Weather is probably the last thing millions of Greater Sydney residents are thinking about at the start of a two-week lockdown. But with outdoor exercise providing one of the only ways to get some space and fresh air, planning out your runs, walks or bike rides could be the key to staying healthy and balanced over the next fortnight.

The NSW Government issued a stay-at-home direction to people in the Greater Sydney area on the weekend, in an effort to curb the growing number of COVID-19 cases. According to their website:

“From 6pm on Saturday 26 June, the stay at home direction applies to people who live in, usually work in, or usually attend a university or other tertiary education facility in Greater Sydney including the Blue Mountains, Central Coast, Wollongong and Shellharbour local government areas."

There are a few reasonable excuses to leave home during this lockdown (full list of reasons here), including to "exercise and take outdoor recreation in Greater Sydney".

So, when are the best times to exercise outside across the Greater Sydney area this week?

The first half of this week will see showers peppering eastern NSW thanks to onshore winds.

There's a 70-80 per cent chance of showers near the coast on Monday and Tuesday. Showers are a similar risk on in western suburbs of Sydney on Tuesday, although Monday should be mostly dry. The temperature will reach around 18ºC on both days and drop to a low of 8-11ºC in between.

Wednesday to Friday will offer plenty of dry weather with a similar temperature range of 8-10ºC early before reaching pleasant tops in the high teens. Some places could even nudge 20ºC. Showers are still a chance each day, but falls are expected to be light and brief.

In this week's weather setup, it will be a good idea to check the radar before heading outside to see if any showers are heading your way.

A cold front will arrive on the weekend, with temperatures dropping from Saturday into Sunday.

If you don't like cold weather, plan to stay inside on Sunday. Stay up to date with the latest NSW COVID restrictions here: https://www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/rules/what-you-can-do-nsw