Weather by month for Sydney, the best months to go and how Australia's regions differ, scored from 10 years of climate data.
Apr, May, Sep, Oct
The highest month scores: comfortable temperatures, little rain and plenty of sun.
Highs 20°C to 23°C · 8–11 rain days
Jan, Feb, Mar, Jun, Jul, Aug, Nov, Dec
Still good weather, just not quite the top months.
Highs 17°C to 27°C · 6–15 rain days
Weather by month
Average highs and lows, rain days, sunshine, sea temperature and our month score out of 10.
| Month | High / low | Rain days | Sunshine | Sea temp | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 27°C / 20°C | 13 days (99 mm) | 10.8 h/day | 22°C | 6.9/10 |
| February | 26°C / 19°C | 13 days (107 mm) | 10.6 h/day | 23°C | 7.4/10 |
| March | 25°C / 18°C | 15 days (151 mm) | 9.5 h/day | 23°C | 7.2/10 |
| Best month: April | 22°C / 15°C | 10 days (96 mm) | 9.4 h/day | 22°C | 8.1/10 |
| Best month: May | 20°C / 11°C | 8 days (62 mm) | 8.7 h/day | 21°C | 7.9/10 |
| June | 17°C / 9°C | 10 days (77 mm) | 8.2 h/day | 20°C | 7.2/10 |
| July | 17°C / 8°C | 8 days (64 mm) | 8.9 h/day | 18°C | 7.1/10 |
| August | 18°C / 9°C | 6 days (49 mm) | 9.2 h/day | 18°C | 7.5/10 |
| Best month: September | 21°C / 11°C | 8 days (49 mm) | 10.4 h/day | 19°C | 7.8/10 |
| Best month: October | 23°C / 14°C | 11 days (75 mm) | 10.4 h/day | 19°C | 7.6/10 |
| November | 24°C / 16°C | 12 days (81 mm) | 11.0 h/day | 20°C | 7.3/10 |
| December | 26°C / 18°C | 10 days (66 mm) | 11.6 h/day | 21°C | 7.2/10 |
Figures for Sydney; the country's best months are weighted across its cities. Best months are highlighted. How we score months
Month by month
27°C / 20°C · 13 rain days · 10.8 h sun · sea 22°C
Sydney sits at a high of 26.8°C with about 13 rain days and 99mm of rain. Sea temperature is 22.3°C, good for swimming. The score is 6.9, a good month, though it's peak summer crowds and heat. New Year's Day and Australia Day (26th) fall in this month.
26°C / 19°C · 13 rain days · 10.6 h sun · sea 23°C
February stays warm with a high of 26°C, similar rain at 107mm over 13 days. Sea temperature peaks at 23.3°C. The score rises to 7.4, a good month, with humid, sticky air typical of late summer.
25°C / 18°C · 15 rain days · 9.5 h sun · sea 23°C
Autumn begins with a high of 24.7°C but March is the wettest month, with 151mm of rain over almost 15 days. Sea temperature holds at 22.8°C. The score is 7.2, still good, but the rain is worth planning around.
22°C / 15°C · 10 rain days · 9.4 h sun · sea 22°C
April cools to a high of 22.4°C with rain dropping to 96mm over 9.9 days and more sun at 9.4 hours. This is a best month, with a score of 8.1. Good Friday and Easter Monday fall in early April.
20°C / 11°C · 8 rain days · 8.7 h sun · sea 21°C
May highs fall to 19.5°C with lighter rain, 62mm over 8.1 days, and sea temperature at 21°C. It scores 7.9, a best month, as autumn settles into cooler, drier conditions.
17°C / 9°C · 10 rain days · 8.2 h sun · sea 20°C
Winter sets in with a high of just 16.8°C and lows near 9°C. Rain picks up slightly to 77mm over 10 days. The score is 7.2, good, but this is the coldest run of weather with limited sun at 8.2 hours.
17°C / 8°C · 8 rain days · 8.9 h sun · sea 18°C
July matches June's high of 16.8°C but with less rain, only 64mm over 7.8 days, the driest stretch of the year. Sea temperature drops to 17.9°C, too cool for most swimmers. The score is 7.1, a good month for clear winter skies.
18°C / 9°C · 6 rain days · 9.2 h sun · sea 18°C
August starts to warm slightly to an 18.1°C high, with rain at its lowest, just 49mm over 6.1 days. Sea temperature is still a cool 18°C. The score climbs to 7.5, a best month thanks to dry, sunny conditions.
21°C / 11°C · 8 rain days · 10.4 h sun · sea 19°C
Spring brings a 20.5°C high and rain stays low at 49mm over 8 days, with sun hours rising to 10.4. The score is 7.8, a best month, as the weather turns reliably mild and dry.
23°C / 14°C · 11 rain days · 10.4 h sun · sea 19°C
October highs reach 22.5°C with rain increasing to 75mm over 11.4 days. Sea temperature is still cool at 19.3°C. The score is 7.6, a best month, with pleasant spring warmth setting in.
24°C / 16°C · 12 rain days · 11.0 h sun · sea 20°C
November warms further to 23.9°C with 81mm of rain over 11.7 days. Sea temperature reaches 20°C. The score is 7.3, a good month, as early summer heat and sun hours of 11 build toward December.
26°C / 18°C · 10 rain days · 11.6 h sun · sea 21°C
December highs hit 26°C with rain easing to 66mm over 9.8 days and sun hours peaking at 11.6. Sea temperature is 21.1°C. The score is 7.2, a good month, with Christmas Day and St. Stephen's Day marking the holiday season.
Regional differences
Average daytime high each month, coloured by that city's own month score.
| City | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sydney | 27°C | 26°C | 25°C | 22°C | 20°C | 17°C | 17°C | 18°C | 21°C | 23°C | 24°C | 26°C |
| Melbourne | 26°C | 26°C | 24°C | 20°C | 16°C | 14°C | 13°C | 14°C | 17°C | 20°C | 22°C | 25°C |
| Brisbane | 29°C | 29°C | 28°C | 26°C | 23°C | 21°C | 21°C | 23°C | 25°C | 26°C | 28°C | 29°C |
| Perth | 30°C | 30°C | 28°C | 25°C | 21°C | 18°C | 17°C | 18°C | 19°C | 22°C | 25°C | 29°C |
| Adelaide | 28°C | 27°C | 25°C | 21°C | 17°C | 15°C | 14°C | 15°C | 17°C | 21°C | 23°C | 26°C |
Best Good OK Tough weather
By trip type
City sightseeing
April, May and September work well for city trips to Sydney. Highs sit between 19.5°C and 22.4°C, rain days drop to 8–10 per month, and you avoid the sticky heat of January and February.
Beach
January and February are the best beach months. Sydney highs reach 26–27°C and sea temperatures hit 22.3–23.3°C, the warmest water of the year, making it good for swimming despite rain around 99–107 mm.
Hiking & nature
May, June, August and September suit hiking. Daytime highs stay mild at 16.8–20.5°C, sun hours hold steady at 8.2–10.4, and rain days fall as low as 6.1–10 per month, giving cooler, drier trail conditions.
Events calendar
Keep planning
FAQ
Yes, April scores 8.1 out of 10, the top month in this data. In Sydney, highs average 22.4°C and lows 14.6°C, with 9.9 rain days and 96mm of rain. Sun hours sit at 9.4, so days are mild and reasonably dry, which is why April rates as a best-time month.
Yes, August scores 7.5 and is rated a best month. Sydney's high averages 18.1°C and the low 8.8°C, with only 6.1 rain days and 49mm of rain, the driest month in the data. Sea temperature is 18°C, so it is cool for swimming but good for drier sightseeing days.
The data points to April, May, September and October as the best months, with April scoring highest at 8.1. These months combine milder highs (19.5°C to 22.5°C in Sydney), lower rain days (8 to 9.9), and decent sun hours (8.7 to 10.4), avoiding the heaviest rain of March (151mm) and the coolest lows of July (8.3°C).
January works for swimming, since Sydney's sea temperature hits 22.3°C, among the warmest of the year. But it scores only 6.9 for overall travel conditions, lower than the best months, because rain is frequent at 13.4 rain days and 99mm, and highs of 26.8°C bring more heat and humidity than the cooler shoulder months.
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