Sydney weather: Wednesday March 18 turns gloomy with showers, then clears up later

Mate, have you seen what the weather's doing in Sydney today? If you left the house this morning without an umbrella, you've basically had a punt with the weather gods. And spoiler alert: today, they've won. The Sydney weather today has been telling us for hours: it's one of those classic "take your brolly" days, the kind where you find yourself muttering under your breath while dashing for cover.

A Wednesday spent with your brolly handy

I'm flicking through the morning Italian News, and the first thing that grabs your attention (apart from the usual political banter, obviously) is the snap of our city. Everyone's talking about this downturn in the weather. The break didn't last long. Yesterday the sun had us fooled, felt like full-on spring, and then today we wake up to a sky that couldn't be greyer. It's that classic Sydney sky that makes you feel a bit melancholic, but let's be honest, it's also kind of our thing.

Rain on the way: when to expect the downpour

From what I've gathered around town and from the data coming through, the day's going to play out in two parts. Until mid-afternoon, say 3-4 pm, the sky will just be moody: scattered clouds building up, with the unfulfilled promise of holding off. Then, in the early afternoon, it's game on. The Sydney weather today is predicting the rain to arrive, light at first and then getting more persistent towards the evening. We're not talking a massive downpour, mind you, but that annoying, drizzly kind of rain that finds its way down the back of your neck and chills you to the bone.

• Morning: Overcast skies with only brief clear spells. Temperature around 10-12 degrees.
• Afternoon: Rain sets in, becoming heavier. Temperatures dropping, not getting above 11 degrees.
• Evening/Night: More showers, easing up late at night. A final winter blast.

What's in store (and what to wear)

So the key word for today is: be prepared. If you're heading out, especially in the late afternoon when the city gets clogged up and the roads turn slippery, brace for the usual wet weather chaos. Traffic banked up on Parramatta Road and the M5, naturally. Today's Italian News is highlighting exactly that: the humidity going through the roof and that annoying chill that always catches you out. The top temperature will hit around 12 degrees, but with humidity at 70%, it'll feel more like 8.

The upside, if we're looking for a silver lining, is that this patch of rain should be a flash in the pan. The experts, the ones who usually get it right, reckon that by tomorrow things will start to clear up, with the sun making a comeback on the weekend. But for today, no mucking about. A decent umbrella, a puffer jacket, and that classic brisk Sydney stride to get through another rainy day. Welcome to March, folks.