Sydney

This is the main page for the Shatterdome and Exclusion Zone host city, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. 
== Climate ==
Sydney has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification: Cfa) with warm, sometimes hot summers and mild winters, with rainfall spread throughout the year.[37] The weather is moderated by proximity to the ocean, and more extreme temperatures are recorded in the inland western suburbs. The warmest months are January and February, with an average air temperature range at Observatory Hill of 18.7–25.9 °C (65.7–78.6 °F) for January and 18.8–25.8 °C (65.8–78.4 °F) for February.[4] An average of 14.9 days a year have temperatures of more than 30 °C (86 °F).[4]
In winter, temperatures rarely drop below 5 °C (41 °F) in coastal areas. The coldest month is July, with an average range of 8.0–16.3 °C (46.4–61.3 °F).[4] Rainfall is fairly evenly spread through the year, but is slightly higher during the first half of the year. The average annual rainfall, with moderate to low variability, is 1,213.8 mm (47.79 in), with rain falling on an average of 143.5 days a year.[4][38] Snowfall was last reported in the Sydney City area in 1836, while a fall of graupel, or soft hail, mistaken by many for snow, in July 2008, has raised the possibility that the 1836 event was not snow, either.[39][40] Extreme temperatures have ranged from 45.8 °C (114.4 °F) on 18 January 2013 to 2.1 °C (35.8 °F) on 22 June 1932, the lowest recorded minimum at Observatory Hill.[41][42] At the Sydney Airport station, extremes have ranged from 46.4 to −0.1 °C (115.5 to 31.8 °F).[43]
The city is rarely affected by cyclones, although remnants of ex-cyclones do affect the city. The El Niño–Southern Oscillation plays an important role in determining Sydney's weather patterns: drought and bushfire on the one hand, and storms and flooding on the other, associated with the opposite phases of the oscillation. Many areas of the city bordering bushland have experienced bushfires, these tend to occur during the spring and summer. The city is also prone to severe hail storms and wind storms. One such storm was the 1999 hailstorm, which severely damaged Sydney's eastern and city suburbs. The storm produced massive hailstones of at least 9 cm (3.5 in) in diameter and resulting in insurance losses of around A$1.7 billion in less than five hours.[44]
The Bureau of Meteorology has reported that 2002 through 2005 were the warmest summers in Sydney since records began in 1859.[45] The summer of 2007–2008, however, proved to be one of the coolest summers on record.[46] Warmer and drier conditions came back in 2009 and 2010, when above-average temperatures were recorded. In 2009, the dry conditions brought a severe dust storm towards eastern Australia.[47][48] In 2011, above-average rainfall was recorded.[49]
On 18 January 2013, Sydney experienced record-breaking temperatures with 45.8 °C (114 °F) recorded at Observatory Hill.[50] The highest minimum temperature recorded at Observatory Hill is 27.6 °C (82 °F), in February 2011 while the lowest maximum temperature is 7.7 °C (46 °F), recorded in July 1868.[4]
The average annual temperature of the sea is above 20 °C (68 °F), and the monthly average ranges from 18 °C (64 °F) in July to 23 °C (73 °F) in January.[51][52]
===Temperature===
The warmest months are January and February, with an average air temperature range at Observatory Hill of 18.7–25.9 °C (65.7–78.6 °F) for January and 18.8–25.8 °C (65.8–78.4 °F) for February.[5] An average of 14.9 days a year have temperatures of more than 30 °C (86 °F).[5] The highest recorded maximum temperature at Observatory Hill was 45.8 °C (114.4 °F) on 18 January 2013 during a prolonged heat wave across Australia from early December 2012 to late January 2013.[6][7] In winter, temperatures are mild and rarely drop below 5 °C (41 °F) in coastal areas. The coldest month is July, with an average range of 8.0–16.3 °C (46.4–61.3 °F).[5] The lowest recorded minimum at Observatory Hill was 2.1 °C (35.8 °F) on 22 June 1932,[5] while the coldest in the Sydney metropolitan area was −5 °C (23 °F) at Liverpool.[8] Despite these temperature extremes, Sydney's overall climate is generally quite mild all year around as the city does not experience extreme seasonal weather differences. Summer highs usually fall within the mid twenties and winter highs in the mid teens.
Inland, in Sydney's western suburbs, the climate is drier and summers are significantly hotter with temperatures around 2–5 °C (4–9 °F) above Sydney's and winter lows around 2 °C (4 °F) cooler than the coastal suburbs.[9] Sydney is prone to heat waves, which have become considerably more common in recent years due to an increasing trend of global warming.[10] They usually would lead to water restrictions and a high risk of bushfires (that sometimes bring a smoky haze to the city).[11] Summer can vary between humid (due to the ocean proximity) or very dry (due to the heat from the desert).[12]
In late spring and summer, Sydney can sometimes get northwesterly winds from the Outback, which are dry and hot, making the temperatures soar above 35 °C (95 °F).[citation needed] This happens after the northwesterlies are carried entirely over the continental landmass, not picking up additional moisture from a body of water and retaining most of their heat. On these occasions, the normally temperate parts of south eastern Australia can experience the full fury of the desert climate, although only briefly, as they are often ended with a "southerly buster", which is a cold front that sweeps up from the southeast abruptly cooling the temperature by bringing thunderstorms and gale winds.[13][14][15]
===Precipitation===
Rainfall is fairly evenly spread through the year, but is slightly higher during the first half of the year when easterly winds dominate (February–June), and lower in the second half (mainly July–September).[31][32] Despite it's reputation as being a sunny city, the average annual rainfall at Observatory Hill, with moderate to low variability, is 1,213.8 mm (47.79 in), falling on an average 143.5 days a year.[5] As seen from the climate table above, Sydney's wettest month is June,[5][16] though most of its western suburbs' wettest month is February or March.[17][8][18] The driest months are July through to September.[5][16][17][8][18] Within the city and surrounds, rainfall varies, from around 682.5 mm (26.87 in) at Badgerys Creek (in the west) to 1,213.8 mm (47.79 in) at Observatory Hill (the east).[5][33]
Snowfall was last reported in the Sydney City area in 1836. T. A. Browne, who kept weather observations, noted that "the years 1836, 1837 and 1838 were years of drought, and in one of these years (1836) a remarkable thing happened. There was a fall of snow; we made snowballs at Enmore and enjoyed the usual schoolboy amusements therewith". The Sydney Herald reported on the same incident, saying, "for the first time in the memory of the oldest inhabitants, snow fell in Sydney on the morning of Tuesday last. 27 June 1836, about 7 o'clock in the morning, a drifting fall covered the streets nearly one inch in depth."[34] However, a July 2008 fall of graupel, or soft hail, mistaken by many for snow, has raised the possibility that the 1836 event was not snow, either.[35]
Even in its months of highest rainfall Sydney has relatively few rainy days, on average less than 14 rainy days per month.[5][16][17][8][18] This means the average rain event in Sydney contains heavy rain. The city is not affected by cyclones, although remnants of ex-cyclones do affect the city.[36] The El Niño Southern Oscillation plays an important role in determining Sydney's weather patterns: drought and bushfire on the one hand, and storms and flooding on the other, associated with the opposite phases of the oscillation.
The city is prone to severe hail storms, such as the 1947 Sydney hailstorm, wind storms, and flash flooding from rain caused either by East Coast Lows (during autumn-winter periods) and Ex-Tropical Cyclone remnants (during spring-summer periods). They are low pressure depressions that can bring significant damage by heavy rain, cyclonic winds and huge swells.
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Category:Sydney