Australia melts: Temperatures are set to hit FIFTY degrees as blistering heatwave smashes nearly all of Australia - so how hot will it be where you are?

• Blistering air mass from Western Australia will scorch inland areas and cities

• South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales will reach record temperatures

• Alice Springs will see its hottest ever December day on Thursday at 45C

• Residents advised to stay out of sun and protect themselves from hazardous UV

• Department of Health urged residents to check on vulnerable elderly neighbours

A blistering heatwave could see Australia sweat through its hottest week in history, with temperatures across the nation set to soar to 50C for four days straight.

Experts say an extreme heatwave will send the mercury soaring across the nation from Tuesday through to Saturday.

Adelaide will bake in 40C heat for the next four days, while inland areas across South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales will be even hotter. 

'The existing record for the highest maximum temperature averaged over Australia for a day is 40.3C. That was set back in January 2013,' Bureau of Meteorology climatologist Blair Trewin told the ABC.

'Current indications are that we'll be at least a degree above that on Wednesday and Thursday, so a really extreme event from a nationwide perspective.'

The hot air mass, which lingered around Western Australia, is now moving interstate and across the country, with the highest temperatures expected on Thursday.

'There's] a high possibility that Australia will have its hottest day on record not only for one day, but possibly four days in a row we may see the hottest day on record,' Adelaide-based BOM meteorologist Paul Lainio said.

New South Wales

Saturday is expected to be the peak of the heat for NSW, with the top temperatures for parts of Sydney due to differ wildly because of the sea breeze.

To the west of the city, Penrith will reach 46C at the weekend, while Bondi will only get to 29C.

In the Lower Western areas, temperatures will start to creep into the 40s from Tuesday, with Wentworth and Menindee hitting 40C.

The same goes for the Upper Western towns, as the hot air plume piles in from Western Australia.

Tibooburra will hit 42C on Tuesday, with Wilcannia getting to 41C. 

But the temperature in a single place is no longer the best way of indicating an overall heatwave, experts said.

To get a more accurate picture of temperature, it is advised to combine all of the maximums across the country on any given day. 

Victoria

While consistently hot temperatures will persist for much of the country, Melbourne will see a rollercoaster of a week.

Tuesday will only reach a reasonably pleasant 29C, dropping to just 20C at night, but on Wednesday it will get to a scorching 39C.

That evening, the temperature will plummet to just 17C, with a maximum of just 23C the next morning, Thursday.

But on Friday, the mercury will leap again, reaching a sizzling 41C before a huge drop to just 14C in the evening.

But in the state's west, the temperatures will remain blisteringly hot for most of the week - even hitting highs of 47C.

Mildura in the district of Mallee will reach 47C, with Nhill in Wimmera getting to 46C on Friday.

Queensland 

A blocking high pressure system will develop off the east coast this week, allowing extreme heat to build over the mainland.

Brisbane recorded its hottest December day since 1981 on Monday at 41.2C in the CBD.

But out in western Queensland, the picture is even bleaker as inland areas suffer with the scorching temperatures blown in from the west.

In the North West, Urandangi will reach 45C on Tuesday, as well the Central West town of Isisford and Winton.

December records on the Sunshine Coast were also broken at Beerburrum on Monday, which suffered through 41.6C and Gympie, which reached 41C.

South Australia

The hottest ever temperature was 50.7C at Oodnadatta, South Australia, on January 2, 1960.

That record was set on January 2, 1960.

South Australia could be set to beat the record this week, with temperatures above 40C for four consecutive days.

'We're expecting to see December record-high temperatures over much of inland southern Australia, from the Nullarbor as far east as eastern New South Wales,' Dr Trewin said.

'We may see some places have their highest [overall] temperatures on record, particularly eastern New South Wales and the ACT on Saturday.' 

A statewide 'code red' alert has been issued for the vulnerable, elderly and homeless in South Australia, with extra accommodation available for those sleeping on the streets.

Hey Scummo...."Where the bloody hell are you"???

On an Hawaiian holiday because you have worked so hard....Priorities???

philperth2010 wrote on Dec 17^th, 2019 at 5:36pm:


No break for the fire fighters who have lost their homes

philperth2010 wrote on Dec 17^th, 2019 at 5:36pm:


ScoMo makes Abbott look like a half decent PM.

If it's not about the weather then WTF do you think it is about then ?

Sir lastnail wrote on Dec 17^th, 2019 at 5:47pm:



So it is not climate change then?