Before conditions ease, extreme heat continued across much of the region. Heatwave warnings remained in force for parts of every state and territory except Tasmania, News.Az reports, citing the Guardian.
Canberra was forecast to reach a high of 41C, while inland areas of New South Wales, including Broken Hill, were expected to exceed 45C.
Temperatures peaked close to 50C on Friday across northern South Australia and western New South Wales. Marree recorded 49.8C, while Andamooka, near Roxby Downs, reached 50C, both setting new records. For Marree, it marked the seventh consecutive day with temperatures above 46C.
Elsewhere, Ceduna climbed above 49C during the week, while temperatures exceeded 48C in Port Augusta, Port Pirie, and Tarcoola.
Forecast maximums for Saturday included 49C at Ivanhoe, 48C at Wilcannia, and 47C at Cobar. In Victoria, Mildura was forecast to reach 45C, while further north Thargomindah in Queensland was expected to hit 46C.
Dean Narramore, a senior meteorologist at the Bureau of Meteorology, said inland parts of south-eastern Australia had endured record-breaking heat throughout the week, with Saturday likely to be the final day of temperatures in the mid to high 40s.
He said widespread rain and storms across tropical northern Australia, driven by a monsoon low, would push cooler air into parts of Victoria and South Australia on Saturday, before sweeping across the remainder of the south-east on Sunday. In some areas, temperatures were expected to drop by as much as 15C.
“Through inland areas, heat will really be the big story once again, where we see another day of temperatures in the mid to high 40s through south-western parts of Queensland,” Narramore said.
“Another very hot day is on the way on Saturday in northern South Australia, but it’ll be much cooler through southern South Australia thanks to those fresh and gusty south to south-easterly winds, with temperatures in the high 20s to low 30s.”
In New South Wales, Narramore said temperatures would again surge into the mid to high 40s in western districts, while cooler conditions were expected along the coast and thunderstorms forecast for the state’s south-east. In Victoria, temperatures were also set to reach the mid-40s in the north-west for the final day of the heatwave, with milder conditions continuing across southern parts of the state.
