For Australia, a sweltering heatwave looms on the horizon. Across the country, hot weather warnings are in place, with parts of New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia, and Tasmania set to swelter through another spell of high temperatures. The Bureau of Meteorology is forecasting heatwaves around Australia from Thursday, with the latest forecast indicating that low to severe intensity heatwave conditions will continue over inland Western Australia.
Melbourne is expected to reach a scorching 35 degrees on Thursday and Friday, with extreme fire warnings issued for South Australia, New South Wales, and the Northern Territory. Senior meteorologist Christie Johnson notes that parts of Australia will reach the high 30s and low 40s on Thursday, with western parts of South Australia experiencing temperatures 12 degrees above average for this time of year.
Hot air from the northwest is expected to move over Victoria on Wednesday, bringing temperatures soaring to the low 30s across most of the state, excluding parts of Gippsland on the coast. As this air mass reaches Victoria, winds will shift to northerly, bringing the hot temperatures further inland. “We’re going to get pretty hot temperatures on Thursday,” Johnson said.
The heat is already building across Victoria, with a severe heatwave warning in place for East Gippsland, including Mallacoota. Extreme heat can affect anyone, and it’s crucial to know how to survive the heat this summer.
Australia HeatwaveJohnson notes that hot air will continue to move over Victoria and southwestern New South Wales on Friday, before a cool change reaches Melbourne in mid-afternoon. Although the heatwave is expected to cool off over the weekend for most of the south-east, it’s projected to linger in inland parts of Australia’s east, including central and northern New South Wales, and northern Western Australia.
Heavy rain and severe thunderstorms are expected in some areas throughout the week, with minor to moderate flood warnings issued for still-drenched parts of central and western Queensland. The catchments in these areas are still recovering from previous heavy rainfall, making riverine flooding a possibility around the Rockhampton region. Thunderstorms may also arise in the north-eastern New South Wales Northern Rivers region from Wednesday.
As the nation prepares for another round of scorching temperatures, it’s essential to stay informed and take necessary precautions to stay safe. With hot overnight temperatures lingering in the low 20s, the heatwave conditions are compounded by strong winds around these troughs coming through, making it a prime time for fire weather to develop.