Victorians, Tasmanians and South Australians will swelter through their long weekends, with the Bureau of Meteorology issuing heatwave warnings for the three states.
Melbourne is expecting maximum temperatures of 38C across Saturday, Sunday and Monday. If temperatures do reach 38C, it will be the highest temperature recorded across three consecutive days in March since 1942.
“It’s not temperatures we’ve never seen before, but it’s certainly at the top end of the temperature range that you’d expect to see this time of year,” the BoM senior meteorologist, Angus Hines, said.
Hines said that the risk of fires, such as those seen in western Victoria in the last few weeks, was low due to weaker winds. Nevertheless, high or extreme fire danger ratings were forecast for all Victorian districts apart from East Gippsland over the long weekend, with extreme ratings expected in the North West, North Central and Central districts.
Temperatures in some areas in south-western Victoria, such as Portland and Walkerville, would be 16C higher than average.
The heatwave was caused by a blocking high, a strong, slow-moving pressure system creating a buildup of heat.
Hines cautioned Victorians to be aware that the warmest parts of the day were often in the late afternoon to early evening, rather than when the sun was the highest in the sky.
BoM also issued heatwave warnings for South Australia and Tasmania, with temperatures expected to peak over the long weekend. Maximum temperatures across most of South Australia would range from the high 30s to mid-40s on Saturday.
The South Australian government issued a code red response from 5pm Friday to 9am Tuesday 12 March.
The response would connect South Australians experiencing homelessness with additional support services, including increased shelter options and additional food services over this period.
Adelaide was forecast to reach maximum temperatures of 37C on Friday, 40C on Saturday and 37C on Sunday.
The city will host annual music festival Womadelaide this long weekend, alongside a lineup of other events including Adelaide Fringe festival, the South Australian athletics championships and the Adelaide Cup horse race.
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Womadelaide organisers will place bat bins around the venue to remove bat carcasses from the festival ground. Bats are known to be susceptible to extreme heat.
The South Australian State Emergency Service urged revellers enjoying the festivities to stay cool, hydrated and sun-safe.
“Heatwaves cause more deaths in Australia than any other natural hazard,” the SES chief of staff, Derren Halleday, said.
Halleday warned people to take care around trees, which were more likely to shed large branches when they suffer from heat stress in high temperatures.
Temperatures in Tasmania were expected to soar over the long weekend, with temperatures in Launceston expected to hit the low 30s over the next few days. High fire danger ratings had also been forecast for Tasmania’s central and southern districts.
In good news for Sydneysiders, the city was expected to enjoy relatively cooler temperatures this weekend, with maximum temperatures of 29C forecast for Saturday and Sunday.
