Sydney has the best breeze in the entire world, according to science

• A British scientist has analysed weather data from 100 cities in an attempt to find the city with the world’s “best breeze” for travellers.
• Sydney has dominated the list, coming in at the top spot ahead of cities in Brazil, Thailand and Spain.

A new study conducted by scientist Jim N. R. Dale, founder of the British Weather Services, and AllClear Travel Insurance, has revealed that Sydney is the best city in the world for “the perfect holiday breeze”. It’s a strange accolade, but we’ll take it.

Especially since cool-climate travel is on the rise. And while Sydney certainly isn’t a “cool climate” (this past winter was very, very wet), at least we do have that perfect breeze to come through and sweep visitors with comfort when needed.

“The perfect breeze can be elusive, especially on hot and sticky days when you need it most,” writes Dale.

“But when all the elements align—wind speed, direction and just the right level of humidity—it can be more refreshing than any air conditioning and completely natural.”

Questions about whether the study was necessary at all are completely valid. However, there’s more to the “perfect breeze” than one may think. It’s important. As per the study’s mission, there’s a special kind of joy when you step outside on a holiday and experience the perfect breeze.

“Just strong enough to cool you off,” reads the study. “But not so strong that it knocks your hat of.” And that’s probably why Wellington is nowhere to be found in the top 25.

Comfortable weather that isn’t too hot or cold is essential for travellers these days, especially for anyone over 70 or living with medical conditions. Travelling well is all about managing those inevitable stress levels as well, so having gentler and more relaxed weather can often make the entire trip that much better.

Jim set out to determine which climates create the kind of holiday breeze “that leaves you feeling relaxed, refreshed and completely satisfied.” To do this, he had analysed meteorological data from over 100 global holiday spots to find destinations that need the following criteria:

• The breeze should be sustained, rather than one where the wind constantly ebbs and flows.
• The wind speed should be anywhere between 10 and 15 miles per hour for maximal comfort.
• The humidity values should be low so our bodies don’t need to work as hard to stay cool.

The world’s top ten city’s for the “perfect breeze”

From the above criteria, Sydney scored 96.4 points out of 100, which places it in the top position. Rio de Janeiro follows at 9.3, while Paphos in Cyprus settles into the third spot with 93.1.

Those are the only three cities to score above 90 on this “perfect breeze” scale. Rounding out the top five is Puerto de la Cruz in Spain (88.3) and Phuket in Thailand (86.8).

The study came up with a fool-proof assessment of what conditions are needed for the “perfect breeze”. Apparently, the climate should be 23-29°C with 16-24 km/h winds and 55-65% humidity. The wind should be coming in from the north, as well.