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WA city equals its hottest day of 49.3°C

Anthony Sharwood, Monday January 20, 2025 - 18:25 AEDT

The West Australian city of Geraldton has equalled its highest recorded temperature of 49.3°C just after 2 pm (AWST), on a dramatic day of extremes in Western Australia.

The extreme heat came after a morning when the large Pilbara town of Karratha recorded its wettest 24-hour period on record, when almost 300mm of rain was pushed onshore by Severe Tropical Cyclone Sean.

An extreme heat record and a rainfall record in the same state on the same day – is this unusual?

In many cases, two extremes like this occurring 1100km apart would be unrelated. But on this meteorologically manic Monday, it's all part of the same story.

The chart below shows the synoptic situation at sea level in Western Australia today.

Image: Mean sea level pressure (the isobars and temperatures at 850 HPA (a level about 1500m up in the atmosphere) at 8pm, Monday 20 January, 2025.

Winds are swirling clockwise around Severe Tropical Cyclone Sean (shown on the chart as a deep low). As part of the same circulation, scorching hot air is being funnelled from the state's parched interior back towards the west coast.

So the cyclone is one part of a broad-scale pattern which is helping drive heat towards other the southern and central coastline of Western Australia.

Indeed, Monday's scorching heat has tracked all the way to the state's southwest corner, with numerous readings of well over 40°C in the Margaret River district.

As for Perth, the state capital has registered the hottest temperatures of any Australian capital city to date in the 2024/25 summer, with a peak of 43.4°C at the airport and 42°C in the city. Some suburbs have been even hotter.

Sizzling summer weather will persist in Perth throughout the working week, with top temps nudging 40°C.

As for Severe Tropical Cyclone Sean, it is now a Category 4 storm with sustained winds of 165 km/h and gusts to 230 kilometres.

While Sean is expected to stay well out at sea as it tracks in a southwesterly direction, dangerous storm tides and coastal flooding are still a risk. The latest info is here.

- Weatherzone

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WA city equals its hottest day of 49.3°C

18:25 AEDT The West Australian city of Geraldton has equalled its highest recorded temperature of 49.3°C just after 2 pm (AWST), on a dramatic day of extremes in Western Australia.