Temperatures are expected to rise across many of Australia’s capital cities this week as a hot air mass moves across the country.
According to Weatherzone meteorologist Ben Domensino, a high-pressure system positioned south of Australia has allowed a hot air mass to build over Western Australia over the past few days. He noted that the heat was pushed towards Western Australia’s west coast on Sunday, causing Perth’s maximum temperature to reach 40.1 degrees Celsius.
On Monday, Dalwallinu in the state’s Central Wheatbelt recorded a high of 40.9 degrees, while Morawa, southeast of Geraldton, experienced temperatures as high as 42.6 degrees. Domensino said the heat is expected to intensify and spread across southern Western Australia on Tuesday and Wednesday, with large areas likely to record temperatures in the low to mid-40s. In some areas north of Eyre, temperatures could reach as high as 46 degrees on Wednesday afternoon.
In South Australia, temperatures are forecast to rise until Thursday, with Adelaide expected to reach 35 degrees tomorrow and climb to 39 degrees on Thursday.
Weatherzone also predicts that Brisbane’s maximum temperatures will increase to the low-to-mid 30s from Friday as heat builds over southern Queensland.
Victoria is set to experience hot conditions through Friday, with northern parts of the state expected to reach the low 40s on Thursday and Friday. Melbourne’s maximum temperature is forecast to reach 32 degrees tomorrow and rise to 37 degrees on Thursday.
Hobart’s temperature is expected to climb to around 29 degrees tomorrow before cooling on Thursday.
Meanwhile, hot air is forecast to linger over New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory throughout the week. Western Sydney could approach 40 degrees on Friday, while Canberra is expected to record temperatures in the low-to-mid 30s from tomorrow through Saturday.
The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a severe heatwave warning for parts of New South Wales, including the Illawarra, Southern Tablelands, Snowy Mountains, South West Slopes and Riverina regions.
The extreme heat is also expected to be accompanied by rain and thunderstorms in some areas, as moisture feeds into a low-pressure trough along the western flank of the high-pressure system.
