The month was marked by 15 consecutive days with a maximum temperature of at least 20C<\/a> between 7 and 21 June. This overtook the previous June record of nine consecutive days in 1919.<\/p>\n According to a bureau spokesperson, Sydney\u2019s overall mean temperature \u2013 the standard metric for heat records that is the average across each day \u2013 in June hit a record-breaking 16.1C, eclipsing the previous 1991 record of 15.7C.<\/p>\n While the average maximum (20C) and minimum (12.2C) both technically ranked as the second-highest on record individually, their sustained, unseasonal consistency was enough to secure June 2026 its place as the warmest overall.<\/p>\n Sign up for the Breaking News Australia email<\/a><\/p>\n Prof Andy Pitman, a Sydney-based climate scientist, expressed a \u201ccomplete lack of surprise\u201d at the new record.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s got the signature of global warming all over it,\u201d Pitman said. \u201cWith temperature, there\u2019s no wriggle room around it any more \u2026 We know that the warming is due to the failure of governments around the world to deeply cut emissions.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2018Warming hotspot\u2019<\/p>\n Experts said record-breaking ocean temperatures off the NSW coast had kept Sydney warm.<\/p>\n Prof Matthew England said the ocean had become a global \u201cwarming hotspot\u201d experiencing rapid temperature increases.<\/p>\n \u201cThe basic balance in our climate system is that the oceans absorb a lot of heat during summer and they radiate that heat back into the atmosphere during winter,\u201d the UNSW oceanographer and director of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Our Future Oceans said.<\/p>\n \u201cThose very warm oceans off Sydney would be a significant contributor to the record warmth we\u2019ve had this winter.\u201d<\/p>\n skip past newsletter promotion<\/a>Free newsletter | When needed<\/p>\n Sign up to Breaking News Australia<\/p>\n Get the most important news as it breaks<\/p>\n after newsletter promotion<\/p>\n Normally, southerly winds bring cold temperatures to the coast. However, England noted that as this air flow passes over the abnormally warm Tasman Sea, it absorbs the ocean\u2019s surface heat, blunting its chill by the time it reaches Sydney.<\/p>\n \u2018A false sense of security\u2019<\/p>\n On land, Pitman said vegetation that should be dormant during winter was \u201chappily transpiring\u201d, drawing moisture out of the soil.<\/p>\n \u201cMoving soil moisture out into the atmosphere and drying \u2026 amplifies the heating due to CO2 and unless we see decent rain, leading to dry springs and elevated fire risk,\u201d Pitman said.<\/p>\n \u201cThe big issue here is not that lots of people in Sydney are enjoying a warm winter. It\u2019s downstream in spring and summer, when everything is drier than it should have been.\u201d<\/p>\n While a milder winter might feel pleasant, England said \u201cthe actual cost of high-end events is severe\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople can kind of be lulled into a false sense of security.\u201d<\/p>\n Looming heatwaves and bushfire risks will be heavily amplified by El Ni\u00f1o<\/a> shifting moist air away from eastern Australia.<\/p>\n With a recent NSW Net Zero Commission<\/a> report highlighting severe gaps in climate adaptation, Pitman urged immediate action.<\/p>\n \u201cThe climate science community have been warning about this since at least 1995,\u201d he said. \u201cSerious contingency planning needs to be in place for extreme heat.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think Australia is prepared for the kind of heat it\u2019s likely to experience.\u201d<\/p>\n The unseasonal warmth extended across greater Sydney. Of the 16 weather stations with at least two decades of data, every single one recorded either an all-time high average maximum<\/a> temperature or a 20-year peak<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1782483732_529_2998.jpg\")
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