Australia hits hottest day EVER – but the weekend is looking much better

Australia has recorded its equal hottest day ever on Thursday as large swathes of the country endure hot, humid and sticky weather.

The town of Onslow, on Western Australia’s northwest coast, reached 50.7C just before 2.30pm on a sweltering day for the Pilbara. 

The previous hottest day ever recorded in Australia of 50.7C was set in the outback South Australian town of Oodnadatta back in 1960.

Across the rest of the country, many have been tossing and turning in bed as high rainfall combined with warmer than average nights have caused high humidity.

Every single Sydney night this year has been significantly warmer than the historical average overnight minimum of 18.8C.

The average overnight minimum in 2022 for the Harbour City is 21.3C with every night bar one breaking the 20C mark. 

The hot weather has seen many flock to the beach in January when there hasn’t been rain (pictured: Bondi in January) 

On Thursday, two other Pilbara locales, Mardie and Roebourne Airport, both hit a scorching 50.5C – just 0.2C lower the Onslow. 

Mardie had been home to WA’s previous heat record when it reached 50.5C in February 1998.

Karratha, also on WA’s northwest coast, reached a sweltering 48.4C to exceed its previous high of 48.2C.

Weatherzone meteorologist Brett Dutschke said the Pilbara region – home to Marble Bar which calls itself ‘Australia’s hottest town’  is even hotter than usual because of warm sea surface temperatures off northern WA.

‘The region is also sunnier than normal given the monsoon (and cyclone) has focused the cloud and rain on Australia’s northeast,’ Mr Dutschke said. 

The scorching heat is expected to somewhat ease in Roebourne and Karratha on Friday, but another 49C day is forecast further down the coast in Onslow.

Onslow Airport (pictured) recorded the equal highest temperature ever in Australia on Thursday

Onslow (pictured) is in the Pilbara region of WA which is also home to the town of Marble Bar which calls itself ‘the hottest town in Australia’

Sydneysiders have enjoyed brief patches of summer beach weather but there has also been lots of rain courtesy of the La Nina weather system (pictured, Bronte on the city’s eastern beaches)

Temperatures were also well into the 40s in parts of the Goldfields and Gascoyne regions, but Perth enjoyed a mild 27C day.

A severe weather warning has meanwhile been issued for people in parts of the far-north Kimberley region, including Kununurra and Wyndham.

The bureau said a deep tropical low was set to move across the border from the Northern Territory, bringing heavy rainfall and possible flash flooding.

Damaging wind gusts up to 100km/h are anticipated from Thursday afternoon.

Saturday could see a shower or two in Sydney but the weather should fine up by Sunday (pictured: Sydney on December 23)

The warm summer weather has seen thousands of people hit the beach over the holiday season (pictured, Bondi in January)

The weekend is looking milder in other parts of the country with possible rain in Sydney on Friday and Saturday but clearing by Sunday and maximum temperatures not exceeding 30C.

Brisbane will be slightly warmer seeing temperatures reaching the low 30s but there will be relief from the rain with fine weather forecast.

Melbourne will be humid on Friday but that will quickly change with the rain clearing and temperatures dropping dramatically on Saturday and staying much lower into next week. 

On the other side of the country, Perth is in for a beautiful weekend of fine weather and summer temperatures in the high 20s and low 30s. 

The warm weather especially at night combined with rain has seen humid, sticky weather for much of the east coast (pictured: Bondi in January)