What above average temperatures 'befitting of summer' means for millions of Aussies

Millions of Aussies are set to swelter through "heat befitting of summer" this weekend with much of the country experiencing "higher than average" temperatures for this time of year.

As winter draws to a close, making way for warmer weather, some parts of the country are set to soar to as high as 38C, while Sydney and Melbourne will likely reach highs of around 26 degrees — which is pretty unusual for this time of year. And while it might feel like a treat for some, it could be a sign of what's to come.

Weatherzone Meteorologist Corine Brown told Yahoo News Australia, "the temperatures we're seeing are likely to be quite a bit above average". Particularly in and around Central Australia.

"It's due to a stationary high-pressure ridge over Central Australia at the moment. That's basically what's allowing that heat to build up," she explained.

While the east coast in particular won't experience the same "extreme" heat, it's still looking "quite a bit warmer" than we'd normally see at this time of year. "In some parts of Sydney, we're talking about 7 to 9 degrees above average for this time of year," she said.

Australian towns and cities set to soar

The mercury is set to reach a maximum of 26C in Sydney over the weekend, about 5C hotter than at the same time last year, with a 70 per cent chance of up to 3mm of rain. Despite forecasts of up to 8mm of rain on Sunday, Melbourne is also set to smash last year’s temperatures with forecast highs of up to 23C – 4C higher than this time last year.

Further north, Brisbane city will swelter through temperatures of up to 29C, about 4C higher than in 2023, with sunny conditions and winds of between 15-20k/ph

The highest forecast temperatures over the weekend are expected in Oodnadatta, north of Coober Pedy in South Australia, which is forecast to reach a potential high of 39C over the weekend. Fitzroy Crossing in WA is set to reach a sizzling 40 degrees while parts of Queensland and the NT will experience temps of mid to high 30s.

Climate change and El Niño driving warmer temps

While the sudden heatwave might appear to be an indication of the summer ahead, it's not necessarily the case — but it is a sign of global warming. Springtime often brings with it "changeable" weather patterns — switching from warm to cool. In fact, the months ahead we'll likely see "Western Australia and parts of the Southeast having slightly below average temperatures".

"But then we'll start to see more above-average temperatures towards the later part of spring," Brown said.

In terms of what's driving the heat, "there is the background climate change, the background warming influence" she explained. "But we also did have warming from El Niño earlier this year.

"There can be a bit of a lag effect in terms of how those temperatures do react to things like El Niño, and there could be some residual heat still remaining from that. That's probably what we're seeing there".

The warming climate has proven problematic with a worsening trend of extreme heatwaves often putting lives at risk — particularly children's.

"The Bureau forecasts above-normal temperatures because the normal or average conditions are from a few decades ago, and essentially the world has warmed," meteorologist Matthew King previously. "Australia has warmed because of our greenhouse gas emissions, it's almost always warmer than natural temperatures now."

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Cool change to sweep across the country next week

But there is some relief. "There does look to be a bit of a cool change coming through late this week, early next week, as we have another frontal system come through over WA and then make its way slowly east," Brown said. "That will push out a lot of the heat. But for now, we'll see the heat build quite a bit."

While these temperatures are unusually high for this time of year "we should start seeing temperatures head back towards the average" within the week. "Although they'll still be slightly above average for places like Sydney, maybe one to two degrees above average," Brown said.

While it's not exactly unusual, this type of weather pattern is usually seen "more around springtime" and not as early as late August. "Generally speaking, it is a little early," she added.

with NCA Newswire

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