A huge swathe of Australia is forecast to roast in mid-40 degree heat on Friday, with more records likely to be broken at the tail-end of a heatwave that set a slew of national highs last month.
The mercury is tipped to reach at least 45 degrees over a region stretching from northern Western Australia into Victoria and the NSW Riverina.
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| A view of the sun rise from Newport beach in Sydney's north on December 28, 2018 - the warmest night on record for Australia for that month. Credit: Nick Moir |
Walpeup in the state's north had reached 46.6 degrees - not far shy of Victoria's all-time record of 47.2 degrees set in 1939 - while across the border in South Australia, Marree get to 46.8 degrees.
Sydney continued to be spared the worst of the heat with a maximum of just 28.3 degrees although the western suburbs were well into the mid-30s. Hay in the Riverina was the hottest in NSW at 45.3 degrees.
"It's definitely been a prolonged spell of heat," Graeme Brittain, a meteorologist for Weatherzone, said.
Twin high pressure systems have all but set up camp over the Tasman and the Great Australian Bight, leaving the heat to pool in a broad trough that has oscillated marginally north and south for more than a week.
Early on in the event, a slew of Australian records were set, such as a record 40.21 degrees average maximum for December on the 27th of the month.
That mark was also the second hottest day for any month of the year, the Bureau of Meteorology said.
The following overnight temperatures also brought Australia's highest average minimum December temperature of 24.16 degrees.
December 29's minimum was almost as warm, coming in at an average of 23.66 degrees - the second highest minimums on record for any December, the bureau said.
The mercury is due to rise above 40 degrees across the State on Friday. Vision: Bureau of Meteorology.
Melbourne is due to get some relief by Friday afternoon, with Saturday's maximum tipped to reach a relatively chilly 21 degrees.
Coastal NSW and Sydney will heat up on Saturday with temperatures in the mid-to-high-30s forecast.
Relief from the heat over south-eastern Australia will be temporary, though, with another spike in temperatures likely by next weekend, Weatherzone's Mr Brittain said.
Second-hottest year for daytime readings
The year-end boost to temperatures meant Australia posted its hottest December on record for maximums.
Australian December maximum temperature anomaly  |
| Based on the average for 1961-90. Source: BOM |
That hot end to 2018 also suggests last year was Australia's second-hottest year on record for maximum temperatures, trailing only 2013.
Australian annual maximum temperature anomaly  |
| Based on the average for 1961-90. Source: BOM |
Links
- Heatwave: Melbourne, NSW, Tasmania reel as fires, heat, wind set in
- City's temperature hits 42 as cool change hits south-west coast
- How WA's Pilbara region can generate a heatwave that can stretch to Melbourne
- Walgett loses all water, some air conditioning as heatwave pushes temperatures near 40 degrees
- Warning for extreme heatwave for southern Australia after new year reprieve
- Heatwave set to smash Australia's southeast coast could be 'deadly'
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