The Australian Bureau of Meteorology has issued a warning of an impending spring heat wave engulfing much of southeastern Australia, including Sydney. This heat wave is predicted to intensify today, September 18, with temperatures soaring to a scorching 16 degrees Celsius above the September average.
Reports indicate that Australia is currently facing a heat wave that originated in the rural interior areas of the country over the past weekend. This unseasonable heat is projected to persist until Wednesday, affecting South Australia, Victoria, and New South Wales.
The Bureau of Meteorology anticipates that temperatures will break early spring records in numerous regions in the coming days. Such high temperatures in September are considered highly unusual.
The elevated temperatures have already impacted participants in the Sydney Marathon, leading to 26 individuals being transported to hospitals, with around 40 others receiving treatment for heat exhaustion from emergency services.
According to the Meteorological Office, Sydney’s western areas are expected to reach a scorching 36 degrees Celsius today, before experiencing a drop to around 22 degrees Celsius by Thursday, September 21.
Heat waves inherently elevate the risk of wildfires, prompting authorities to raise the wildfire danger level to “high” in many regions. Residents are being urged to prepare for potential wildfires. In New South Wales, approximately 50 bushfires or forest fires have been reported, all of which are currently under control.
This year, Australia is poised to experience an unseasonably warm spring and summer, with the possibility of an intensifying El Niño phenomenon. Weather experts have indicated that Australia should expect such weather conditions to persist from September through November.