Hobart endures hottest night in 112 years as heatwave looks set to hold

The autumn heatwave that delivered temperatures above 40C to parts of southern Australia is ­expected to hold until at least Tuesday, as festivals were cancelled in Victoria.

Cousins Matahri, Kylam, Tsharnti, and Amyra jump into the ocean at Balmoral Beach in Sydney’s north on Sunday. Picture: Nikki Short

The autumn heatwave that delivered temperatures above 40C to parts of southern Australia and gave Hobart its hottest night in 112 years is ­expected to hold until at least Tuesday.

The heatwave, rated severe to extreme through much of the country by the Bureau of Meteorology, gripped Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia at the weekend and sent residents across the country’s southeast in search of relief at pools and beaches.

The heat combined with high winds raised the threat of bushfires beyond the end of summer.

Music festivals WOMADelaide and Pitch continued on despite temperatures. Picture: Dean Martin

On Sunday, Victoria’s peak temperature was recorded in the coastal town of Warrnambool, which reached 40.5C just before 3pm. South Australia recorded 41.5C at 2:30pm in Ceduna on the Eyre Peninsula.

Hobart hit at a peak of 33C and sweltered through an uncharacteristically hot night of 26C before Sunday brought a reprieve.

Melbourne reached 39C on Saturday and Sunday, and was forecast to have another day of just below 40C on Monday before a wave of showers moves through the state over the rest of the week.

Adelaide saw maximum temperatures of 40C on Saturday and Sunday and was forecast to be 38C on Monday and mid-30s the next two days before a cool change on Thursday.

Perth and Sydney both are forecast for a week of low-30s.

Melbourne’s Moomba festival was forced to cancel its 70th anniversary festivities because of unsafe conditions for performers and spectators.

The regional music festival Pitch forged ahead on Saturday, despite warnings from authorities. Three attendants were hospitalised from suspected drug use on Saturday night. It was eventually cancelled on Sunday after the weather warning for the Moyston area was updated to extreme.

The heat had surf lifesavers on alert at St Kilda Beach in Melbourne. Picture: Josie Hayden

Adelaide held a string of events including music festival WOMADelaide, the Adelaide Fringe festival and the Adelaide Cup horse race.

Victoria’s Country Fire Authority issued total fire bans for the Wimmera and much of Gippsland, with extreme fire danger conditions in place through all of Victoria.

In Western Australia the Eucla, Goldfields and Southern Interior regions have braced for possible flash flooding as a result of heavy rainfall.