yearsofweather

Sydney in December:
warm, occasional rain

Sydney, Australia · Records from 2006 to 2025. Not a forecast.

Mean high27°Hottest day 41.9° (2019)
Mean low18°Coldest night 11.5° (2013)
Rain days9 days4-16 by year
Rainfall79mmDaylight 14.2 → 14.4 h
Sydney's 12 months iBest: September to November
Trip types Beach Poorcool seaSightseeing on foot Goodmild
Sea temperature21.8°20.5-22.7° by year (last 6)
Sunrise / sunset (15th)05:39 / 20:02Daylight 14.2 → 14.4 h

Sydney in December

Summer begins, and many travelers come to escape the northern winter. The New Year's Eve fireworks at the Harbour Bridge run at 9 p.m. and midnight, so spots fill early. Christmas to New Year is the priciest stretch.

Daytime highs averaged 27°C, with nights at 18°C. Comfortably warm without being punishing. Out of 31 days, about 9 brought rain; the rest stayed dry. The average is 9, but individual years ran from 4 (2012) to 16 (2020).

Highs passed 30°C on 7 days on average. December 2019 averaged 29.3°C by day, 2.6°C above the 20-year mean.

Date by date i

‹ November December 2026 January ›
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Week
1-5rain on 28% of days26° 17°
6-12rain on 26% of days26° 18°
13-19rain on 26% of days27° 19°
20-26rain on 35% of days27° 19°
27-31rain on 30% of days27° 18°

0-5/206-8/209-11/2012-20/20

1-5rain on 28% of days26° 17°
6-12rain on 26% of days26° 18°
13-19rain on 26% of days27° 19°
20-26rain on 35% of days27° 19°
27-31rain on 30% of days27° 18°
Tap another date to change

2006none
20071mm
2008none
200914mm
2010none
2011none
20127mm
201317mm
201423mm
20151mm
2016none
20171mm
2018none
20191mm
20202mm
2021none
2022none
2023none
2024none
2025none
Holidays in December (2026)
  • December 25 Christmas Day
  • December 26 Boxing Day
  • December 28 Boxing Day (additional day)

1 Local public holiday or break (busier, pricier)

Day by day temperature i

16°25°34°43° 1815222931

Mean high Mean low Coldest to warmest high in 20 years

Your trip dates, the past 20 years

Trip dates ~

You can also click two dates on the axis. Hover a cell to see that day's rain.
Trip rain days Month rain days
2006
0 d 10 d
2007
4 d 14 d
2008
4 d 8 d
2009
0 d 8 d
2010
1 d 9 d
2011
5 d 12 d
2012
1 d 4 d
2013
1 d 7 d
2014
5 d 13 d
2015
1 d 10 d
2016
2 d 6 d
2017
2 d 9 d
2018
1 d 7 d
2019
0 d 4 d
2020
0 d 16 d
2021
3 d 10 d
2022
1 d 6 d
2023
0 d 12 d
2024
2 d 6 d
2025
3 d 8 d
Years with rain
Tap a date to start, tap another to end. Each cell is that date in one year.
'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25
of 20
8
6
5
4
5
4
5
5
4
4
6
8
6
6
6
6
2
5
5
7
5
6
8
5
9
9
9
6
5
5
5
Rain days on trip
04401511512210031023

No rain1-9 mm10 mm or more Dates outside your trip are dimmed.

One row per year, one cell per day. 2012 had 4 rain days, 2020 had 16.

Sydney through the year

MonthHighLowRain daysRainfallSea
January 27°20°10 days98mm 24°
February 28°20°10 days137mm 24°
March 26°19°12 days179mm 24°
April 24°15°10 days145mm 23°
May 21°13°8 days99mm 21°
June 18°10°10 days155mm 20°
July 18°9°8 days104mm 18°
August 20°10°7 days85mm 18°
SeptemberGood 22°12°7 days68mm 19°
OctoberGood 24°15°9 days69mm 20°
NovemberGood 25°17°10 days94mm 20°
December 27°18°9 days79mm 22°

Common questions

Does it rain a lot in Sydney in December?

Over the past 20 years December averaged 9 rain days (1 mm or more) out of 31. Individual years ran from 4 in the driest to 16 in the wettest.

What should I wear in Sydney in December?

Days averaged 27°C and nights 18°C. Pack a compact umbrella, T-shirts, a light layer for the evenings, and sunscreen plus a hat.

Can you swim in Sydney in December?

Sea surface temperature averaged 21.8°C in December, cool when you first get in. Year to year it ranged 20.5-22.7°C. Check local flags for waves and jellyfish on the day.

Is December a good time to visit Sydney?

On warmth and rain days alone, Sydney's easiest months were September to November. December ranked 6 of 12.