Scorcher! Adelaide reaches highest temperature in 130 years
Adelaide is sweltering through its hottest day in 130 years of records, with the mercury reaching a maximum of 46.6 degrees just after 3.30pm.
The temperature beats the city’s 80-year-old previous record of 46.1 set on January 12, 1939.
The West Terrace weather station recorded the historic reading at 3.36pm.
More than 15 heat records have been broken across the state, as temperatures reach the high 40s in many regional areas.
The Bureau of Meteorology said the first record to fall was at Minlaton, on the Yorke Peninsula, where the mercury reached 45.7 just after 11am on Thursday.
The regional centre of Port Lincoln beat its previous record when it reached 47, while Snowtown made history at 47.3 and Parafield at 46.6.
Records were also broken when temperatures rose to 45.6 at Stenhouse Bay and 46.9 at Roseworthy. Minnipa recorded 47.3 and Hindmarsh Island 45.2. Port Augusta reached 49.1 degrees, on Thursday afternoon – the highest in the state.
Closer to the city, Adelaide Airport beat its 2013 record of 44.1 with a high of 44.3, while Noarlunga hit a historic 44.9.
CFS state duty commander Yvette Dowling warned the soaring temperatures will lead to unmanageable bushfire conditions.
“If a fire does start with these forecast weather conditions, we’re not going to be able to control that fire,” she said.
She urged the public to avoid risky behaviour in order to minimise the bushfire threat.
“The communities are at risk, our firefighters are at risk, all emergency services are at risk.”
