Heat wave

Sydney recorded its highest temperature in nearly two years as New South Wales faces its first heatwave of the summer.Meanwhile, fire authorities in Tasmania continue to battle multiple bushfires threatening homes, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.Heatwave warnings were also issued for parts of the Northern Territory, Queensland, and Western Australia on Friday, including an extreme heat alert for the Pilbara region in WA.The Tasmania Fire Service reported that firefighting efforts remain focused on Dolphin Sands in the state’s east. Residents who evacuated overnight were advised it is still not safe to return.Simon Pilkington, southern regional chief for the fire service, said Friday morning that the service is “aware of property losses in Dolphin Sands” and will conduct rapid impact assessments to determine the full extent once it is safe.The TFS said residents of Glenlusk near Hobart, where another fire has been burning, could return with caution, while residents of Abels Bay, Colebrook, Levendale and Rhyndaston were advised to monitor conditions in those areas.
In NSW, temperatures had reached 31C in the Sydney CBD and Richmond by 10am and 33C at Olympic Park.“It’s got very hot, very early. We’ve had those winds coming from the west really heating things up quite quickly,” the Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Jonathan How said.“Today we’re still going for 35C in the city and eastern suburbs. Anywhere west of Parramatta will probably get to 40C.”A severe heatwave warning is in place for the Hunter, metropolitan, Illawarra, central tablelands, southern tablelands and Snowy Mountains regions, while an extreme heatwave warning – indicating the highest level of risk – remains in place for the south coast.By early Friday afternoon, Sydney’s CBD had reached 37.8C – the highest since January last year – while other areas had soared above 39C including Penrith (40.3C), Richmond (39.6C) and Badgerys Creek (39.3C).Mangrove Mountain on the Central Coast had reached 39.2C, Gosford 38.1C and Cessnock airport 39.7C. In the far west, the temperature had hit 39.7C in Walgett and 40.8C in Bourke, while other parts of the region had recorded temperatures of 42C.Australia’s national annual average temperature is about 1.5C higher than in 1910, according to the BoM, and the climate crisis has increased the frequency and severity of extreme weather events.Extreme fire danger warnings were in place for areas including Sydney and the Hunter.How said high minimum temperatures were forecast in the greater Sydney region on Friday night, with temperatures unlikely to drop below 21C in the city and 23C in the west.He said the peak of the heatwave was expected on Saturday, when temperatures could be above 30C by 9am.
“The other thing for tomorrow for Sydney, because it’s going to be so hot and unsettled, we’ll see some thunderstorms in the early evening,” How said.“The concern will be dry lightning, which could start new fires.”He said people should take sensible precautions in the heat – staying out of the sun and drinking plenty of water – and monitor any warnings from the Rural Fire Service, particularly on Saturday.The bureau has issued a severe heatwave warning for the Gulf Country in Queensland’s north-west and severe heatwave warnings remain in place for the Tiwi, Daly and Gregory regions of the NT and the Kimberley region of WA. WA’s Pilbara region has been upgraded to an extreme heatwave warning.How said areas inland from Broome, including Fitzroy Crossing and the inland Kimberley were expected to reach 45C on Friday and Saturday and 46C on Sunday and Monday.In Victoria, temperatures were cooler in Melbourne on Friday but were forecast to reach the high 30s in the state’s north, including the Mallee region in the north-west where the Country Fire Authority has declared a total fire ban.