Parramatta weather: When is the best time to visit Western Sydney?

Parramatta weather: When is the best time to visit Western Sydney?

The Parramatta weather is generally a couple of degrees hotter than that of central Sydney. The best time to visit Western Sydney is when it’s cool in the centre.

Australia’s biggest city covers a huge area, and different parts of Sydney have different weather patterns. On summer days where a breeze can cool down Sydney Harbour, Bondi Beach or the Hermitage Foreshore Walk, Western Sydney can be stiflingly hot.

The Parramatta weather gives a decent example of this. Known as Sydney’s second CBD, Parramatta is home to Elizabeth Farm, arguably the oldest building in Australia. You can get there on the Parramatta ferry from Circular Quay, but it’s 26km north-west of central Sydney by road.

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Headwaters of the Parramatta River in Sydney
The headwaters of the Parramatta River are one of the main attractions in Parramatta. Photo by David Whitley/ Australia Travel Questions

Parramatta weather data

Historic climate data provided by the Bureau of Meteorology shows that the hottest month in Parramatta is January. The Parramatta weather gives a mean maximum daily temperature of 28.6°C, and a mean minimum daily temperature of 17.7°C.

The Sydney weather in January, as recorded from Observatory Hill in the Rocks, has a mean maximum daily temperature of 26°C. The mean daily minimum temperature is 18.8°C.

This is a pattern followed throughout the year. The hot days are a degree or two hotter in Parramatta than in Sydney, but the colder days are a degree or two colder.

Given that rainfall in Parramatta is lower in winter, and there are more clear days in the winter months, winter is arguably the best time to visit Western Sydney. There is no wet season in Sydney, however.

Parramatta weather: The best time to visit Western Sydney

The Parramatta weather at least has the slight benefit of being marginally cooled by the Parramatta River, however. Elsewhere in Western Sydney, the pattern of the hottest days being hotter is more pronounced. A manageable 32°C day at Clovelly Beach, Surry Hills or Chippendale can be approaching 40°C in the western suburbs.

So when looking at the best time to visit Western Sydney, there’s a basic rule of thumb. If you’re sweating in the eastern suburbs, it’ll be much worse out west.

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