Summer's finally on the way - in autumn. Just when you reached for your warm jacket, don't put the swimming togs back in the cupboard.
The Bureau of Meteorology says temperatures in the ACT rose to 31 degrees on Thursday afternoon but will go to a sizzling 37 on Sunday - making it the hottest day of summer (except it's autumn).
The hottest actual summer day was on February 18 when 36.1 degrees was recorded at Canberra airport, according to the bureau.
But that was very much the exception.
"Both maximum and minimum temperatures were below average during summer," the bureau said.
The maximum for an average summer day was 26, recorded at the monitoring station at Canberra airport - way below the expected Sunday scorcher.
Minimums were low, too, compared with other years.
While temperatures were low over the summer, rain was heavy. Here's the bureau's summary:
- Except for January, the territory experienced a dry summer with rainfall totals mostly below average at all sites.
- January was the wettest month of the summer.
- The wettest day was on January 5 when 39.2 mm was recorded at the National Botanic Garden.
- Thunderstorms and damaging winds swept through Canberra on February 21.
The ACT's fire danger rating was "high" on Thursday morning, indicating that the public should be careful - but the rating is short of "extreme" and "catastrophic". There is no total fire ban in place, and there was not one placed during the summer.
Across the border in Queanbeyan, the fire danger rating is a grade above, at "extreme", with the advice to "take action now to protect your life and property."
Rural areas around the ACT were placed under a total fire ban in February for the first time this year.
The NSW Rural Fire Service said the total fire ban had been declared for the Lower Central West Plains, Southern Ranges and Southern Slopes regions.
Total fire bans are still in place in NSW apart from to the south of the ACT towards Cooma.
"A total fire ban means no fires out in the open. A total fire ban helps limit the potential of fires developing," The NSW Rural Fire Service said.
"During a Total Fire Ban you cannot light, maintain or use a fire in the open, or to carry out any activity in the open that causes, or is likely to cause, a fire.
"General purpose hot works (such as welding, grinding or gas cutting or any activity that produces a spark or flame) are not to be done in the open."
