Sydney records highest six‑year rainfall total since 1858
Sydney has recorded more than 9 300 mm (366.1 inches) of rain since January 2020, marking the highest six‑year total since systematic measurements began in 1858.
Image credit: Nigel Howe
Sydney’s Observatory Hill weather station has recorded more than 9 300 mm (366.1 inches) of rainfall between January 2020 and August 2025, surpassing the previous six‑year maximum of 9 120 mm (359 inches) measured from 1985 to 1990. This marks the wettest six‑year period since observations began in 1858.
Rainfall at Observatory Hill has consistently exceeded historical averages in recent years. The year 2022 alone yielded an extraordinary 2 530 mm (99.6 inches), setting a new annual record for Sydney.
Other significant totals include approximately 1 552 mm (61.1 inches) in 2020 (well above the long‑term average of ~1 221 mm [48 inches]), 1 290 mm (50.7 inches) in 2021, and 1 641 mm (64.6 inches) in 2024.
Although rainfall in 2023 was below average, 2025 has already exceeded its annual norm by mid‑August, with more heavy rain expected.
Sydney is also enduring its wettest start to August in 27 years, with 194 mm (7.6 inches) of rainfall already — representing more than double the monthly average. Forecasts project an additional 100 mm (4 inches) by month’s end, potentially ranking August 2025 among the four wettest on record.
Meteorological analysis attributes this rainfall to shifting regional atmospheric dynamics. Since 2020, enhanced easterly winds over the New South Wales coast have steered moisture inland from the Tasman Sea. Simultaneously, a southward shift of high‑pressure systems over southern Australia has diminished dry westerlies, amplifying humid, rainy conditions.
Forecasts by the Bureau of Meteorology indicate that elevated rainfall may persist into spring.
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