What's good news for farmers and firefighters may be less so for those aiming for a summer of sunshine and surf.

The Bureau of Meteorology's first weather outlook for December to February indicates a decisive shift towards a wetter than average season for much of NSW, particularly next month.

Summer in the city? Sydney could be looking at a damp December and a wetter than usual summer. Credit:Brook Mitchell

Despite ongoing influences from both the Indian and Pacific oceans that would typically nudge the odds to favour a drier-than-usual spell, conditions particularly in December instead point to above-average rainfall for south-eastern coastal parts of Australia.

Just as in October - when Sydney collected twice the average rainfall for the month - it will be high pressure systems over the Tasman that will most likely be conducive for the wetter times.