'Shock' heatwave warning as Aussies to swelter on Boxing Day
Temperatures could reach 40C on Monday in Australia's south.
Aussies are set to enjoy a scorching Boxing Day this year, with those in the south subject to a heatwave warning that could see temperatures hit 40C.
All mainland capitals have a predicted high of no lower than 27C for Monday, with millions of Australians set to soak up the sun once more after popular beaches filled with festive revellers on Christmas Day.
The Bureau of Meteorology has issued Victoria a heatwave warning that will stretch to Tuesday, forecasting temperatures to reach between 35C and 40C across much of the state. Melbourne has a Boxing Day forecast of 32 that could rise to 37 a day later.
“It’s going to be a bit of a shock to the system,” Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster Dean Narramore said in the wake of a colder start to the summer, the Herald Sun reports.
Sydney, after a foggy start that saw ferries cancelled on the harbour, will reach 29C and be mostly sunny.
Canberra will reach 33C, Brisbane and Perth can expect the temperature to climb to 27C while Hobart will be relatively mild at 23C, according to forecasts.
Adelaide will be a sweltering 37C and mostly sunny, and Darwin will be 32C and raining. The state's top temperature will come at Oak Valley in the west, where the mercury could hit a sweltering 43.
⚠️A heatwave warning has been issued with maxima reaching 35-40°C across much of the State between Sunday-Tuesday. Tuesday night into Wednesday is also likely to be very warm with temperatures only dropping to 20-25°C across much of Victoria. https://t.co/Kjb1hLTt3r⚠️ pic.twitter.com/3HqkkWAY19
— Bureau of Meteorology, Victoria (@BOM_Vic) December 24, 2022
The Northern Territory is set for further flooding on Boxing Day as ex-tropical cyclone Ellie dumps rain and lashes the interior including Tennant Creek, Elliott, Ali Curung, Ampilatwatja, Barrow Creek and Renner Springs.
The Bureau of Meteorology warned locally intense, six-hour rainfall totals of up to 200mm could bring dangerous and life-threatening flash flooding to the Barkly district, particularly areas east of Tennant Creek.
Ex-cyclone Ellie could also bring heavy rainfall for part of western Queensland, which may cause localised flash flooding in the Diamantina and Georgina Rivers, Eyre Creek and part of the Simpson Desert.
To the south, communities along the Murray in South Australia are keeping watch with the river expected to have peaked in Renmark and due to peak downstream at Mannum in about two weeks.
Flood levees have been holding amid the deluge, but people in the Bolto shack area were told to shelter in place after damage to a road cut them off on Christmas Day.
The bureau also has a number of flood warnings in place for parts of NSW and Victoria along the Murray River and its tributaries.
With AAP
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