Christmas weather forecast across Australia

Budgy smugglers or a brolly? It’s been one of the hottest run-ups to Christmas ever but there could be a turnaround to our weather on the big day.

Will you be playing backyard cricket under a baking sun on Christmas Day or will it rain on your festive parade?

The Christmas forecast is here and it could be very different to what we have been experiencing over the past week.

Santa’s gift to Australia will be mostly very reasonable temperatures for the big cities and possibly even a thunderstorm and shower or two.

That is unless you’re in inland and Central Australia – places like Alice Springs, where it will continue to be sweltering.

Sky News Weather channel meteorologist Rob Sharpe said the high pressure that has dominated the country will have a lesser role with a large low pressure trough making it’s presence felt after a forecast hot weekend.

“The trough will produce showers and thunderstorms in the east with Brisbane and Sydney having at least a slight chance of showers and storms from Christmas Eve to Boxing Day,” he said.

“Meanwhile a high pressure system looks to move through the Great Australian Bight, leading to sunny skies in South Australia and southern Western Australia.”

Central and inland parts of Australia will be hot on Christmas Day but many of the capitals may escape the heat. Picture: BSCH.

The run-up to Christmas 2019 has seen sky rocketing temperatures across Australia with records broken. All indications are that the overall climate conditions that have caused the heat will remain during Christmas.

But their effect should be lessened in populated coastal areas in the south and east.

The Indian Ocean Dipole which sits off the WA coast is in a positive phase and that’s helping send hot air towards southern and eastern Australia.

The Southern Annular Mode, which comes up from Antarctica, is sending generally cool ocean winds across Tasmania and southern Victoria but those same winds are also pushing hot air to the eastern coasts. In addition, the monsoon, which waters the north, is late.

The Bureau of Meteorology has said it expects the country to remain dry for much of December.

Leading into Christmas week, the BOM is forecasting a heatwave over most of Australia but it will miss almost all costal areas and major capitals. Although Brisbane, Canberra and Darwin could see a low-intensity heatwave.

CHRISTMAS AROUND THE CAPITALS

Starting with Brisbane, it looks like it will be hot going into the festive period with Christmas Eve on 34C. But it should get slightly cooler with 31C on Christmas Day and Boxing Day. There is the chance of a shower and storms on the big day. In Townsville, it will be 34C and sunny.

Around 30C in Canberra with a potential storm on Christmas Day and Christmas Eve but come Boxing Day the mercury is set to go up a few notches to 34C.

Heading to Sydney and it’s looking like a warm 25C with a possible shower or even thunderstorm on Christmas Day that will set the tone for much of the week.

However the bushfires that have raged close to Sydney could continue to be a danger and send haze across the city.

Hotter in inland areas. Dubbo could see 34C on Christmas Day, Wagga Wagga 36C and Broken Hill 39C.

RELATED: Australia records hottest day ever for second day running

Obligatory Santa at the beach shot.

Melbourne is forecast to be a warm 28C on Christmas Day. Partly cloudy, good conditions for the Boxing Day Test with a high of 23C and no rain.

Hobart is the place to go for some Christmas chill, and maybe some showers, with highs of around 25C on Christmas Day. Slightly cooler on other days during the festive period.

Adelaide will be a warm but nowhere near the blistering recent highs. Christmas Eve will see 33C, then 32C on Christmas Day and cooler on Boxing Day.

Perth could well be the hottest capital in Australia on Christmas Day with the possibility of maximums up to 36C or even higher and 35C on Boxing Day. Christmas Eve should be cooler on 31C. In fact, Perth could see highs in the mid-30s most of Christmas week.

But it’s nothing on the 45C Alice Springs may reach as it’s sizzling spell continues.

Scorching in Darwin too with mid-30 maximums and some rain and possible storms.

So for the festive period it could be warm to very hot but there may be a touch of rain.

Nonetheless, remember to keep an eye on those bushfires which show little sign of abating.

Originally published as Christmas weather forecast across Australia