Summer-like heat in late winter roasts Australia’s largest city
Temperatures soared into the 30s across Sydney even as the southern hemisphere remains in the winter season
A spell of extraordinary heat spilled over typically temperate parts of Australia this weekend.
Temperatures in the Sydney area soared into the 30s on a late-winter day that would be the seasonal equivalent to early March here in the northern hemisphere.
The summer-like heat combined with high winds to raise an extreme threat for bushfires throughout the region.
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Summer-like heat roasts Australia’s biggest city
An ideal setup for summer-like heat covered portions of southeastern Australia to kick off the weekend.
A strong pressure gradient developed between a low-pressure system off the coast and a centre of high pressure to the west.
Powerful west-northwesterly winds blowing over the region’s Blue Mountains flowed down into the Sydney metropolitan area. Much like a Chinook we’d see on the Prairies, it's likely that this air warmed up as it descended the terrain toward lower elevations.
Temperatures in and around Sydney soared into the 30s on Saturday afternoon, with a high temperature of 32°C recorded at both of the city’s major airports alongside wind gusts of 80-90 km/h.
Hot, dry, and windy conditions are very favourable for wildfires, leading local forecasters to issue fire weather warnings for the region on Saturday. Conditions will improve into Sunday as high temperatures fall back into the 20s and winds subside.
Saturday’s heat was likely a preview of things to come if previous trends hold true. Strong El Niño events tend to bring warmer-than-normal conditions to southeastern Australia during their summer months, which stretch from December to February.
How does it compare to Canada?
Sydney is a coastal city that can experience a large range in temperatures across its metropolitan area. Readings at the main Kingsford Smith Airport have never officially dropped to the freezing mark.
The city records about 15 days per year with temperatures at or above 30°C, while the airport observes about 22 such days each year.
Meanwhile, just a few dozen kilometres inland, the suburbs of Liverpool and Pendrith experience double and even triple as many 30-degree days each year.
Toronto experiences just as many days at or above 30°C as downtown Sydney. But you’d have to travel more than 650 km down to Cincinnati to find as many 30-degree days as you can find in a short drive across the Sydney metro area.
The warmest temperature ever observed at Toronto-Pearson Airport during the first month of meteorological spring was 26.0°C on March 22, 2012.