Millions Face Warnings as Autumn Heatwave Sweeps Through the Country

Residents in four states are currently facing extremely hot conditions, with temperatures soaring over a prolonged weekend in various parts of the nation.

South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales (NSW), and Tasmania are bracing for scorching temperatures from March 9 to March 11.

In South Australia, the mercury is anticipated to reach the low 40s degrees Celsius as severe heatwave conditions spread further west of the Eyre Peninsula during the long weekend.

The Bureau of Meteorology has issued warnings for an extended period of heat stretching from Ceduna to Port Lincoln, Adelaide, the Barossa Valley, Naracoorte, and Mount Gambier.

The state government has activated a code red response as of late March 8, providing additional support services for individuals who are homeless.

Adelaide, amidst its busy festival season, has implemented heat management plans for events such as the Fringe Festival, South Australian athletics championship, and the Adelaide Cup horse race.

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Harness and greyhound races have been rescheduled in many cases.

Victoria’s Labor Day long weekend commenced with a total fire ban in five districts on March 9 before potentially hazardous fire conditions are anticipated to ease from March 10 onwards.

The ban covers the Wimmera, west and south Gippsland, central, north central, and southwest regions.

A severe heatwave is sweeping across the southern part of the state, with the bureau warning of widespread impact, including major areas like Melbourne, Ballarat, Horsham, Warrnambool, and Bairnsdale.

On March 9, Melbourne is expected to peak at 39 degrees Celsius, while temperatures could reach 41 degrees Celsius in Warrnambool, Torquay, and Avalon.

The central district of the state is forecasted to hit 41 degrees Celsius, with popular tourism spots along the Murray River expecting 40 degrees Celsius.

In certain areas, the southwest is likely to experience its sixth-highest maximum temperatures on record.

“In the last 100 years, Melbourne has only encountered three successive days of temperatures above 38 degrees Celsius during March,” mentioned Bureau of Meteorology’s senior meteorologist Lincoln Trainor.

Moreover, overnight minimum temperatures are projected to set new records, with Melbourne Olympic Park forecasted to reach a minimum of 25.6 degrees Celsius, its highest in 11 years of operation.

Tasmania is also grappling with extreme and severe heatwave conditions, with warnings issued for a significant portion of the north and northeast regions of the state.

Affected areas include Burnie, Devonport, Launceston, Richmond, Swansea, and Whitemark.

Hobart is likely to experience temperatures of at least 35 degrees Celsius on March 9, with a chance of breaking the minimum March temperature record of 21.1 degrees Celsius on March 10, according to Mr. Trainor.

King Island can expect relief on March 10, although the rest of the state may not experience a reprieve until March 12.

“The heat is expected to subside for Victoria and Tasmania by March 12 as southern winds prevail and the lingering trough over southwestern Victoria moves eastward into the Tasman Sea,” explained Mr. Trainor.

“Warm temperatures will persist in the northern areas of Victoria until March 13 and March 14, gradually returning to the usual March averages.”

Southern New South Wales is also enduring a severe heatwave, with temperatures set to rise into the high 30s degrees Celsius across regions such as Riverina, Lower Western, Upper Western, and South West Slopes.

Conditions are expected to improve by the middle of the following week.