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Sydneysiders might be holding their breath for a warm, dry Christmas day but the weather across the state is expected to be a mixed bag, with a chance of rain possibly putting a dampener on outdoor plans.
The weather is forecast to be warm and humid on December 25, with highs of 24 to 27 degrees and lows of 18 to 20 degrees for most parts of the city.
However, there is a 40 to 60 per cent chance of morning and evening showers, with cloudy conditions remaining through the day, according to Weatherzone.
Sydney’s Christmas Day festivities could be hampered by showers and cloudy weather.Credit: Edwina Pickles
Penrith and other parts of western Sydney will be drier, and three to four degrees hotter, with the mercury expected to tip past 31 degrees. The chance of light rain will be slightly lower in the west, at 30 to 40 per cent.
Wind speeds are expected to reach 50km/h in the Sydney CBD, and about 30km/h to 40km/h in the western suburbs.
The forecast stands in contrast to last Christmas, when there was no rain, temperatures hit 27 degrees, and was generally less windy, with wind speeds that peaked at 35km/h.
Sydneysiders cooling off at Clifton Gardens in Mosman last week.Credit: Oscar Colman
“Last Christmas day it didn’t rain, but now there’s more significant chance of some showers during the day”, Weatherzone meteorologist Yoska Hernandez said.
While those on the coast are expected to have a 30 to 60 per cent chance of drizzle on the day, Hernandez said it would remain mostly dry for inland areas of NSW.
Beyond Christmas Day, Sydneysiders can expect cooler, wetter summer months due to La Nina weather system bringing wet weather, storms, and tropical cyclones to Australia’s northern and eastern regions, Hernandez said.
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“The summer season should be cloudier and rainier in eastern Australia. There should be more clouds and showers developing as a result,” she said.
However, despite La Nina, the Bureau of Meteorology’s long-range summer forecast is for above-average temperatures and below-average rainfall across most of the country.
Multiple locations in NSW recorded their hottest October day in history earlier this year, after a mass of hot, dry air from inland Australia swept in, shattering heat records.
In the Sydney CBD, the temperature on October 22 was just shy of the all-time October record – 38.2 degrees set in 2004 – after the temperature climbed more than 10 degrees in just one hour. It was 16 degrees hotter than the average day at this time of year in Sydney.
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