Extreme heatwave forces Melbourne to shut down major tram routes as city braces for three consecutive days above 35C
- Melbourne will reach 36C high with temperatures to exceed 35 on the weekend
- Yarra Trams has cancelled services as a result and replaced them with buses
- Passengers have been advised to plan ahead and allow extra time for journeys
Tram services in Melbourne have been cancelled due to hot weather as scorching conditions are set to hit the city.
Melbourne will reach a high of 36C on Thursday, and temperatures are expected to exceed 35C on Friday and Saturday.
Yarra Trams has cancelled services as a result and replaced them with buses due to the extreme heatwave affecting Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania.
Route 30 between St Vincent’s Plaza and the Etihad Stadium in Docklands will not run and passengers are advised to catch alternate forms of transport.
Three other routes have also been disrupted by cancellations.
Passengers have been advised to plan ahead and allow extra time for journeys around the city.
A ‘blocking high’ on the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand is causing the intense heat.
Anti-clockwise winds are funnelling warm air from the desert into the southern states, news.com.au reported.
The fire danger in South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania is ‘very high’ across all three states and ‘severe’ in some places.
An ‘extreme heatwave’ warning has been issued by the South Australian State Emergency Services for Thursday.
The Bureau of Meteorology has warned a ‘severe intensity’ heatwave will affect Melbourne, Adelaide and parts of Western Australia.
Adelaide is expected to reach a high of 37C on Thursday before hitting a scorching 40C on Friday and Saturday.
Hobart will also feel the heat from Friday after an expected high of 27C on Thursday.
Temperatures of 35C and 37C are forecast for Friday and Saturday in Tasmania.
Perth will have a humid and mostly sunny day on Thursday with cloud and possible fog early in the morning.
Meanwhile in Sydney, a high of 27C is expected with some patchy fog in the city’s west.
Showers are possible in the morning with winds becoming light by the evening.
Brisbane will have showers on Thursday and east to southeasterly winds, reaching a high of 30C.