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Like a repetitive heartbeat, waves of warm weather are about to wash over us, bringing 40C highs separated by cooler temperatures.
IT MAY not be summer yet but the next five days will see two consecutive spells of scorching mid-January style weather in some major cities as temperatures reach almost 40C.
The big culprit is a groundhog day of weather, as repetitive fronts pick up the dry central Australian air and dump it on the eastern seaboard.
Like a hot heartbeat — or a “heat beat†perhaps — the mercury will pump up to the late 30s in some capitals at the end of the week then momentarily drop before getting even hotter mid next week.
Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Darwin and regional areas of Victoria and NSW can expect to bear the brunt of the double whammy of hot conditions. But a lack of strong winds may lessen fears for further bushfires.
Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Sarah Chadwick said a weather front that was heading east from Western Australia and South Australia was due to reach the east coast on Friday.
In combination with a languishing high pressure system it will crank the temperatures up.
“The hot air sits in the centre of Australia and heats up nicely and then the front comes and blasts us with it,†she told news.com.au.
The Bureau of Meteorology's temperature forecast for Sunday shows 40C plus highs in the centre ready to be dumped on the east coast early next week.Source:Supplied
“That front will move through southern parts of NSW tomorrow (Friday) and eastern and north eastern parts on Saturday. That will see hot north westerly winds moving through NSW and the Sydney area so that’s responsible for hot temperatures in western Sydney.
“The high pressure system we’ve currently got will move off and then we’ll have another high pressure system taking its place and then more warm winds coming ahead of that so the same again on Monday and Tuesday.â€
The heat beat will see Penrith, in Sydney’s west, reach 36C on Friday before dropping to 29C on the weekend and then rising again to 37C on Monday and Tuesday.
Further west in the state a string of 40C days is a possibility.
Sydney city will have an easier time of it, rising to 32C on Friday, mid-20s for the weekend and then 32C on Tuesday.
Adelaide will reach 34C on Thursday, drop back to 25C on Saturday and then climb to 32C on Sunday.
A 30C day in Melbourne on Thursday will give way to highs in the low 20s for the weekend before rocketing up to 35C on Monday. Mildura is predicted to reach 41C on Monday.
A cold front will then slice through Victoria cutting temperatures in half on Tuesday.
Darwin will bounce around 35C all week.
The hot weather could be a harbinger of more bushfires but Ms Chadwick said the coming conditions might yet mitigate the risk.
“Often with the north westerly winds they are usually drier so it’s more of a risk of fire but we’re not expecting the winds to be as strong as last weekend which is some good news.â€
In Brisbane highs will hover around the late 20s, touching 30C, for the next five days with cloudy conditions. Perth will see a max of 28C on a sunny Friday and Saturday while Canberra can expect mixed conditions with 30C highs for the weekend.
The Tasmanian heat beat won’t reach the highs of the mainland but a 29C on Thursday will be repeated on Monday with a weekend in the low 20Cs.
Ms Chadwick said the see sawing scorchers was “a typical spring kind of thing to happen and it’s certainly not the last time we’ll see thatâ€.