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The surest sign that summer is here in force as a city braces for a 45°C day and Australia bids farewell to our coldest spring in 30 years.
- Summer has arrived in force with a heat wave hitting Queensland
- High temperatures are also forecast for the southeastern states to start the week
- Blast of cold will isolate the south and in South Australia there are fears of flooding
- Western Australia has already faced searing blasts of temperatures up to 45C
Temperatures are forecast to top 40°C in parts of the country for the next few days, after South Australia experienced its coldest spring in 30 years.
In the surest sign that summer has arrived, parts of north-west Australia have already been sweltering over the weekend, sometimes alternating between 30 and 40 degrees in Western Australia.
After a cold and wet season in Victoria, Melbourne’s maximum temperature hit 34°C on Sunday.
Temperatures across Australia will soar from tomorrow morning with Queensland facing a particularly scorching start to the week.
A ‘heat wave’ could see temperatures rise in the south-east over the next week, with Queensland forecast to bear the brunt from Tuesday.
But colder air is expected to reach parts of southern Australia and Victoria and isolate the south, with temperatures dipping as low as 16C in Melbourne.
The wildly fluctuating temperatures come after parts of Victoria and New South Wales suffered devastating flooding over the past month.
On Monday, inner-city areas of Sydney will reach 30 degrees before a shift to the south.
Warm weather over the weekend in major capitals sent many flocking to the water (a swimmer at Sydney’s Bondi Beach pictured)
Temperatures in Sydney will hover around the mid to high 20s through Thursday, but will drop to the low 20s for the rest of the week.
Sky News meteorologist Rob Sharpe said the southern shift will cool the southern parts of New South Wales on Tuesday.
“We expect warmer-than-usual weather in the north…as a general rule of thumb, it will hold for the next few weeks,” he said.
Sharpe said the heat would extend much longer from January to March.
“We’re seeing a bit of a dry trend as we go into the summer,” he said.
Temperatures on Sunday still climbed into the 40s in some parts of the country. Weatherzone captured radar image
“That’s allowing that warming trend to pick up steam as well.”
Communities in South Australia are bracing for their own flood emergency after the River Murray in Renmark reached its 1974 flood stage on Saturday morning.
In the Pilbara region of Western Australia, places like Marble Bar could reach up to 45 degrees Monday to Wednesday.
The winds will carry warm air from the northwest to the southeast before troughs and cold fronts spread across the country, a Weatherzone spokesperson said.
“An additional cold front later in the week will keep temperatures on the cool to mild side in southeast Australia, however eastern Australia will see temperatures rise before they drop,” the spokesperson said.
After a long, cold spring, many might have welcomed the chance to finally enjoy some beach weather over the weekend.
“The depression will continue to cross the eastern part of the country next week before a fresher turn.”
Brisbane is forecast to endure 35C days from Tuesday, before cooling down to the mid-20s on Friday and Saturday as the forecast showers arrive.
Melbourne and Adelaide will benefit from fresh air from the south when temperatures return to 20°C and 23°C respectively from Monday.