on was only 18.6C on the 10th. From August 16 until the end, it never went above 17.3C. For some comparison, the progressive averages during August 2009 and 2011 didn't go below 19C even once.

Despite the low average maximum, the average minimum was slightly higher than some recent figures, beating both 2010 and 2012. As usual it was higher than the long term figure.

The month's highest temperature was seen on August 10, a top of 22.9C. Since 2002, only 2008 and this year have had an overall August high below 25C. August 17 and 27 shared the highest minimum; a recording of 12.6C. This was the lowest since 2009, 1.6C lower than the next figure of 14.0C from 2011.

August 3 saw temperatures plummet to only 4.9C. That was the lowest temperature seen at the Airport since June 30 in 2010, and the third coldest since mid-July 2007. The coldest day of the month was seen on the 11th when a top of 13.1C was recorded. It was the lowest August figure since 2008. This will also remain as the coldest day for 2014.

August 2014 saw a lot of rain. Not only was it the wettest August since 1998, it was the fourth wettest at the Airport since records began in 1930. Rain fell on 21 days during the month, including 15 consecutive days from August 16, and the monthly total reached 257.8mm. That total made it the wettest month overall since June last year. Since the start of 2000, eight months out of 176, only 4.5%, have recorded a total above 250mm.

Daily rainfalls total at Sydney Airport for August 2014

The wettest day of the month was August 18. A total of 48.6mm fell then, making it the second wettest day this year. The 12th also saw a total above 40mm. August 17 to 19 accounted for 101.2mm of the monthly total, easily the highest three day total so far this year. With only 10 dry days for the month, the longest dry day streak was an unsurprising figure of four, from August 1 onwards.

Wind speeds were once again down on last year's figures. Both the strongest and weakest daily gusts were lower. The highest wind gust for August this year was a south-southeasterly at 89km/h, which accompanied the rain on August 18. That is compared to a top of 94km/h last year, although it is still the second strongest gust seen this year. The 24th was the calmest day. A strongest gust of only 24km/h from the east was recorded then.

The recorded hours of sunlight really tell the story for August this year. Last year's warm August saw 277.5 hours at the Airport, with 17 days topping 10 hours. This year saw only 197.6 hours, more than three full days less. There were also only eight days that saw more than 10 hours.