Overview
Melbourne might currently be enjoying a mild start to 2018, with temperatures nearing the mid twenties on January 1 and forecast to stay below 25 degrees until Thursday; however a blast of hot, hot heat awaits come the weekend. Indeed, finding some frosty air-con or a shaded pool is recommended on Saturday, when the city is predicted to swelter through its hottest day since January 2016.
The Bureau of Meteorology is expecting the mercury to hit 41 degrees to start the first weekend of the year, which will be 15 degrees above average according to Weatherzone. The last time Melburnians experienced 40 degree-plus temperatures was two years ago, with a 2016 high of 42.2 degrees. In 2017, the hottest recorded temperature was 38 degrees in January.
Thankfully, the blast of scorching summer warmth will be short-lived. After a 35-degree Friday and a 41-degree Saturday, milder climes are expected to return on Sunday, thanks to a cloudy 20-degree forecast. Phew. That said, the sweat-inducing spell does come hot on the heels of the city's hottest November heatwave in 150 years, so yes, there's a reason you've probably been feeling a little heated over the last few months.
The rest of southeastern Australia will also have a toasty time over the weekend, with Adelaide reaching 42 degrees, Canberra hitting 36 degrees, and Hobart and Sydney making it to 33 degrees. At the top end of the east coast, Brisbanites get off lightly, with a comparatively bearable 3o degrees predicted.
Via Weatherzone. Image: udeyismail via Flickr.