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Sydney Weather
The Aussies, on the
whole, seem to fancy themselves as meteorological experts, and this is
reflected in their TV weather forecasts. They seem to concentrate mainly
on incomprehensible synoptic charts with maybe a quick sop to the
uninitiated in the final few seconds, when they reluctantly broadcast a
written summary.
This
may be because the majority of Aussies live near the sea and so have a
long history of marine pursuits, ranging from fishing to surfing which
lend themselves to the synoptics, rather than smiley sunshine graphics.
Alternately, it may be because the Sydneysiders enjoy looking at the low
fronts moving from the Antarctic toward their Victorian rival, Melbourne.
The two
cities have a long running rivalry which saw the federal capital Canberra
having to be placed almost exactly the same distance between the two, so
bitter was the one-upmanship that prevailed at the time. The weather is
not immune from this sibling feud.
Sydneysiders will have you believe that Melbourne is stuck in a perpetual
ice-age; "cold down there. Mate" they will tell you if you plan to head
south after Sydney. Meanwhile, Melbourninans will tell you through their
eight layers of warm clothes that Sydney has hopelessly unpredictable
weather and that whilst it will be hot (too hot) and sunny one minute, it
will be nigh on monsoonal the next. Well, the southerners have got a point
here.
It is
true to say that the weather in Sydney is a little difficult to forecast.
On the whole, summer can be said to last from December to March and at
it's height it is not so unusual for the temperature to nudge the low 40
degrees Celsius (105 F) mark. However, if you take the whole Sydney area,
you can expect the popular Blue Mountains area to be considerably cooler
than the city, and if you do intend to head that way it is worth packing
some warm, waterproof clothes just in case.
In the
city itself, it would be a foolish person that handed over their
waterproofs in a fit of summer madness, and the wind that blows off the
Tasman can make things cooler than the sun overhead would suggest.
That
said, it is safe to assume that the highest temperatures (between 20 and
35 degrees Celsius, 68 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit), and the least rain can
be had during January and February, whilst the cooler months with more
rain (though many fine days too) and temperatures (15C / 55F) fall around
June and July.
This
is, obviously, the best time to visit the New South Wales ski centres of
Thredbo and Persisher Blue in the Snowy Mountains. If you are visiting the
city in winter, you are likely to benefit from seasonal specials from
hoteliers and the key attractions, as well as seeing Sydney in it's more
natural state.
The
popular areas of Bondi and Manly get very busy during the summer, and you
may find a genuine Aussie accent a bit harder to pick amongst the Pommie
and Scandinavian tongues. Accommodation can be a little hard to come by
around Christmas and New Year, and prices tend to sky-rocket.
The
other thing to remember about the summer months is the strength of the sun
in Australia. Not helped by the fact that there is a huge hole in the
ozone layer above your head as you lie on the beach at Bondi, burn times
are a lot shorter than many people imagine. It is all too easy to nod off
for a couple of hours in the heat and wake up with a cheerful fisherman
standing over you thinking that he has just caught the biggest crayfish of
his life. The supermarkets aren't filled with factor 15 sunscreen for
nothing, and you would do well to don a hat when in the sun too. Corks are
optional, but unadvisable.
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