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Record-challenging heat heading south

Ben Domensino, Thursday April 5, 2018 - 12:40 AEST

A record-challenging burst of late-season heat will sweep across southeastern Australia during the next week.

A pool of stifling heat has been plaguing Western Australia's Pilbara District for the past couple of weeks.

Roebourne and Mardie registered tops of 45.9 degrees last Wednesday and Thursday, respectively. These were both the highest temperatures on record in Australia this late in the season.

Yesterday, Port Hedland's top of 43.6 degrees was its hottest April day since 1948, while 42.5 degrees at Learmonth was its hottest April day in 43 years of records.

The unseasonably hot air mass gripping the Pilbara is now set to head south. Northerly winds developing ahead of a broad low pressure trough will transport the heat down to the nation's southern states in the coming days.

With little relief from cold fronts until the middle of next week, the impending bout of heat will be prolonged and potentially record-breaking for this late in the season.

Temperatures will soar in South Australia over the weekend and remain well above average at the start of next week. As the heat spreads further east, temperatures will spike in Victoria from Sunday onwards. The hottest air will spread over NSW and the ACT from Monday and linger there until late in the week.

The upcoming heat may challenge late-season temperature records in Adelaide, Melbourne, Canberra and Sydney.

Adelaide could exceed 30 degrees for five days in a row from Saturday, which hasn't happened during April for 11 years. If the mercury climbs above 34.4 degrees on Tuesday, which is possible, it will be the city's hottest day on record this late in the season.

Melbourne should reach the high twenties to low thirties between Sunday and Wednesday. A top of 34.6 degrees or more on any day during the next week would make it the city's hottest day on record so late in the season. Tuesday looks like the best chance at this stage.

Canberra will need to reach 32.7 degrees on any day during the next week to have its hottest day on record this late in the season. The best chance of this looks to be Tuesday or Wednesday next week.

In Sydney, a top of at least 33.2 degrees before Thursday next week would be enough to go down as the city's highest temperature on record this late in the season.

- Weatherzone

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