New South Wales and parts of Queensland are forecast experience a low-severity heatwave this week. Source: Hippopx.
Despite the end of summer, the temperature in Sydney is set to reach a scorching 38 degrees Celsius today, the hottest the city’s felt in two years.
According to Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) senior forecaster Gabriel Branescu, the last times Sydney’s temperature reached these heights were in January 2021, and prior to that March 2018.
Penrith, Liverpool and Richmond were the suburbs forecast to reach the 38C max, with Parramatta and Campbell down set to follow closely at 37C.
“We have some hot conditions developing,” Mr Branescu told the ABC.
“There’s a heatwave warning for New South Wales and the conditions will affect areas from the Queensland border down to Sydney.”
The hottest days are set to be today and Tuesday, with forecasts predicting that the city will reach 34C because temperatures cool from Wednesday onwards, to fall to the mid-to-high twenties.
However, a low-severity heatwave is tipped to hit south-east and the northern New South Wales coast.
BOM is forecasting that Brisbane temperatures will hit 34C, with 37C in Ipswich and 32C in Coolangatta by mid-week.
Lismore is forecast to also reach 34C, and NSW’s northern coast forecast at 32C on Wednesday.
According to BOM senior meteorologist Felim Hanniffy, the temperatures are low-grade, but above average for the time of year, though it wasn’t unusual as summer transitions into autumn.
“We’ll see those temperatures well above average for a couple of days, particularly away from the coast and across more inland areas,” he told the ABC.
“Around the coast you’ll have the afternoon sea breeze kicking in.
“Through the middle and latter parts of the week, we’ll probably see a little bit more in the way of cloud and an increasing chance of showers.”
