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‘No relief in sight’: Adelaide fries, Qld set to scorch in next wave of heatwave

THE hot weather is back with a vengeance. The heatwave in Adelaide is just a warm-up. In Queensland, heat records are set to tumble.

Debbie SchippDebbie Schipp
2 min read
February 8, 2018 - 4:26PM
Heatwaves - Nature's Silent Killer

SUMMER has scorched its way back in time for the weekend, with temperatures tipped to top 40C in some cities today, and heatwave warnings in place.

Super-hot and tinder-dry conditions in South Australian have prompted a severe heatwave warning from the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM).

And a heatwave set to hit Queensland this weekend is tipped to set heat records tumbling.

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

The heatwave is currently frying South Australia, with heatwave health warnings, severe fire danger warnings, and total fire bans in place.

In Adelaide it was 36.5C by midday, tipped to hit 40C in the northern suburbs on Thursday afternoon.

Hot winds gusting up to 45km/h are offering no respite, and increasing the fire danger.

In the small town of Roseworthy, near Gawler, it was 40.9C by 1pm.

The City of Churches can expect a repeat dose tomorrow.

Conditions are expected to ease on Saturday, with a forecast maximum of 31 as a southerly change sweeps in, the BOM forecast says.

In Adelaide, the long-term average for February is 28.5C.

QLD

A fierce heatwave will grip Queensland at the weekend, with a low-intensity heatwave turning to severer and extreme heatwave conditions in central and southeast-east Queensland.

And the BOM warns of little in sight — even at night — until the middle of next week..

The mercury will start a steady climb in the state’s southwest and creep east from Friday, topping 40C in some western, central and northern parts of the state on Sunday and hitting between 35 and 40C along the coast.

The weather is tipped to topple some existing hot temperature records in the Sunshine State.

Forecaster Sam Campbell said there would “no relief in sight” when the sun goes down, with some overnight temperatures up to 8 degrees above average.

In some areas, like Longreach, that means overnight temperatures won’t drop below 30C overnight, and could charge back up towards 45C during the day.

Temperatures in the major southeastern metropolitan areas would reach around 35C, with a top of 36C around Toowoomba, 43C around Longreach and 45C at Birdsville, the BOM predicts.

Brisbane is forecast to hit a top of 31C on Friday, 33C on Saturday, 34C on Sunday and 33C on Monday.

By Wednesday, the Queensland capital is tipped to hit 35C.

The Bureau of Meteorology’s three-day Queensland heatwave forecast. Source: Bureau of Meteorology
The Bureau of Meteorology’s three-day Queensland heatwave forecast. Source: Bureau of Meteorology

NSW

Meanwhile, in Sydney, it’s a tale of two cities: the summery, and the scorching.

Tops in the city near the coast are tipped to hit 29C on Friday and Saturday and 27C on Sunday.

But head west, and it’s a scorchingly different scenario. In Penrith, temperatures are tipped to hit 38C on Friday and Saturday.

VICTORIA

In Melbourne itself, temperatures hit 31C today, and it will be more of the same on Friday and Saturday, with forecast tops of 30C and 31C.

But out of the city, it was a different story. Yarra Glen hit 35C on Thursday.

But it is the Mallee that is really seeing searing temperatures — forecast to hit 44C today, a forecast of 41C on Friday, and a top of 30C on Saturday.

At 1pm in Mildura on Thursday the mercury had hit 40C.

The intense temperatures in the state’s north prompted heat alerts and severe fire danger alerts from authorities.

The BOM forecast is that temperatures in Melbourne won’t drop below 20C before Saturday.

Read related topics:AdelaideBrisbaneWeather
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Original URL: https://www.news.com.au/technology/environment/no-relief-in-sight-adelaide-fries-qld-set-to-scorch-in-next-wave-of-heatwave/news-story/59e973496c419faeace38ac361fe6d5f