Sydney is set for a perfect start to the weekend, with sunny skies and above-average temperatures forecast across the city.
Two young surfers take advantage of the perfect autumn weather at Maroubra. Photo: Dallas Kilponen
But savour the conditions while they last, forecasters say. The clouds are expected to start rolling in during Saturday afternoon, before potentially heavy downpours on Sunday and a showery week ahead.
Weatherzone meteorologist Guy Dixon said a low-pressure trough was approaching Sydney from the west, resulting in pleasant conditions for the start of the weekend.
The rain forecast to hit the Sydney region at 4pm on Sunday. Photo: Bureau of Meteorology
A top of 26 degrees - or 4 degrees above average - and mostly sunny conditions are forecast in the city on Saturday, while Penrith is forecast to hit 29 degrees, which is five degrees above average.
Advertisement
"Generally speaking we get warm air ahead of these [low-pressure] systems, which is what's causing the temperature to be quite pleasant tomorrow," Mr Dixon said.
"However we will also see quite a bit of cloud building ahead of this system. In particular, that cloud looks to build in the afternoon."
He said a southerly change was expected to hit Sydney just before dawn on Sunday, dropping the temperature by several degrees. A top of 23 degrees is forecast in the city and in the west on Sunday.
The Bureau of Meteorology is forecasting up to 35 millimetres of rain to fall on Sunday, however Mr Dixon said it was unclear which areas would bear the brunt of the deluge.
"Most models are picking rainfall and quite heavy rainfall, but it's just a matter of where that rainfall will focus on the coast," he said.
"Generally speaking I would say 10 millimetres is quite a good chance over the CBD. The heaviest falls look to be offshore but that doesn't rule out the chance of getting to 20 to 30-millimetre range at least somewhere in the Sydney basin."
Showers are then forecast each day in Sydney until Thursday next week.
"We're kind of going to be flanked on either side by systems that typically produce rain, so we should see a spell of showery conditions," Mr Dixon said.
Weatherzone is owned by Fairfax Media, publisher of this website .