Australia weather: heatwave hits Queensland, Northern Territory as Sydney Melbourne Tasmania shiver

The ‘relentless’ heatwave scorching north-west Australia will continue into next week, but parts of the south and east will shiver through markedly different conditions.

The temperature in Darwin is expected to remain around 35C until the onset of the storms on Tuesday night, while Alice Springs will suffer two more days of 42C heat before some minor relief with temperatures dipping to 30 degrees from Monday.

Northern WA had recorded the highest temperatures of the heatwave early on Saturday, with the mercury rising to 43.9C at Wyndham Airport and 43.6C at Marble Bar.

The ‘relentless’ heatwave scorching north-west Australia will continue into next week, but parts of the south and east will shiver through markedly different conditions.

Heat wave warning from the Meteorology Office for Saturday, December 10 – Monday, December 12

The heatwave could peak on Sunday, with temperatures expected to hit 46C at Marble Bar and 45C at Fitzroy Crossing on Monday before possible storms arrive.

Sky News Weather presenter Rhiannon Elston said residents of NT and northern WA would have to survive at least three more days of ‘unrelenting’ extreme heat.

“We are still seeing heat wave conditions in Darwin at the moment. They will persist until around Tuesday, when we see the next batch of wet weather moving in,” Ms Elston said.

The outlook was much better for residents of Perth, where sunny conditions will reign throughout the coming week with temperatures between 25 and 33°C.

The Met Office issued a severe thunderstorm warning for central Queensland on Saturday, with large hail, damaging winds and heavy rain forecast for the region.

Residents living in parts of the Central Coast and Whitsundays, Central Highlands and Coalfields and Capricornia forecast districts should expect to feel the brunt of the weather system as thunderstorms move north over eastern Queensland.

“Severe storms are likely to deliver heavy rain which may lead to flash flooding in the coming hours in parts of the Capricornia and Central Highlands and Coalfields districts,” the Office stated on Saturday.

Sunny conditions will reign throughout the coming week in Perth with temperatures between 25 and 33C

Midweek showers will spoil the summer fun for Brisbane residents, but two mostly sunny days of 29C on Thursday and Friday will bode well for the Test cricket match kicking off at the Gabba on Saturday.

Sydney’s weather outlook for the week looks relatively stable, with showers forecast for Monday likely to only be “a one-day affair,” Ms Elston said.

“Temperatures will be around 20 degrees for the rest of the week,” he said.

Another cold front will sweep through the nation’s southern capitals, sending temperatures soaring in Adelaide, Melbourne, Hobart and Canberra on Monday.

The mercury will dip to 13°C in Hobart on Wednesday, and the Met Office is predicting showers of up to 10mm on both Wednesday and Thursday.

Melbourne could see between 6 and 15mm of rain on Monday according to the Bureau, with the nasty weather unlikely to abate until after next weekend.

The mercury will drop to 13°C in Hobart on Wednesday, and the Met Office is predicting showers of up to 10mm on both Wednesday and Thursday.

Melbourne could see between 6 and 15mm of rain on Monday according to the Bureau, with the nasty weather unlikely to abate until after next weekend.

After light showers in the first half of next week, Adelaide’s weather will pick up slightly to partly cloudy conditions with temperatures in the low 20s through the weekend.

Canberra has an 80 per cent chance of showers on Monday, with cool temperatures between 17-19C to linger for the rest of the week.