Coldest day in 37 years causes ‘sea smoke' on famous waterway

Adam Douty
·3 min read

A strong and unusually cold storm system swept across southeastern Australia during the second half of this week breaking a 37-year-old record in Sydney and causing ‘sea smoke' to form on Sydney Harbor.

While the storm brought flooding and damaging wind gusts to portions of Victoria on Wednesday night, the storm also delivered snow, record-breaking cold and dense fog to parts of New South Wales on Thursday.

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According to the Australian Bureau of Meteorology, the high of 50 F (10.3 C) that occurred at Observatory Hill in Sydney on Wednesday was the lowest high temperature the city has recorded since July 3, 1984.

The current record for lowest maximum temperature during June in Sydney is 49.4 F (9.7 C) from June 13, 1899, The Sydney Morning Herald reported.

Persistent rain and clouds made the record-setting day feel even colder with AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures being held in the middle 40s F (6-8 C) for much of the time.

Temperatures fell even farther by Thursday morning, with Observatory Hill in Sydney hitting a low temperature of 41F (5.9 C).

Fog drifts through the buildings in Sydney's central business district, Australia, Friday, June 11, 2021. The fog on Sydney Harbour delayed some harbor ferry services and a road weather alert was issued by the Bureau of Meteorology for hazardous driving conditions during the morning commute due to fog across Sydney. (AP Photo/Mark Baker)

While away from Sydney Harbor the sun was shining, the combination of the frigid air over the milder waters of the harbor led to a phenomenon called ‘sea smoke'.

Sea smoke is essentially just fog above water, according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Dave Samuhel.

"It happens when the air mass is so cold it makes the water steam like a pot on a stove would," Samuhel said.

Sea smoke is caused by the same process that produces steam over a cup of hot coffee or tea.

The sea smoke led to fog during the morning on Thursday around downtown Sydney which caused the Bureau of Meteorology to issue a road weather alert during the morning commute, according to ABC Australia. The fog also delayed ferries as they had to reduce their speeds.

The frigid conditions were short-lived as temperatures rose back to 59 F (15.2 C) on Thursday afternoon.

AccuWeather meteorologists expect milder weather to remain into early week with highs near 64-68 (18-20 C) each day which is slightly warmer than the city's average high for the time of year.

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