Meteorologists have warned that the east is set for “remarkable heat” over the Grand Final long weekend while parts of Western Australia are sweltering through multiple days where heat records have been broken.
But by the middle of next week there will be a massive turnaround that could even see snow in some areas.
“This heat is heading towards southeast Australia in two rounds,” Sky News Weather meteorologist Rob Sharpe told news.com.au.
“South Australia will be hot on Saturday and Monday, while New South Wales will be hot and blustery on Sunday and Tuesday with some regions of extreme fire danger.”
Adelaide could see 32C on Saturday with Sydney topping out at 37C on Sunday with the city’s west reaching that feat again on Tuesday. The average temperature for Sydney in October is 22C.
For the NRL Grad Final, Olympic Park will hit 36C on Sunday. Kick off will be in the evening but it’s very possible it will be north of 30C still.
In Melbourne, it should peak at 29C on Saturday meaning the AFL Grand Final could be played in sweltering temperatures.
Heat records broken on consecutive days
The warmth is being cooked up in north west WA where cloudless skies means there’s little brake on the temperatures. That hot air is then funnelling through the desert towards the east.
“Friday is the third consecutive day with many heat September records broken in WA,” said Mr Sharpe.
“On Thursday the focus was the northwest, with Mardie, Onslow, Meekatharra and Mandora breaking their September records.
“Mandora, between Port Hedland and Broome, recorded 42.8C which is just 0.3C short of the Australian September record of 43.1C.
“On Friday, the focus was the western inland between Newman and Kalgoorlie with a series of records broken.”
On the weekend, Port Hedland will see up to 39C and Marble Bar 41C although Broome will be a relatively mild 33C.
Alice Springs, right beneath the air current, will see 36-37C on the weekend.
Adelaide will yoyo in heat with 32C on a sunny Saturday and Monday but just 21C on Sunday. On Tuesday it will be back down to 21C with showers.
Across the border and Broken Hill will peak at 33C on Saturday and will then rise to 37C on Monday. Dubbo could see a string of near 35C days between Sunday and Monday; Wagga Wagga will top 32C on Monday and Tamworth 34C on Monday.
Grand Final heat shocker
Sydney will have a relatively mild, although still hotter than average, Saturday maxxing out at 26C. Then that 37C high whips through on Sunday accompanied by up to 40km/h winds later in the day.
Labour Day Monday is forecast to reach 25C and then 33C on a clear-skies Tuesday.
Penrith, in the west, is looking at 33C on Saturday, 37C on Sunday and then a dip to 29C for Labour Day before going back up to 37C for Tuesday.
“Sydney is unlikely to challenge monthly records, but that’s mainly because it will be early October by the time the heat arrives,” said Sky Weather’s Mr Sharpe.
“Western Sydney’s hottest September temperature on record is 37.3C, recorded in Penrith. Tuesday is likely to go beyond this mark but fall short of the October record of 40.4C in Richmond.
“Having said that, it’s still remarkable to see this kind of heat arriving this early in spring – especially considering nowhere in Sydney recorded temperatures above 30C until December during the previous hot season.”
On Sunday, there will be extreme fire danger in and around Sydney, the Hunter Valley, the far south coast and parts of the north west of the state.
Big change to weather coming
But, said Mr Sharpe, there will be a “clear reminder that it is still springtime,” when midweek temperatures tumble back to the low twenties on Thursday across Sydney.
Snow could even fall in the alpine regions to the city’s south.
Newcastle’s hottest day will be Sunday reaching 35C with Wollongong seeing 36C on the same day.
Canberra is forecast to reach 26C on Saturday but with a still chilly 3C early morning low. On a windy Sunday expect 29C, then 27C on Monday and 30C on Tuesday. Yet by Thursday the mercury will be right back down to just a 13C high.
A warm Saturday in Melbourne CBD at 29C with lots of sun. The hottest time of the day could be right around kick off. Clouds will move in on Sunday with the high down to 22C and then Monday and Tuesday in the mid-twenties before temperatures fall midweek.
Cooler in Tasmania: Hobart’s hottest day will be Saturday on 23C then 19C on a showery Sunday followed by 22C on a Monday with plenty of blue sky.
Brisbane doesn’t look like it will get to 30C in this run of weather with a repeat of 27C days into next week, with Monday possibly a smidgen warmer.
High twenties for Cairns with a midweek 31C.
Southern Western Australia is a very different weather story to the state’s north west. Perth is look at mild temperatures and rain for the coming days.
Saturday should reach 22C with 21C on Sunday and some showers in the evening. Monday temperatures head down to 18C with rain. But the back end of next week is expected to be warmer.
Darwin is forecast to have 34C highs and 23C lows with lots of sun.