'Turn off your appliances': Residents warned of blackouts as heat records tumble
Victorians might have to go without dishwashers and other household appliances to take pressure off the power grid as Melbourne prepares for its hottest day in a decade.
Melbourne is facing a top temperature of 44 degrees on Friday, and thousands spent a hot Thursday night without electricity with about 5800 properties affected by blackouts.
A spokesman for Emergency Management Victoria’s control centre said the cause of the outages was under investigation.
The blackouts came after Energy Minister Lily D’Ambrosio urged households to ration their non-essential electricity use.
While “absolutely confident” there was enough energy supply to get through the night, Ms D’Ambrosio suggested turning off dishwashers, kitchen appliances, washing machines and pool pumps.
“What we are asking Victorians to do is just be aware and be mindful that the activities we undertake when we’re home do put that further pressure on our energy system,” she told reporters on Thursday.
The Bureau of Meteorology has revised its Melbourne forecast to 44 degrees for Friday – the hottest maximum temperature since it hit 46.4 on Black Saturday in 2009.
Authorities are urging people not to take risks during the hot weather, including leaving children in cars or swimming at unpatrolled beaches.
A cool change is expected about 3pm, with a temperature drop of 15 in just 20 minutes forecast for Melbourne.
The sharp change will bring gusts of up to 80km/h, thunderstorms and increased fire risk.
On Thursday afternoon the Australian Energy Market Operator called in emergency reserves to get it through peak demand.
Adelaide sets temperature record
A cool change will bring much-needed relief to Adelaide on Friday, after hot weather records tumbled under sweltering conditions across South Australia.
The CBD recorded Australia’s hottest capital city temperature when it reached 46.6 at 3.36pm on Thursday.
The reading was half-a-degree higher than its previous record of 46.1C set in January, 1939.
But the mercury rose even higher across the state, with Port Augusta the hottest at 49.5C and the fourth hottest temperature ever recorded in South Australia.
The town was one of more than 20 locations to experience record-breaking highs, others including Ceduna at 48.6C, Port Pirie and Whaylla at 48.5C.
Almost 30,000 properties were without power in the state after an outage at a substation.
An outrage at Fulham Gardens substation on Thursday evening affected about 15,000 customers, SA Power Networks says, while another 13,000 are experiencing outages likely related to the extreme heat.
Power has been restored to many of these properties as of Friday morning with less than 1000 currently without electricity.
Relief will come for Adelaide in the form of a cool change on Friday, when a maximum of 31 is forecast for Adelaide.
The weather will be cooler over the Australia Day weekend, with a high of 29 expected on Saturday and 28 on Sunday, before rising to 31 in Adelaide on Monday.
Bushfires raging on Tasmania’s west coast
Updated emergency warnings have been issued for bushfires burning on the west coast of Tasmania.
The Tasmania Fire Service says 29 fires are burning out of control as of Friday morning.
The latest areas to be issued emergency warnings include Castle Forbes Bay, Geevston, Port Huon, Cairns Bay and Waterloo. The town of Zeehan is also under threat as a a fire sprung up overnight.
About 66,000 hectares have been burnt with today’s conditions expected to be the worst.
Western Sydney’s scorching Australia Day
Parts of Western Sydney won’t be spared from the heatwave sweeping across southeast Australia.
Saturday in Penrith is set to hit 42 following 38 on Friday, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.
Australia Day in Blacktown is forecast to reach 39, Parramatta 37 and Liverpool 40.
Canberra’s heatwave also continues with 39 forecast for the nation’s capital on Friday and 40 on Saturday.
Long weekend forecast
Sydney
Friday: 29, mostly sunny
Saturday: 33, sunny
Sunday: 32, partly cloudy
Monday: 28, cloud increasing
Brisbane
Friday: 31, possible shower
Saturday: 31, partly cloudy
Sunday: 31, cloud clearing
Monday: 31, mostly sunny
Melbourne
Friday: 44, very hot, windy with an afternoon cool change
Saturday: 27, partly cloudy
Sunday: 23, partly cloudy
Monday: 30, sunny
Perth
Friday: 27, sunny
Saturday: 31, sunny
Sunday: 34, sunny
Monday: 35, sunny
Darwin
Friday: 32, shower or two, possible storm
Saturday: 32, showers with storms likely
Sunday: 33, showers with possible storm
Monday: 33, shower or two with possible storm
Hobart
Friday: 37, very hot and windy
Saturday: 23, partly cloudy
Sunday: 24, partly cloudy
Monday: 29, mostly sunny
Canberra
Friday: 39, hot and mostly sunny
Saturday: 40, hot and possible shower, possible storm
Sunday: 35, shower or two
Monday: 33, possible shower
Adelaide
Friday: 31, partly cloudy
Saturday: 29, partly cloudy
Sunday: 28, cloud clearing
Monday: 31, sunny
With AAP
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