Australians can expect a hit of summer-like weather over the weekend, with temperatures expected to reach above the mid-20s in Melbourne and 30C in Sydney, prompting NSW Health to issue a heat alert.
Inland Australia will crack the mid to high 30s while the south-east corner of Western Australia will be the only region to hover below 20C.
“It’s not entirely unusual to see temperatures this high in September,” said the Bureau of Meteorology senior meteorologist, Miriam Bradbury. “But they usually happen towards the end of the month, and they certainly don’t usually hang around.”
Bradbury said the hot weather was being caused by a high-pressure system sitting off the east coast that was expected to remain over the coming days, causing the heat to intensify.
Eastern Australia was forecast to experience its first big heatwave of spring early next week, with temperatures expected to soar 12C or more above the average for September in regions including Sydney. In Melbourne, the maximum temperatures would approach 10C above the average.
Melbourne and Sydney were predicted to break records for the number of warm days in a row in September. Current forecasts had most of Sydney collecting multiple days of 30C or hotter over the next week – including at least six in a row for the city’s west, starting from Friday.
NSW Health cautioned people to take care of their health by minimising their heat exposure.
“It’s best to try and avoid the heat of the day by staying indoors and keeping curtains and blinds shut early,” said NSW Health’s executive director of health protection, Dr Jeremy McAnulty. “If you don’t have air conditioning, using a fan, wetting your skin with a sponge, spray or water-soaked towel can help to keep you cool.
“If it’s hard to keep yourself cool at home, you should also consider spending the day at cooler places, like the shopping centre or an air-conditioned community venue.”
Melbourne was forecast to clock eight days of 20C or warmer, beating the previous record of seven such days set in 1907 and 1987.
Bradbury said the fire danger over the weekend did not meet a warning threshold, but there was a chance of dangerous fire weather.
“Make sure you check the weather forecast for your local area and take the precautions when necessary to make yourself safe,” she said.
