Sydney had one of its wettest winters on record, BoM weather data shows, while Melbourne’s was drier than average

Sydney’s Observatory Hill rain gauge – where the data goes back to the 1858 – recorded 389.6mm – the third wettest August on record. Photograph: Mark Baker/AP

Major storm and rain events pushed winter rainfall totals well above their long-term average for coastal parts of New South Wales, with Sydney seeing its third wettest August since 1858, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.

In contrast, areas of inland NSW, the Melbourne area and much of Tasmania had lower than average rainfall this winter.