Climate, Weather and Emergencies

A record breaking heatwave is set to descend across SE NSW later this week. Cooma- where I will be- may reach 37C on three or more consecutive days which has never been done in December in 100 years of record. The NSW coast will be spared some of the heat but humidity and overnight temperatures are set to be uncomfortable.

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Unusual tweet - unfortunately GIF doesn’t display in the forum - click link

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An interesting question below.


Meanwhile, Penrith in Western Sydney is starting 4 consecutive days of 40+ temps from today, with temps set to peak at 45°C on Friday.

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Not as bad as most of the rest of the country, but 32°C is forecast for Townsville every day for the next week.

I’m arriving home tomorrow from 5 weeks in the UK, where I haven’t had anything above about 9°C in that time, so I think it’s goint to be a big shock to the system! Especially with the high humidity that’s forecast

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Which interestingly enough will mark exactly six years since Sydney recorded it’s hottest maximum temperature on record (45.8°C on the 18th of January, 2013)! :open_mouth:

As much as I really hope this doesn’t happen for everyone’s sake, with some of the hot days Penrith has experienced in recent Summers (such as 47 in January last year) I genuinely wonder if they’ll crack the big 5-0 sometime in the next decade or so? :confused:

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Maybe not in Sydney or Melbourne, but I see Tarcoola in SA was forecast to hit 49 degrees this week, though I don’t think it quite got there.

The Australian record is 50.7 in Oodnadatta, SA, and that was quite some years ago now.

I don’t think it will be long before we see 50 degrees again somewhere in the country.

That occurred on 2nd January 1960, which is nearly 60 years ago now.

In more recent years, Mardie in the Pilbara region of WA recorded 50.5°C on 19th February 1998, which is not very far off the aforementioned all-time record.

Meanwhile, here’s an interesting article on where in Australia to move to to escape the worst of the summer heat: Where to move in Australia to escape the summer heat - realestate.com.au

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Obviously it wasn’t measured but I remember one New Year, in the Riverland, it hit 51 degrees under our tree outside. But obviously not an offical recording.

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Straightaway I would have guessed Penrith. Every night on the news at this time of year, it’s always hotter there than anywhere else.

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Yep, the local pool is quite popular among the commercial TV news services for their “Sydney’s hot weather” live crosses and report PTCs!

Interestingly enough, Penrith & the surrounding regions also seems to be the coldest place in Sydney during Winter and the hardest hit during severe storm events.

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But a more difficult question…
Hottest suburbs in other capitals

Brisbane - probably Ipswich?
Perth - maybe around Midlands?
Adelaide - probably around Modbury?
Melbourne - probably around Campbellfield?

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In Sydney, Nine likes to do their weather cross from Nepean River near Penrith so they can show kids jumping in the river.

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Perth would most likely be Ellenbrook (near the Pearce airbase weather station).

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Ipswich and Beudesert - places away from the tempering effect of the ocean are both hotter in summer and colder in winter.

When reporting on hot weather, the go to place is probably the Southbank artificial peach and wading pool.

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Adelaide it’s around Elizabeth or Gawler. Modbury often gets cooler gully winds in evenings (I lived in Modbury for about 6 years). I grew up in Murray Bridge which gets hotter but isn’t really metro.

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Avalon (near Geelong and where the second airport is) tends to have the highest temperatures in the weather reports. Campbellfield and surrounding areas is probably a good shout, I would also say in the west around Melton.

I remember a report from Jane Bunn on Seven News in Melbourne a few years ago about the hottest suburbs, wish I could find it again!

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Coldstream, Viewbank and Wanting are often warmer than Melbourne given they miss the sea breeze from the bay. Can also get much colder nights in the cooler months.

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Penrith endures some of the worst heat in Australia in summer, period. At least the outer suburbs of Melbourne, Adelaide, and Perth don’t usually get tropical humidity with their 40C days. I know someone who has moved to Penrith after living in some pretty toasty places (Mount Isa born, lived in Swan Hill for a while) and she says the heat in Penrith tops them all.

The reason for Penrith’s “unique” heat is its location in a semi- enclosed valley at the foot of the Blue Mountains. I’d imagine Picton would be similar but it’s a little more elevated and cools off a fair bit at night.

Ipswich beats Penrith for heat duration but probably not intensity (Brisbane is a little more shielded from hot continental airmasses).

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Yeah my friend lives in Penrith and I refuse to visit her between November - March.

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