Adelaide reaches 43.3C on Wednesday as the state swelters through a heatwave
If you thought it was hot in Adelaide, well, you’re right. There’s no city on the planet hotter right now. Find out more.
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It’s official, Adelaide is the hottest city in the world.
At 1:00pm it hit 40.8C, making the SA capital the hottest city across the globe - but the temperature kept rising to its predicted top of 43.3C. At Roseworthy it hit 44.7C
South Australia is experiencing its second heatwave for the year, with temperatures expected to soar well above average across the state, peaking at a record-high 49C on Wednesday.
It comes after the temperature in the capital hovered around 30C all night, briefly dropping to a low of 28.7C just after 11pm on Tuesday night, before rising again.
At midnight it was 32.1C, dropping to 30C at 6am, before rising to 37C by 11.15am.
A severe heatwave warning has been issued by the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM), while a total fire ban will be initiated on the state’s west coast, the eastern and lower Eyre Peninsula, and the Mount Lofty Ranges, CFS chief officer Brett Loughlin said.
“Our message to the community is take the day seriously,” he said.
“It is already incredibly dry across the entire state and you only need that little bit of wind and we have everything we need to see fire pose a threat across our landscape and to communities.”
It reached 39C on Tuesday in Adelaide and is forecast to hit 43C on Wednesday, the city’s hottest day on record since 2017. There will be even higher temperatures in Outback areas.
Parts of the state expected to be impacted most include the APY Lands, Oak Valley and Wudinna – with Oodnadatta set to reach a melting 49C, the remote town’s highest ever recorded temperature, held previously by 46.4C in 2004.
Adelaide Metro told 7NEWS that peak hour tram services would be reduced between 4:30pm and 6:30pm on Wednesday as a result of the weather.
No disruptions to train services are anticipated, but some services may operate slower than usual.
Schools across the state will remain open, and would only close if they encountered infrastructure problems or power outages.
A cool change will offer a reprieve to South Aussies, with temperatures lowering significantly on Wednesday evening, with a top of 27C forecast for Thursday.
The change is expected to move through the state later on Wednesday evening and should reach Adelaide between 8pm and 10pm..
It will help firefighters who have been battling a fire at Wilmington – which started last Monday.
The fire is impacting the Mount Remarkable National Park with more than 4,600ha burned.
Mr Loughlin said nearly 100 firefighters attended the blaze daily but there had been no significant infrastructural damage.
Smoke continues to impact surrounding communities but a cool change is expected to move through the area on Wednesday evening.
Mr Loughlin said the next 12-24 hours would be “absolutely crucial”.
A volunteer who was injured in the fire last Tuesday underwent surgery on Monday after sustaining serious burns.
“At this point our focus is on their recovery … and I know that he’s incredibly grateful for the broad community support,” Mr Loughlin said.
FORECAST SA MAXIMUMS FOR FEBRUARY 12
Oodnadatta 49C
Tarcoola 48C
Coober Pedy 47C
Roxby Downs 45C
Cleve 45C
Whyalla 45C
Port Augusta 45C
Moomba 45C
Adelaide 43C
Murray Bridge 43C
Leigh Creek 43C
Mount Barker 42C
Keith 42C
Karoonda 41C
Mount Gambier 41C
Remark 41C
Ceduna 40C
Port Lincoln 40C
Journalist’s boiling point
After a long day of setting the keyboard alight, Advertiser journalist Aden Hill was heading home, but got a first hand feel of today’s scroching weather.
“My bus broke down on the freeway due to heat,” Aden said.
“The engine couldn’t cool itself properly and there was apparently a flame coming out the back which and the bus broke down on the Stirling off ramp.
“A lot of white smoke came billowing out the back too.”
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