Have you found yourself thinking “I’ve never seen rain like this!” during the last few wet weeks in Sydney? Well, you might just be right, as not since the late 90s has the city been drenched with so much rain in August. 241 millimetres of rain has fallen in the first three weeks of August 2025, recorded up to 9am this morning (August 20). That’s triple the average August rainfall for the city, and puts this month within shouting distance of August 1998, when a deluge of 482mm was recorded for the month. Sadly, we’re in for more wet weather before the month is out.
Between the night of Wednesday August 20 and Friday August 22 is forecast to be the wettest part of the week for New South Wales. Whilst the inland areas may be spared further downpours from Thursday, the rains are expected to be persistent along the NSW coast and into southern Queensland. Estimates believe that Sydney is in for anywhere between another 60-120mm of rainfall before the weekend, which would push the monthly rainfall beyond 300mm.
From late Friday and early Saturday, the rains are expected to move out into the ocean, hopefully promising a drier weekend for Sydney and the surrounding areas. The Bureau of Meteorology has already issued several flood warnings for communities along the coast, between Grafton and the Hunter Valley. Meanwhile, there’s a major flood warning in place for the Namoi River catchment area further inland, in an area which is already wet from previous rains. To stay up to date with the latest forecasts and warnings, you’re encouraged to check the Bureau of Meteorology app or website, or stay up to date via their X account.