The NSW coast could miss out on a predicted wetter than usual winter, according to the Bureau of Meteorology's seasonal predictions.
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But the first days of the season will be suitably wintry, with next week due to be cooler than average for much of Australia.
In its three-month outlook, the BOM said June to August was likely to be wetter than average across most of Australia.
However, chances of this happening are lower across the NSW coast, where there is a roughly equal chance of it being wetter or drier than average.
Between 50-100mm of rain is predicted for the Illawarra throughout June, according to the BOM maps.
This would be slightly below the average of 129mm at the Bellambi weather station, but around the average (93mm) at Albion Park.
The Bureau's manager of long-range forecasting, Dr Andrew Watkins said the outlook was largely driven by warmer than average ocean temperatures off WA, as well as warm ocean temperatures in the western Pacific.
"When warm sea surface temperatures occur closer to Australia, weather patterns shift towards us too, favouring more cloud and rainfall across the country," he said.
He said the same pattern occurred in 2016, when tropical moisture from the northern Indian Ocean delivered good winter rainfall to large parts of Australia.
As for temperatures, the first week of June is likely to be cooler than normal, with top temperatures in the high teens predicted for the Illawarra.
There's a higher chance of warmer temperatures as the month goes on, with June looking close to average overall.
Kate McIlwain
For more than a decade, I've helped the Illawarra Mercury set the news agenda across the region. Currently I'm the paper's health reporter - covering the stories of Illawarra workers and residents in the wake of a global pandemic and at a time where our health systems are stretched to the limit.
For more than a decade, I've helped the Illawarra Mercury set the news agenda across the region. Currently I'm the paper's health reporter - covering the stories of Illawarra workers and residents in the wake of a global pandemic and at a time where our health systems are stretched to the limit.
