Australians flock to the beach as country braces for extreme heatwave with 47C temperatuers

Australians flocked to the beach this weekend to soak up the sun after weeks of miserable weather.  

Beaches across Australia’s east coast were packed as the temperature nudged 30C in Sydney and Brisbane with highs of 37C in Adelaide.

The weather is set to take a turn for the worse from Monday, with extreme heatwaves set to sweep across Melbourne, Adelaide and parts of Western Australia for at least three days, with severe fire dangers also expected for Tasmania and Victoria. 

Forecasters at the Bureau of Meteorology predict temperatures will hit the high 30s across Victoria on Monday, rising as high as the low 40s in the state’s northwest. 

Extreme heatwaves will be sweeping over Melbourne, Adelaide and parts of Western Australia for at least three days. Pictured: Mona Vale Beach in Sydney on Sunday

Thousands flooded beaches across Sydney (Bondi) on Sunday to soak up the first real taste of summer weather

Thousands flooded beaches across Sydney (Bondi) on Sunday to soak up the first real taste of summer weather 

Fire danger warnings will be issued for the Mallee, Wimmera and Northern Country districts in Victoria on Monday.

‘The fire agencies will look at that information and make a decision on whether to declare a total fire ban for those areas,’ senior forecaster Domenic Panuccio said on Sunday.

Northerly winds and an outside risk of thunderstorms in Victoria will also push up the risk of fires.  

‘It is a combination of a little bit of wind, very hot conditions, that wind change and relatively dry conditions as well,’ Mr Panuccio said.

‘There could be a couple of spots of shower activity, but only a fraction of a millimetre if anything with those storms.

‘There is a possibility of even seeing a little bit of dry lightning, which is not ideal at all for a fire danger day.’

Victoria, Adelaide and parts of Western Australia are set to swelter through extreme heatwaves from Monday (pictured is national forecast for Tuesday)

Victoria, Adelaide and parts of Western Australia are set to swelter through extreme heatwaves from Monday (pictured is national forecast for Tuesday)

Jonathan How, Bureau of Meteorology forecaster said that this scorching weather will reach its highest on Monday midday in Adelaide and will reach Melbourne only hours later, as told by news.com.au.

‘The temperature spike stems from the northern regions of WA where temperatures have climbed to 45C in the Pilbara,’ Mr How said.

Monday will be the warmest day for Victoria and this weather will not stop for the north and northwest of the state for the upcoming days.

The temperature spike stems from the northern regions of WA where temperatures have climbed to 45C in the Pilbara. Pictured: Cottlesloe Beach, Perth

The temperature spike stems from the northern regions of WA where temperatures have climbed to 45C in the Pilbara. Pictured: Cottlesloe Beach, Perth

According to Mr How, there could potentially be a break from the scorching temperature in Melbourne and Adelaide, but the heat will continue in Pilbara in West Australia.

‘So mid next week, there are going to be places get into the high 40s where it’s getting up to 46, 47 and 48,’ he said.

The northerly winds will push down hot air to Tasmania, lifting maximum temperatures 10 to 15C above the January average.

New Norfolk and Richmond in Tasmania are tipped to experience Monday’s most extreme maximums of 37C, two degrees hotter than Hobart’s forecast maximum.

The fire-friendly conditions are being made more complex by 30 to 40km/h winds and possible afternoon dry thunderstorms over southern Tasmania with little or no rainfall expected.

Meteorologist Luke Johnston expects the conditions to lift fire danger ratings in the South East and Upper Derwent Valley to severe, with the risk still very high for most other parts of Tasmania.

‘That would include the Western district, Central Plateau, the Midlands and the East Coast,’ Mr Johnston said.

There will be a brief reprieve from the sweltering heat for southern Victoria and Tasmania on Tuesday before the mercury climbs again on Wednesday.

However, for the southeast of Australia it ‘looks like a week-long pattern of cooler conditions’ after the heat goes.

‘It will be cooler than average for Victoria, Tasmania and SA into next week,’ Mr How said.

The southeast of Australia is set to return to a week-long pattern of cooler conditions. Pictured: Avalon Beach in Sydney on January 10

The southeast of Australia is set to return to a week-long pattern of cooler conditions. Pictured: Avalon Beach in Sydney on January 10

The hot weather comes as two major weather systems in the south-east, one over South Australia and one over NSW, brought heavy downpours over the Christmas Break to much of Australia.

The unique La Nina weather patterns have continued to cause havoc over Australia as just last week NSW experienced flash flooding and heavy rains in the New Year.

For now, Australians in NSW and Queensland only have this week to soak up the sun as cooler conditions are set to come back.

‘For eastern NSW, into Queensland, there will be showers and thunderstorms developing again later this week with cooler conditions remaining south of Queensland,’ said Mr How.

Last week NSW experienced flash flooding and heavy rains in the New Year as a result of the La Nina weather patterns. Pictured: Park in Wauchope, NSW in the first week of 2021

Last week NSW experienced flash flooding and heavy rains in the New Year as a result of the La Nina weather patterns. Pictured: Park in Wauchope, NSW in the first week of 2021

FIVE DAY WEATHER IN YOUR CITY 

 SYDNEY   

Monday : Min 17. Max 28. Sunny

Tuesday: Min 18. Max 29. Mostly sunny

Wednesday: Min 19. Max 28. Sunny

Thursday: Min 20. Max 29. Partly cloudy

Friday: Min 19. Max 26. Shower or two

MELBOURNE    

Monday : Min 21 Max 37. Hot and mostly sunny

Tuesday: Min 17. Max 23. Cloudy

Wednesday: Min 13. Max 34. Partly cloudy

Thursday: Min 15. Max 21. Cloudy

Friday: Min 13. Max 21. Partly cloudy

CANBERRA 

Monday : Min 14. Max 33. Sunny

Tuesday: Min 16. Max 35. Partly cloudy

Wednesday: Min 16. Max 36. Partly cloudy

Thursday: Min 19. Max 33. Partly cloudy

Friday: Min 15. Max 30. Partly cloudy

DARWIN 

Monday : Min 26 Max 33. Shower or two. Possible storm

Tuesday: Min 26. Max 34. Shower or two. Possible storm

Wednesday: Min 26. Max 33. Shower or two. Possible storm

Thursday: Min 26. Max 33. Showers. Possible storm

Friday: Min 25. Max 32. Showers. Possible storm

 BRISBANE

Monday : Min 20 Max 28. Partly cloudy

Tuesday: Min 20. Max 29. Partly cloudy

Wednesday: Min 20. Max 30. Partly cloudy

Thursday: Min 20. Max 31. Sunny

Friday: Min 21. Max 32. Sunny

ADELAIDE 

Monday : Min 26. Max 37. Partly cloudy

Tuesday: Min 15. Max 32. Mostly sunny

Wednesday: Min 18. Max 27. Partly cloudy

Thursday: Min 13. Max 25. Partly cloudy

Friday: Min 13. Max 23. Showers 

PERTH 

Monday : Min 16. Max 32. Sunny

Tuesday: Min 18. Max 33. Sunny

Wednesday: Min 16. Max 34. Mostly sunny

Thursday: Min 18. Max 35. Mostly sunny

Friday: Min 18. Max 36. Mostly sunny

HOBART 

Monday : Min 14 Max 36. Very hot. Late shower or two

Tuesday: Min 15. Max 21. Possible early shower

Wednesday: Min 12. Max 27. Sunny day. Possible late shower

Thursday: Min 14. Max 21. Partly cloudy

Friday: Min 12. Max 19. Possible shower

Bureau of Meteorology