Is Sydney's climate oceanic or humid subtropical? (hot, warmest, record)

[Ethereal]

I would've put the "transitional" option on the poll, but I want a straight out answer - Is it more Cfa or Cfb?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climat...ey#Temperature

[Teritus]

Cfa, maybe the old one was more a moderate oceanic, but as it stands it's humid-subtropical for me.

[grega94]

it has oceanic properties but because of it's very warm winters and very hot record highs it is definitely more humid subtropical, in fact it's almost a purely tropical climate. Oceanic climates tend to be cooler, if the lows of sydney where its high and its record lows where it's average low than it would be oceanic.

[Wildcat15]

For some reason I had a more mediterranean image. There are a lot more precipitation days than I thought.

Originally Posted by grega94

it has oceanic properties but because of it's very warm winters and very hot record highs it is definitely more humid subtropical, in fact it's almost a purely tropical climate.

If it got humid heat like coastal subtropical climates in the US, those record highs would not have happened. Hardly anywhere in the tropics would approach 45C.

[Morningrise]

Definitely subtropical, it's much too warm year round to be oceanic in my opinion. It's also fairly sunny, not a typical oceanic trait either.

[Walshie79]

I've mentioned it before, it's not a climate that's easily classified. Its summers (at Observatory Hill) are only marginally warm enough to get the "a" classification, though personally I think 22C is a bit high and climates with 18-20C summer averages are subtropical if they get mild enough winters (Auckland!). Allowing for that does make a stronger case for considering Sydney subtropical.

The annual range in average highs is very small, even in the inland districts it's less than in central England. And the record high in July is the same as the average high in January- these are both traits of very oceanic climates. The precipitation pattern and amount is decidedly oceanic as well- most Cfa s have a distinctly wetter summer or winter, even if they aren't marked enough to make a Cs or Cw classification. Sydney has an early spring minimum and autumn maximum with no notably dry months (though I'm sure it's had individual very dry months), just like most of England.

Now the non-oceanic traits. The record highs are more typical of a desert or warm Mediterranean climate, and the 20C difference between average and record summer highs is notable. But, worth noting that Christchurch has hit 40C in a definitely oceanic climate, at a much higher latitude a long way from any deserts. So have parts of Germany. The other feature that isn't oceanic is the sunshine. It's far too high, yes some oceanic climates in North America have high annual totals but they have very dull winters, which Sydney doesn't. But yet again, places in New Zealand top 2000 hours, without falling below 100 in any month. And they are oceanic.

Let's call Sydney "oceanic subtropical" :-) That sums it up well enough.

[dhdh]

Worth noting: Those aforementioned "barely warm enough" summers (22.3°C for January and February) are
1) at the Observatory Hill station (one of the coolest in summer in the entire Sydney area due to its coastal location)
2) on a time period going back to 1858 when Sydney was cooler than it is today (pretty much like most of the planet).

For 1981-2010, the Observatory Hill Station averages 23.1°C in January.

Over the same period, Sydney Airport averages 23.3°C for the same month.

At the Olympic Park Station, more inland but not enormously so, January averages 23.9°C - hardly oceanic.



To me it's without a doubt a subtropical climate - one that is moderated by the sea on its immediate coast, much like Los Angeles is clearly not oceanic just because LAX averages 18/24°C in its warmest month. Anyway, even taking the comparatively cooler Observatory Hill Station and including antique, cooler 19th century values into account, it passes the Koeppen threshold for "hot summers" Not all subtropical climates have Orlando's summers - they average higher than 22.0°C during at least one calendar month, that's it.



Using the alternative definition (8 months above 10°C), Sydney clearly fits in the subtropical category, as it averages comfortably above 10°C even in its coolest month.

[divisionbyzero0]

Warm oceanic (warm temperate)
Or subtropical rainforest?

But those definition are "barely" or "near-minimum" acceptance - barely warmer than 22C warmest month and only 17mm wetter than 60mm precipitation (rain) driest month threshold

I think its more the latter though

[forgotten username]

humid subtropical for me, I can't fathom the idea that it would be in the same category as Amsterdam. I don't picture Sydney as an overcast place where a raincoat is needed half of the year and where you spend summers in long pants.

Of course it has the peculiarities of southern hemisphere climates (relatively low highs in the summer and yet extreme record high, impossibility of cold snaps, lots of rainy days but low RH, etc)

[deneb78]

Subtropical clearly without a doubt for the reasons already mentioned above.