'Rare' heat to linger in Australia as temperatures set to near 50C
It's set to be a brutal period for extreme heat across Australia as a large mass of "extremely hot" air will linger over most states until at least next week.
And while the major cities will escape the brunt of the extreme heat, the mercury will surpass 30C on multiple days for millions across the country, including in Adelaide which is expected to exceed the mark six days in a row starting tomorrow. Melbourne will have three starting from Thursday with Saturday set to reach 35C.
Temperatures away from the coast will really heat up in a weather event Weatherzone says is rare.
"Forecast models suggest that temperatures could approach 45C in parts of WA, SA, the NT and Qld from Friday. By Monday next week, some models predict the mercury could nudge 49C in the Simpson Desert region," meteorologist Ben Domensino said.
"While Australiaâs interior is notorious for extreme heat in summer, temperatures nearing 49°C are rare in this area. The highest temperature on record in Queensland is 49.5°C at Birdsville in 1972, while the NTâs record sits at 48.3°C from Finke in 1960."
Check out the below maps that show large swathes of the country will surpass 40C over the next eight days.