Australia’s extreme heatwave spans five states with high of 49C forecast

Australia’s post-Christmas heatwave continues to sweep across the country, with a near record-breaking 49C forecast for Western Australia, and fire danger, health and air quality warnings issued across the nation.

 Sunrise over Altona pier in Melbourne on Thursday. Weather
 temperatures are set to soar as a heatwave stretches across Australia.

On Thursday morning, the Bureau of Meteorology forecast a scorching 49C maximum for Marble Bar and Pannawonica in the Pilbara region of WA – only 2 degrees below the highest temperature ever recorded in Australia, which is 50.7C at South Australia’s Oodnadatta airport in 1960.

By 8.40am on Thursday Marble Bar had already recorded 43.4C, with the worst of the heat to come.

The extreme heat is stretching across WA, SA, Victoria, New South Wales and parts of central Queensland. Temperatures in the south are 10C to 14C higher than average, the bureau said on Wednesday.

Read the story by Naaman Zhou from The Guardian - “Australia’s extreme heatwave spans five states with high of 49C Australia's extreme heatwave spans five states wth high of 49C forecast.”

Heatwave to hit Australia after Christmas with 45 degrees in the south

A post-Christmas heatwave is set to hit Australia next week, stretching from Broome to Melbourne, peaking at 45C in South Australia, and bringing the heat to the Boxing Day Test.

 Inland areas of Australia are expected to experience
  temperatures of up to 45C in the days after Christmas Day. 

The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a three-day heatwave warning for inland areas across nearly the whole country from Christmas to 28 December.

Severe to low heatwaves will cover northern and central Western Australia, central South Australia, northern Victoria and southern New South Wales in the post-Christmas holiday period.

The Melbourne Cricket Ground will hit a maximum of 32C on Boxing Day, and parts of South Australia will rise to 45C the day after.

Read the story from The Guardian by Zaaman Zhou - “Heatwave to hit Australia after Christmas with 45 degrees in the south.”