Sydney's Unprecedented Heatwave: A Humid March

Adelaide's story is making news on March 11th. Sydney is sweltering through an unusually hot and

humid march, with temperatures at Observatory Hill on track to set records for both daily highs and

overnight lows since 1859. The average high has hit 27.9 degrees Celsius while lows

sit at 20.8 degrees, both about 3 degrees above normal. High moisture levels are making it feel

even hotter, pushing the apparent temperature to around 32 degrees Celsius. This sticky weather

rivals conditions in Queensland's southern tropics during their wet season. A key measure,

the dew point temperature, averages 20 degrees Celsius in Sydney this month, four degrees above

the long-term march average, and two. Degrees higher than Brisbane's typical levels right now.

For Sydney ciders used to drier air, this feels downright oppressive.

Northerly winds have been pulling tropical moisture southward, while the Tasman Sea off new

south Wales is running up to three degrees Celsius warmer than usual. Those warm waters evaporate

more vapor into the onshore breezes, keeping the air muggy. A southerly change is bringing

summer leaf today and tomorrow, dropping dew points to a comfortable 10-15 degrees Celsius

through Saturday. But expected to bounce back, with northeasterly winds pushing moisture levels

up to 20 degrees again by early next week. Over the longer term, Sydney's climate is shifting

subtropical, thanks to warming trends. Projections show it resembling northern New South Wales

by 2050 and Southeast Queensland and by 2090. Dew points at Sydney Airport have already risen

significantly since 1970, signaling more humid days ahead. D&N is sponsored by our partner.

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