New Year’s weather in Australia’s major cities

WILL you need more ice or to wrap up warm on New Year’s Eve? We’ve got the weather covered including warnings of a heatwave.

NSW will see a heatwave on New Year weekend while Perth will swelter through a run of 38C days next week.

THE new year will be beckoned in by a continuing heatwave across much of NSW. But for most of the rest of Australia, the hot and stormy conditions we’ve seen in some places over the past week should dissipate leading to much more manageable festivities.

But the first few days of 2017 will be a scorcher in Perth with highs of 38C.

In NSW, a heatwave is expected to last all weekend covering the entire coastline and northern areas.

“For all intents and purposes, New Year’s Eve will be a hot and humid one,” a Bureau of Meteorology spokesman told news.com.au.

“The good news is the temperatures will drop back to 24C by Monday.”

Sydneysiders take to Bondi Beach as hot weather hits Sydney on Thursday. Picture: Jeremy Piper

An extreme heatwave, that can affect even healthy people, will hang around the state’s mid-north coast and northern rivers until at least Sunday.

With near-record December temperatures, NSW Police has issued a “heatwave action plan”.

“If you can, it’s a good idea to spend some time in an airconditioned building,” the statement read.

“Everyone needs to take care in hot weather but some people are at higher risk of heat illness, especially if they are older, live alone or are socially isolated.”

Residents are urged to avoid the sun during the hottest part of the day, remain hydrated and limit physical activity.

Signs of heat-related illness include confusion, dizziness, fainting, nausea, vomiting, weakness, headaches and sweating.

So what’s the weather going to be like near you on New Year?

Austin McAlpine, Rory Mackintosh and Ryan Birch, cool off at Avoca Beach Point, Sydney, as temperatures reach 37c on the Central Coast. Picture: Peter Clark

MELBOURNE

There will be a high of 28C on Friday with a severe weather warning for heavy rain leading to flash flooding still in place for the east of the state outside Melbourne. On Saturday the mercury will drop to 24C with a low of 16C. There will be a slight chance of morning drizzle in the southeast suburbs on New Year’s Eve but otherwise sunny and some cloud. Sunday will see some showers and 21C.

SYDNEY

Another scorcher on Friday will see the mercury nudge 36C and high humidity with a possible late storm but there will be some relief on New Year’s Eve with the dial sliding back to 28C and a low of 24C. There will be some showers on New Year’s Eve morning. New Year’s Day will be rainy and 28C.

BRISBANE

A run of warm, sunny days. It will reach 32C on Friday rising to 34C for the New Year weekend.

PERTH

A high of 25C on Friday will rise to 27C for Saturday but with a chilly overnight low of 13C. New Year’s Day will see the mercury reaching to 32C before a run of 38C days in the early part of the week. Expect sun throughout.

ADELAIDE

Temperatures will hover about 25C all weekend with some showers but otherwise sunny. A low of 16C on New Year’s Eve.

HOBART

Similar conditions to Adelaide but the mercury will dip to just 21C on Sunday. There will be showers here and there increasing on Sunday.

CANBERRA

31C, showers and storms on Friday giving way to a sunny New Year’s Eve at 32C on Saturday and a low of 18C. Going down to 29C and the odd cloud burst on New Year’s Day.

DARWIN

About 31C on the new year weekend and stormy.

WEATHER CHAOS ACROSS NATION

The lead-up to New Year has been miserable in Melbourne with the city still in recovery mode after torrential downpours on Thursday.

Emergency services were flooded with more than 1500 calls for help as thunderstorms lashed Victoria and caused havoc on the train network.

Rain hammered Melbourne from about 3pm as roads turned into rivers and flash flooding wreaked havoc, the Herald Sun reported.

Major arterials were closed, leaving drivers stranded. The Western Ring Rd at Plenty Rd — and dozens of other Victorian roads — were closed on Thursday evening with many drivers foolish enough to enter the waters finding their cars turned to boats as they floated away.

About 23mm of rain fell in Laverton, in the city’s west, in just one hour on Thursday afternoon as a low pressure trough moved in from South Australia. More than 63mm had fallen on Melbourne’s Tullamarine Airport by 11pm.

With the system heading off to the east, the wild weather should subside with average temperatures and calm conditions prevailing.

Originally published as New Year’s weather in Australia’s major cities