Sydney should finally break its extraordinary 330-day streak of maximum temperatures below 30 degrees Celsius on Wednesday.
The Bureau of Meteorology said the mercury in Sydney should hit at least 30 degrees on Wednesday, ending the abnormal run of weather.
The 330-day streak is the second-longest stretch on record that Sydney did not have a day over 30.
The long-held record goes back to 1859, when there were 339 consecutive days without a peak of 30 degrees or above, according to Weatherzone.
Sydney’s warm Wednesday is the first time since February 21, 2022, that it has been 30 (should the BoM’s predictions be accurate).
New South Wales’ capital usually averages 15 days above 30 per year, so the run is extremely unusual.
Meteorologist at the University of Sydney, Dr Milton Speer, told The New Daily that wind was the reason for the streak.
He said frontal systems that normally force warm air from inland Australia have been straying too far south. Without a warm westerly wind from inland, colder easterlies blow in from the Tasman Sea, keeping the coastal region relatively cool.
“The changes have been too far south, so we just don’t get the warm inland air on the coast any more,” Dr Speer said.
“It’s definitely part of climate change.
“One of the most common features in all the climate models over the past 20 or 30 years has been that increased carbon dioxide will push the weather systems poleward. Everything is being pushed south.”
Dr Speer said the coastal fringe around Sydney would likely remain cool for the moment.
“That will continue right [along] the coast, but further inland it means things will be heating up, and they’ll have many more hot days than normal. There’s no chance for cooler air to penetrate.”
Elsewhere, most of Australia is expecting a wet and wild week.
Rain will likely hit every state and territory, with the heaviest falls expected in Queensland and Western Australia.
Queensland
Rain continues to lash the tropical north, with the BoM warning Queenslanders to expect “days of heavy rainfall and more to come”.
Tweet from @BOM_au
BoM said heavy rain is focused between Ayr and St Lawrence.
“Minor, moderate and major flood warnings are current for multiple river systems across Queensland, and further warnings are likely in coming days.
“Major flood warnings are current for the Don River and Pioneer River.”
According to Weatherzone, rivers were flowing “ferociously” in central eastern Queensland on Tuesday after receiving more than a metre of rain over five days.
A rain gauge at Finch Hatton, located on the Pioneer River to the west of Mackay, received 1017 millimetres of rain during the six days ending at 9am on Tuesday. That included 791mm in the past 72 hours.
The Proserpine area has also been hit hard by rain, with Proserpine Airport collecting 815.4mm during the six days ending at 9am on Tuesday.
This is close to three months’ worth of rain and its wettest six-day period in 32 years. Proserpine is already having its wettest January since 1974.
Mackay and Bowen have had more than half a metre of rain, so far, in this event. This is the heaviest six-day rainfall in 15 years for Mackay.
Prolonged heavy rain will cause flash flooding across the region.
Roads are closed across the state, including the Bruce Highway in multiple sections, with motorists stranded as flood waters continue to rise.
On Tuesday, Queensland Fire and Emergency Services said they had received more than 90 SES requests for assistance, mainly for sandbagging and leaking roofs, while FRS swift-water rescue teams were needed at Sugarloaf, Gregory River and Hamilton Plains.
Up to 100 people are trapped in the town of Bloomsbury, north of Mackay, as they wait for flood waters to recede.
Acting Premier Steven Miles said there had been some reprieve with patchy rain lower than expected overnight, but he warned residents to maintain caution.
“We continue to see significant road closures throughout the entire region,” Mr Miles said,
“Creeks and rivers are rising and falling very rapidly.”
With the Bruce Highway cut, Mr Miles said the priority would be ensuring locals had adequate access to supplies, with some areas expected to be isolated for up to a week.
“Our concern at this stage is resupply for those communities who are now isolated,” he said.
“Those communities may be isolated for days or even up to a week.”
Rain and thunderstorms will continue until Wednesday around the central coast of Queensland, while showers and thunderstorms continue across much of northern Australia and inland Queensland.
Rain and storms may ease late Wednesday as the trough weakens and moves northwards and offshore.
Weatherzone says there are early signs that one or more tropical lows could develop over the Coral Sea towards the end of this week, increasing the risk of tropical cyclones.
Down south
It has been a hot and sweaty start to the week as hot air is drawn down from the interior ahead of a cold front.
The mainland will see temperatures in the high 30s to low 40s. This heat coincides with the Australian Open and the Tour Down Under.
The mercury could hit the low 30s in Hobart, Canberra and Sydney on Wednesday. Dangerous storms could also move into Canberra and Sydney on Wednesday.
Things will take a stormy turn later in the week when a cold front and associated trough bring rain and thunderstorms.
Rain and storms could affect parts of WA, South Australia, Victoria, Tasmania, NSW, the ACT and southern Queensland between Tuesday and Friday, with severe thunderstorms possible in several states.
