Severe heatwave hits Australia with ‘oppressingly warm’ temperatures and no state or territory will escape the heat – here’s what the weather looks like this weekend
- Scorching heat wave to sweep Australia
- temperatures of up to 50 degrees Celsius
A scorching heatwave will sweep through Australia bringing ‘record-defying heat’ with the mercury rising to 50°C over the coming days.
Northwest Australia will be hardest hit on Friday as temperatures are set to hit 48C while regional Victoria and New South Wales will see the mercury rise to at least 40C.
Severe temperatures will continue over the coming days with a low intensity heat wave moving across South Australia and Tasmania but missing major cities.
Hot conditions are expected to continue across the country throughout the next week with the mercury reaching 50°C in parts of Western Australia.
Sky News Weather meteorologist Alison Osborne said it would be the second time in the country’s recorded history that the temperature reached this figure during February.
Scorching heatwave will sweep through Australia bringing ‘very tough record heat’ with mercury soaring to 50C over the coming days
Northwest Australia will be hardest hit on Friday with temperatures set to reach 48C while regional Victoria and New South Wales are set to endure around 40C.
“Thanks to the drier-than-average conditions in the northwest, the blistering February sun warms the landscape,” she said.
This hot air then travels in systems sweeping across southern Australia.
Central Victoria and Melbourne can reach 39°C on Friday.
Michael Efron of the Met Office said the region would break a record of 1,113 days if the mercury reached 40 degrees Celsius.
“If that happens, it will be the first time since January 31, 2020,” he said.
“It’s all because of La Nina this past summer, who kept things relatively cool.”
A welcome change of cool will lead to lower temperatures over the coming days as Melbourne is expected to reach only 23°C on Saturday, 26°C on Sunday and 25°C on Monday.
Western Australia will be hardest hit on Friday with Karatha reaching 42°C and Pilbara 45°C on Friday with conditions continuing into next week.
“At this point, we cannot rule out at least one weather station in the Pilbara or Nullarbor exceeding 50C on Tuesday,” Osborne said.
This will be only the second time this has happened in February in Australian history.
Perth will avoid the worst of the heatwave with a high of 28C expected on Friday before a high of 34C on Saturday.
Regional New South Wales will take the brunt of the high temperatures on Friday with High in the west of the state reaching a high of 42C.
Severe temperatures will continue over the coming days with a low intensity heat wave moving across South Australia and Tasmania but missing major cities
Western Sydney will warm around 35°C while the Sydney CBD will move around 30°C.
Saturday will bring uncomfortable heat with Nyngan, in the west of the state hitting 41°C, Dubbo 39°C and Tamworth 37°C.
Temperatures in western Sydney will drop to 30C before rising again to 34C on Monday, and Perth will be in line to record the hottest day since summer 2022.
Brisbane will be sweating through the low 30°C all weekend with the mercury reaching highs of 31°C on Friday and Saturday and 32°C on Sunday.
Monsoon weather may bring heavy rains and flooding to the Sunshine State with flood watches issued to the north.
Canberra will reach a high of 33°C with the mercury peaking at 35°C and a potential afternoon storm rolling in on Saturday.
The temperature will drop to 30°C on Sunday before rising again to 33°C on Monday.
Hobart will hit a maximum of 32°C on Friday before the temperature drops to 24°C on Saturday and then 27°C on Sunday.
Adelaide’s heatwave has temporarily passed, with 38C on Thursday giving way to a more pleasant 28C on Friday and then 25C on Saturday and 29C on Sunday before temperatures return to the 30C next week.