Australia’s south-east sweltered through a scorching summer day on Sunday, as authorities urged parents to take particular care of younger children.
Parts of regional Victoria and South Australia had been forecast to reach temperatures exceeding 40C.
Melbourne reached 37.1C before 5pm – making it the hottest day of summer so far. Previously, the city was yet to record a “hot” day – classified by the Bureau of Meteorology as above 35C.
Victoria’s regional areas experienced hotter temperatures, with Shepparton hitting 38.4C and Mildura at 40.8C on Sunday afternoon. The Country Fire Authority announced a total fire ban for the state’s north-east with wind conditions of up to 40km/hour posing a challenge to firefighters.
In Sydney’s western suburbs, Penrith hit 39.2C, while the city reached 31C. The bureau recorded 44.5C at Wilcannia in north-western NSW just before 2pm on Sunday.
Adelaide hit a top of 39.6C shortly after 2pm while Port Augusta in South Australia’s west reached 44.2C.
Angus Hines, a senior meteorologist at the BoM, said warm weather in Western Australia had swept across to the nation’s east.
“We’re seeing some north-westerly winds drag that heat across from the west and it’s reaching central and south-eastern places today,” he said.
“Part of the reason we’re seeing those north-westerly [winds] is ahead of the approaching cool change and they will switch around to the much cooler, south-westerly winds once that change has gone through.”
Hines said a cool change was expected for many areas across the south-east on Sunday evening.
Melbourne’s temperature was forecast to drop to a top of 22C on Monday and continue in the mid-20s throughout the week. Cooler temperatures were also forecast for much of South Australia.
But there will be little respite for western Sydney, with a top of 38C forecast for Penrith on Monday.
Health practitioners encouraged people to keep cool and covered and avoid sun exposure, which can cause pain as well as lead to skin cancer.
Staff at the Women’s and Children’s hospital in North Adelaide have treated 15 patients for severe sunburn in recent weeks.
Dr Bernard Carney said parents and carers could not be too cautious about children being in the sun.
“It is incredibly distressing for children to be treated for sunburn,” he said. “They are often in severe pain and require frequent dressing changes. No parent wants to see their child suffer, especially from something that’s preventable.”
Carney encouraged people to stay hydrated, wear a hat and loose clothes, and use sunscreen.
The UV index in each city will reach extreme levels, with sun protection recommended until about 5.30pm.
Hot temperatures could be dangerous for everyone’s health, NSW’s health department said, while emphasising the impact on people 65 and older, young children, pregnant women and those with medical conditions.
Closing doors, windows and blinds and using air-conditioning or electric fans would help cool homes, NSW Health said.
