Spring heat shock

Shepparton experienced its hottest September day on record on Saturday with the mercury hitting 34°C at 3.41 pm.

Melbourne Bureau of Meteorology duty forecaster Rod Dickson confirmed the figure as a September record for the bureau’s weather station at Shepparton airport.

He said weather stations at Kyabram and Tatura also recorded record September temperatures of 32.4°C.

Mr Dickson said a pool of hot air sitting over the Australian interior was brought down in the eastern states ahead of a cold front causing temperatures to soar.

He said parts of NSW saw 40°C on Saturday.

Mr Dickson said the highs were an extraordinary event for this time of year.

‘‘It’s not unusual to see temperature swings in September, but this really was an extreme event,’’ he said.

Temperatures will settle this week to more normal spring weather patterns.

Today and tomorrow are forecast to reach 18°C with a slight chance of a shower, Wednesday will climb to 23°C, while Thursday drops to 19°C and Friday to 17°C, with a possible late shower.

Mr Dickson said Shepparton had experienced an abnormally dry September with only 7 mm recorded against a typical September average rainfall of 38 mm.

He said while the three-month spring forecast for the district contains no clear indication of rain, temperatures were expected to be above average.

Story from the Shepparton News by John Lewis - “Spring heat shock.”