Hobart swelters through temps in high 30s

The first days of Autumn have brought a scorcher, with Saturday the hottest March day on record.

Margate’s Fay Power, 22, was pictured at Kingston Beach on Saturday’s scorching 39.1C day. Picture: EDDIE SAFARIK

HOBART city has sweltered through its hottest day in more than six years as thousands of people flocked to beaches across southern Tasmania to beat the heat.

Cape Bruny was the warmest spot of the day reaching 39.7C at 3.07pm, but an unverified observation had Dover, in the state’s Far South, at 40C.

Bushy Park, Grove, Hobart Airport and Campania also sweated through plus 38C temperatures.

At 3.24pm Saturday the temperature in Hobart hit 39.1C — the last time the state’s capital got that hot was on January 4, 2013.

It was also the hottest March day on record.

The previous highest March temperature, set on March 13, 1940, and equalled on March 14, 2008, was 37.3C.

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It was Tasmania’s hottest March day on record on Saturday, beating the previous top of 38C, with many beachgoers happy for the extended spell of summer-like weather.

Margate’s Fay Power, 22, (pictured) said it was nice summer had lasted a little bit longer by just stretching into autumn.

She said it was scorching hot at Kingston Beach where she and her friend Brooke Jones stayed to cool off until about 5.30pm.

Bureau of Meteorology acting senior meteorologist Luke Johnston said the unprecedented temperatures weren’t unusual for this time of year.

“If yesterday had happened two days earlier it would have still been February and it wouldn’t have broken any records,” he said.

He said a large high pressure system sitting over the Tasman Sea directed a very hot northerly flow over Tasmania and combined with clear skies to create scorching temperatures.

“We will get a milder change across Hobart and Tasmania on Sunday, but the biggest difference today is it will be a cloudy, which will limit temperatures from rising,” Mr Johnston said.

“There’s the possibility of some thunderstorms this afternoon and evening, but there’s little to no rainfall forecast as it will most likely evaporate before it hits the ground due to the warmer weather.”

He said it would stay hot across southern Tasmania tomorrow and Tuesday, with temperatures in the high 20s and low 30s, before a significant cold front moved across the state on Wednesday and dropped temperatures below 20C.

A total fire ban was also lifted at 2am today.

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