Sydney weather: Which is the sunniest month in Sydney?

August, October and December are the sunniest months in Sydney. But they’re not necessarily warmer or less rainy. The Sydney weather is a complicated beast.

There is a common misconception that it is always hot in Australia, and this is allied to a vision of it always being sunny in Australia.

Sydney Harbour from the Pylon Lookout — The Sydney Opera House and Eastern Suburbs in the sunshine. As seen from the top of the Pylon Lookout, the cheap way to climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Photo by David Whitley/ Australia Travel Questions.

Alas, that’s not true either. It may be a dry continent overall, but the coastal bits where most people spend their holiday are generally fairly green. That means rain, and the Sydney weather provides plenty of it.

Sydney rainfall statistics

For an example, a look at the Sydney climate statistics shows that Sydney’s annual rainfall is around 1,309mm per year. In comparison, notoriously rainy Manchester gets around 929mm per year.

13 brilliant experiences in Sydney you should book

The Three Sisters in the Blue Mountains.

(💲Great value 💲) Tick off several bucket list items on a highlights-packed Blue Mountains day tour.
Get perfect views of the world’s most beautiful city on a Sydney Harbour helicopter tour.
Save money with a multi-attraction pass.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Enjoy the romance of a tall ship cruise on Sydney Harbour.
Eat all you can at the Skyfeast at the top of Sydney Tower.
See migrating humpbacks – on a whale-watching cruise.
(Highly recommended ✅) Go behind the scenes of Australia’s most famous building on an Opera House tour.
Dine as the city lights up on sunset dinner cruise around the harbour.
Combine beers and stories on a historic pubs tour through the convict-era Rocks district.
Stand on your board and catch waves during Bondi Beach surfing lessons.
Go to wombat and kangaroo-spotting hotspots on a Southern Highlands tour.
Enjoy Sydney’s wild side on a Manly snorkelling & nature walk.
(🥇Top choice in Sydney) And, best of all, paddle to hidden beaches on a harbour kayaking adventure.

But Sydney is much closer to the tropics, and that means that when the rain does come, it is usually heavier. Sydney may have higher rainfall than Manchester, but that doesn’t mean it rains as often.

Clear blue skies are also a far more regular occurrence in Sydney, although high temperatures don’t necessarily match up with more sunshine hours.

Hottest month in Sydney

According to Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology, Sydney’s hottest month is January, with an average high temperature of 27 °C. The average high is above 27 °C in February, December and March too.

But the highest rainfall in Sydney also occurs across the summer and autumn. June is the wettest month, with an average of 144.7mm of rain. February comes second with 131.5mm, and it’s above 100mm from March to May. There’s no real wet season in Sydney, however.

Driest months in Sydney

The driest months in Sydney, however, are September and October, with average rainfalls of 63.4mm and 67.7mm respectively.

To further complicate the Sydney weather lowest rainfall and number of rainy days doesn’t match up precisely. There are fewest rainy days in August – 5.6 days on average – but August sees higher rainfall than October (7.6 rainy days).

The sunniest month in Sydney

So which is the sunniest month in Sydney? Perhaps the best measurement is mean monthly sunshine hours. August, October and December come joint top with 244.9 hours of sunshine per month. If you want outdoor activities such as the Bondi to Coogee Walk from Bondi Beach, yacht cruises and kayaking on Sydney Harbour, these are the months to aim for.

The back half of the year gets considerably more sun than the front half, although it only dips below 200 hours of sunshine in May and June. June – with just 177 hours of sunshine on average – is the most dismal month to visit Sydney.

If we’re keeping up the comparison, though, that’s still more sunshine than Manchester gets in June. Manchester’s best month – May – sees the city treated to 188.3 hours of sunshine.