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Boxing Day Test forecast: 41-degree MCG scorcher

Anthony Sharwood, Monday December 23, 2024 - 16:11 AEDT

With the men's cricket Test series between Australia and India locked at 1-1 going into the Boxing Day Test at the MCG, the action was always going to be hot onfield with just two matches remaining in the five-Test Border-Gavaskar series.

Now the first day will be even hotter, thanks to a sizzling 41-degree day which is set to bake Melbourne this Thursday, December 26.

Melbourne had a cool start to the week with a maximum of just 18.5°C on Monday (and apparent or "feels like" temps that were around four degrees cooler all day).

But Monday's cool southwesterlies will give way to blustery northerlies on Thursday, with the mercury likely to peak at 41°C on Thursday afternoon before a cooler showery change arrives after stumps.

Thursday will be hot right across Victoria, with widespread maximums of 40°C and 41°C, ranging up to 42°C and 43°C at some locations in the Mallee and Wimmera forecast districts in the state’s north and west.

Melbourne's average December maximum is 24.2°C.

Image: Forecast max temps across Victoria on December 26 (Boxing Day) with areas of dark red or pink indicating highs of 40°C or above.

Melbourne is of course famous for its wildly fluctuating weather. Sometimes you get the classic "four seasons in a day" type weather. Other times – like this week – you get what feels like four seasons within the space of a few days.

The good news is that after the uncomfortably hot Boxing Day, Melbourne will settle into a pattern of relatively stable weather with much milder top temps in the mid-to-high twenties forecast for days two to five of the Test.

Weatherzone is a weather service, not a cricket advice site, but we'd be batting on Boxing Day to avoid fielding in the MCG furnace if we won the toss!

- Weatherzone

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Boxing Day Test forecast: 41-degree MCG scorcher

16:11 AEDT With the men's cricket Test series between Australia and India locked at 1-1 going into the Boxing Day Test at the MCG, the action was always going to be hot onfield with just two matches remaining in the five-Test Border-Gavaskar series.