January was Sydney's hottest month on record, says weather bureau

Sydneysiders have just sweated through the hottest month on record.

The city’s average maximum temperature for January was 29.6C, beating the previous mark of 29.5C recorded in 1896, the Bureau of Meteorology said on Wednesday.

Last month Sydney had 11 days when the temperature topped 30C and five days above 35C, smashing not only all previous records for the month but for any month since records began in 1858.

“Anyone that’s been feeling really uncomfortable can feel 100% justified in their complaints,” Bureau of Meteorology climatologist Agata Imielska said. “It’s the warmest month for Sydney.”

January’s average minimum was 21.6C, breaking the previous January record of 21C in 1991 and the previous average minimum for any month which had been 21.2C in February 2010.