The Bureau of Meteorology confirmed Sydney’s mean temperature for June 2026 reached 16.1°C at Observatory Hill, breaking the city’s previous June record of 15.7°C set in 1991 and making it the hottest June since records began in 1859. The month included 15 consecutive days with a maximum temperature of at least 20°C between 7 and 21 June, surpassing the prior June streak record of nine consecutive days in 1919. Sydney’s average maximum (20.0°C) and minimum (12.2°C) temperatures each ranked as the second-highest on record, but their sustained consistency produced the record-breaking overall mean. Prof Andy Pitman said he felt a “complete lack of surprise” and called the event “the signature of global warming all over it,” blaming inadequate global emissions cuts. Prof Matthew England pointed to very warm ocean temperatures off the New South Wales coast that radiate heat back to the atmosphere and help keep winter temperatures high. Experts warned that the warm winter, amplified by El Niño shifting moist air away from eastern Australia, raises risks for a drier spring and summer, elevated fire danger, and the need for stronger contingency planning highlighted by a recent New South Wales Net Zero Commission report.
