“Warmest start to April on record”
Despite entering our second month of Autumn, the heat is not passing us by any time soon.
On Tuesday, Sky News Meteorologist Tom Saunders said we could be experiencing “the warmest start to April on record”.
Next weekend, Sydney will peak at 30C and Melbourne will experience temperatures of up to 25C. Today, Perth will peak at 32C, which is far warmer than the 25C April average.
In Queensland, despite Cyclone Iris bringing heavy rains and winds, temperatures are above average.
Even though the recent weather in various Australian cities has felt like summer, the fine days are set to continue across the country.
“It was a glorious long weekend that felt more like summer rather than autumn,” said Mr Saunders on Sky News.
“Maximum temperatures in central NSW were 10 degrees above average. Sydney Airport on Monday hit 33C and that was just 3 degrees off the all-time April record.
“Based on forecast for the coming week, it looks like it will be the warmest start to April on record across much of Australia.
Image credit: The Bureau of Meteorology
“In Sydney, the first nine days of April will more than likely have an average maximum of 27.1C, when the average for April is 22.5C so that’s 5C above average.”
Mr Saunders attributes the summer-like weather to high pressure.
“High pressure will dominate the week and these systems will keep the skies clear and more importantly will keep the cold fronts well south of Australia,” Mr Saunders said.
“[Cold fronts] usually bring colder air from the Southern Ocean this time of year and that sees a drop in temperatures across south eastern Australia into the teens.
“But without any significant cold fronts, temperatures will remain well above average.”
The Bureau of Meteorology released its April to June climate outlook last week. The report suggested that now the La Nina system has petered out in the Pacific Ocean, Australia will encounter warmer conditions.
Wetter than average conditions will only be encountered in the far north and extreme south east, such as the eastern coast of Tasmania.
Temperatures that are warmer than average are expected across Tasmania, Victoria, in parts of NSW, South Australia and the south of Western Australia.
Those in central and northern Queensland can expect a milder autumn.