A spring heatwave that left large parts of SA, NSW and Victoria baking in maximum temperatures 10C to 15C above the September average has moved north.
Total fire bans that were in effect over parts of NSW are now in place in parts of Queensland as doctors warn residents to remain safe from heatstroke.
‘A cool change has reached Sydney thanks to southerly winds but Queensland will be very hot on Thursday,’ Weatherzone meteorologist Jess Miskelly told Daily Mail Australia.
Sydney had temperatures in the low to mid 30s yesterday but the mercury has dropped overnight with maximum temperatures in the low 20s forecast for the next few days.
‘The hottest place in Sydney yesterday was around the airport at 35.7C but all over the city we’re seeing about an 11C drop in temperature,’ Ms Miskelly said.
The heatwave that affected NSW over the last week is set to move into Queensland on Thursday with doctors warning residents to remain safe from the heat
Those in Brisbane on Thursday headed into Southbank to cool off in the heat
Sydneysiders flocked to Bondi over the weekend (pictured) as temperatures soared to 10C above the Spring average
The cool change will eventually hit Queensland as well but until then doctors have reminded locals that the heat can be dangerous.
‘We do get patient walk-ins with mild signs of heatstroke, which can be catastrophic. Heatstroke is not to be taken lightly,’ Gold Coast doctor Jane Wehipeihana told The Courier Mail.
‘You stop sweating, your body temperature goes really high, your skin is dry and flush and you can have nausea and muscle spasms.
‘You can get irritable, delirious and suffer seizures.
The west of the state will see the hottest temperatures with Mt Isa, Julia Creek, Longreach and Doomadgee approaching maximums of 40C.
Brisbane is set to see the mercury rise to the mid 30s on Thursday.
Brisbane’s Southbank, the only beach within the city, was packed as the city sweltered through temperatures in the mid to high 30s
Sydney’s beaches were even more packed out over the weekend as locals tried to cool off
Australia has recorded one of the warmest winters on record and the Spring average is also looking high
‘The cool change should reach up there by tonight and it will cool down a bit over the weekend with highs in the low 20s,’ Ms Miskelly said.
‘Showers should also hit the NSW coast this afternoon which will affect Sydney and they might make it further north over the weekend.’
‘There will be a cloudy couple of mornings and frost around Canberra as it will get to freezing overnight.’
‘And in Adelaide and Melbourne it will be cool for the next few of days though Adelaide might warm up into the high 20s over the weekend.’
But Ms Miskelly said the cool change over the weekend might be brief with Spring forecast to be a scorcher after the country already recorded one of the hottest winters on record.
‘The seasonal forecast in general is way above average so the chances there will be further heatwaves is likely.’
The Bureau of Meteorology on Tuesday officially declared an El Nino weather event, which brings widespread hot, dry weather and increases the risk of heat exhaustion and bushfires.
Older people, babies, children, pregnant and breastfeeding women, along with people with medical conditions and those who are unwell are should take care in hot weather and stay out of the heat.
Total fire bans were in place over parts of NSW on Tuesday and Wednesday and will be in effect over parts of Queensland on Thursday
The temperatures should cool down and remain mild for the weekend over most of the country
The cool change should reach Brisbane by Thursday night and the weekend should be mild
There are fire bans in place for parts of Queensland with hot westerly winds picking up on Thursday
Queensland’s fire chief said on Wednesday the fire season had started early as parts of the country were ‘progressively drying out’.
‘We will see on Thursday many areas will be in the high and some areas in the extreme fire danger rating,’ Queensland Fire and Emergency Services Commissioner Greg Leach told reporters.
He said authorities were yet to decide on total fire bans.
‘It’ll depend really what the weather conditions are on Thursday,’ Mr Leach said.
High temperatures and lots of dry vegetation were factors but ‘a lot of these fires we’re seeing at the moment are wind-driven fires’.
Speaking on Tuesday before the Bureau of Meteorology formally declared an El Nino event, Mr Leach said the decision would not affect Queensland’s bushfire preparation.
The commissioner and Emergency Services Minister Mark Ryan also said they were confident the state had enough volunteer firefighters following reports that thousands of volunteers had quit the state’s Rural Fire Service in recent years.
Spring is set to be warmer than average and summer could be a scorcher this year
The Bureau of Meteorology has declared an El Nino for this summer which brings hot and dry weather over large parts of the country
Mr Leach said the Rural Fire Service had 26,500 volunteers, which was down from 35,000 five years ago, but this was due to a ‘significant refresh of our data’.
The smaller figure came after a review uncovered a number of volunteers who were no longer active with their brigades, had moved away or died.
He said the 26,500 was ‘a more accurate reflection of our operational strength’ and he and Mr Ryan were confident that was enough for what is expected to be a challenging season.
Mr Ryan also pointed to the higher number of hazard reduction burns carried out this year by the QFES and the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service.
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