Data from the Bureau of Meteorology shows minimum temperatures are warmer than 50 years ago

Dr Sarah Perkins-Kirkpatrick discusses Sydney City's warming April nights. Plus, how does frost influence the flavour of our veggies?

The coldest April night in the Shire is more than three degrees warmer than it was 50 years ago. St George and Shire, 8 April 2021, Source: Monash University.

As we move through autumn, overnight temperatures begin to cool down in the Shire.

Typically, the coldest night of the month drops to around 11 degrees.

This is much warmer than the coldest April night of 50 years ago, which was closer to eight degrees.

Small changes in the Shire's climate are consistent with rising temperatures recorded across Australia.

Voices from your community

In his 72 years as a Sans Souci resident, Peter Martyn noticed shifts in the region's climate.

"Summers and winters both appear to have changed... winter seems to be shorter, warmer and probably drier," he said.

"The southerly buster I experienced in summer evenings of my youth seems uncommon now."

Community voices like Peter's tell us how residents and business owners in Sydney feel about their local climate. If you would like to contribute your voice to our column, you can fill out our 5-minute survey here.

Did you know?

Increasing overnight temperatures may cause a reduction in frosts.

Frosts can damage our gardens, but starchy winter vegetables like carrots and turnips have developed a useful defense mechanism.

When the temperature drops, these plants respond by transforming their starch storages into sugar, creating sweeter tasting veggies.

Dr Sarah Perkins-Kirkpatrick is a climate scientist at the University of New South Wales.

This column is part of a collaboration between the Monash Climate Change Communication Research Hub and News Corp to deliver hyperlocal weather and climate information.

Follow the Hub on Twitter to join the conversation.