Heatwave warnings for most states with temps above 40
Widespread temperatures above 40C are set to continue across large parts of the nation. Photo: AAP
One of Australia’s hottest summers on record continues to produce temperatures well above the average across the nation, including a scorching 49 degrees forecast for outback Queensland tourist town Birdsville.
Far-reaching heatwave conditions on Thursday were affecting central Western Australia, northern South Australia, the Northern Territory, southern Queensland and NSW.
There were Bureau of Meteorology warnings, some severe, for all five states, while locally extreme heatwaves could affect parts of far south-west Queensland.
“Widespread temperatures above 40 degrees are expected across inland and eastern parts of Australia over the next few days, with some inland areas as hot as 49 degrees,” a spokesperson said.
“The heat will spread out to the coast, with Sydney forecast to reach 35 degrees on both Thursday and Friday, while some of the western suburbs may reach 39 degrees or even 40 degrees.”
Despite cloudy conditions across Sydney on Thursday, the city’s airport observation tower had already reached 29 degrees by 10am, while Gosford on the NSW Central Coast had tipped 33.3 degrees.
Temperatures in the high 30s are set to sweep the NSW coast with Newcastle forecast for 39 degrees on Thursday.
Inland areas of South Australia’s north, south-west Queensland and north-west NSW could swelter in temperatures in the mid to high 40s on both Thursday and Friday.
Roxby Downs, about 500 kilometres north of Adelaide, was expected to reach 44 degrees on Thursday, while further inland the outback town of Coober Pedy was forecast to tip 42 degrees.
Queensland’s Birdsville could record a peak of 49 degrees on Friday.
Although widespread records are not expected to be broken, a few remote or inland locations could possibly set records for maximum temperatures, the bureau said.
Cooler air that was developing in the south of Western Australia on Wednesday is forecast to gradually spread across the southern states on Thursday and Friday, ending the heatwave for many.
The forecast change will bring cooler weather for almost all areas on the weekend.
– AAP
