Australia is currently experiencing one of its hottest summers on record, with temperatures soaring well above average across the nation, reaching a sweltering 49.4C in the tourist town of Birdsville, Queensland. Heatwave conditions have swept across central and eastern Australia, with temperatures about 6C to 12C higher than normal.
The Bureau of Meteorology has issued warnings for all five states due to locally extreme heatwaves in some areas of far southwest Queensland. Widespread temperatures above 40C have been reported in inland and eastern parts of the country, with some areas reaching close to 50C. According to senior meteorologist Gabrielle Woodhouse, these temperatures have not been observed in several years.
Sydney hit 35C, with temperatures in the high 30s along the NSW coast, while Newcastle and towns across the Hunter region experienced temperatures reaching 40C and above. Further west, Moomba recorded 48C, Smithville 47.5C, Tibooburra 46C, and Bourke 44C. Inland areas of Southern Australia and southwest Queensland also sweltered in temperatures in the mid to high 40s.
The severe heat impacted the Country Music Festival in Tamworth, with temperatures reaching 37C ahead of the event. In the outback town of Marree, temperatures climbed to 48.3C, while towns further northwest also experienced scorching temperatures. Birdsville hit 49.4C, and Bareera not too far behind at 46.3C.
While the heat is set to continue, a cool change is expected to bring relief later in the day on Jan. 26, with cooler weather forecasted for almost all areas for the weekend.