Christmas rain, cooler weather to ease Queensland, NSW fire conditions

Christmas conditions are set to remain moderate for tired NSW firefighters, who are busy preparing for the return of warmer weather this weekend.

Christmas conditions are set to remain moderate for tired NSW firefighters, who are busy preparing for the return of warmer weather this weekend.

The gift of rain is predicted to fall in parts of drought-affected NSW and southeast Queensland on Christmas Day.

South Australian Country Fire Service crews will continue to battle the Adelaide Hills bushfire on Christmas Day in an effort to finally bring it under control.

Brisbane’s temperature is tipped to hit 25C on Wednesday, with rain forecast for the city and fire-affected parts of the state’s south.

“Brisbane will probably be the wettest city and that rain will travel all the way down to Newcastle in NSW,” meteorologist Dean Narramore from the Bureau of Meteorology told AAP.

Sydney will also remain mild for Christmas with a top of 26C and a 50 per cent chance of rain, as rain fell in parts of the City on Christmas Eve.

Rain falling at Newtown, Sydney on Christmas Eve. Picture: Nicholas Eagar

Easterly winds will finally shift the smoke haze that has blanketed the city for weeks.

But it will settle over Canberra in the afternoon, where it is expected to reach 31C.

Darwin and Perth are expected to be the hottest capital cities on Christmas Day, hitting 36C, while down south, Hobart will experience the coolest Christmas weather with a sunny 25C forecast.

Melbourne will reach 28C, though it may experience some early morning haze as easterly winds push smoke from bushfires, which have been burning for a month in the Gippsland region, towards the city.

Mr Narramore described Adelaide as having the “perfect Christmas forecast” of 31C.

“It will be a beautiful day there for a swim in the pool or a game of backyard cricket,” he said.

What will the weather bring you #ChristmasDay and #BoxingDay ? Here's a national summary of the maximum forecast temperatures. For the latest weather forecasts and warnings, keep connected here: https://t.co/k4ywoEmBrF.

Have a safe festive season Australia! 🎄🎅🤶🔔 pic.twitter.com/JMK3iYgdcx

— Bureau of Meteorology, Australia (@BOM_au) December 24, 2019

Away from the coast, the mercury will rise to the low to mid-40s in towns across SA, the Northern Territory and WA.

“Central Australia will generally be very hot and dry, Alice Springs will likely be low to mid-40s,” Mr Narramore said.

And cricket fans fear not – it may look overcast on Boxing Day morning but Melbourne is expected to clear to a top of 23C for the second trans-Tasman test. The holiday predictions come after a week of heatwave conditions, which saw December maximum temperature records topple, and more hot weather likely on its way.

CHRISTMAS DAY IN THE CAPITALS
SYDNEY: Partly cloudy. Medium chance of showers, clearing during the late afternoon and evening, 26C.
MELBOURNE: Mostly sunny. Areas of haze in the morning and afternoon, with a chance of fog in the early morning over the western suburbs, 28C.
BRISBANE: Cloudy with a very high (90pc) chance of showers in the morning. The chance of a thunderstorm, most likely in the morning, 24C.
PERTH: Hot and mostly sunny, 36C.
ADELAIDE: Sunny with light winds, 31C.
HOBART: Partly cloudy with light winds, 25C.
CANBERRA: Partly cloudy with a slight (20pc) chance of showers. Areas of smoke haze in the afternoon, 32C.
DARWIN: Partly cloudy with a slight chance of showers in the afternoon and evening. Light winds throughout the day and the chance of a thunderstorm, 36C.
Source: Bureau of Meteorology

AAP