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29 Jan 2026, 11:35PM UTC
Heatwave to ease this weekend after final searing burst
The prolonged heatwave that has made large parts of southeastern Australia feel like a furnace is finally set to ease off this weekend. Saturday will be the final day of widespread intense heat before cooler southerly winds push the hot air into western Queensland. While Australia’s record temperature of 50.7°C (jointly held by Oodnadatta in SA and Onslow in WA) has not yet been broken, this event has been remarkable for its longevity, its geographical extent, and for the numerous local records that have fallen. A record-breaking week of heat in review On Monday, the coastal South Australian town of Ceduna hit a record 49.5°C. On Tuesday, Victoria sweated through its highest temperature on record with 48.9°C at two locations in the Mallee district, while some Melbourne suburbs topped 45°C. Also that day, the SA Riverland town of Renmark emphatically broke its old heat record with a maximum of 49.6°C, while the New South Wales town of Pooncarie hit 49.7°C – the state’s hottest day since 1939. On Wednesday, NSW again topped 49°C when it reached 49.2°C at the official BoM weather station at Borrona Downs cattle station in the state’s far northwest. The 49-degree threshold had only been passed three times previously in NSW before this week. Meanwhile Wednesday also brought record heat to the snowfields, including the first measured 30-degree day in the Victorian ski village of Falls Creek. On Thursday, the outback South Australian town of Marree hit the highest temperature of this entire event to date, with 49.8°C. That was the equal 7th-hottest temperature ever officially recorded in Australia and the 4th-hottest in SA. This Friday, Marree could again nudge 50°C, as could Port Augusta, almost 400km south. Both towns are officially forecast to reach 49°C. Image: Forecast maximums according to the ECMWF model for South Australia and adjacent areas for Friday, January 30, 2026, with purple and grey shading indicating the hottest temperatures. Source: Weatherzone. By this Friday evening, it's highly likely that temperatures will have topped 49°C in the southeastern states for five consecutive days. Boiling on the Murray Spare a thought for locals in Mildura, the northwest Victorian city on the Murray River which is by far the largest population centre (approx. 35,000) to cop persistent extreme heat this week. Mildura is expecting a high of 46°C this Friday. From last Saturday through to Thursday, its maximums have been: 42.6°C, 41.8°C, 45.1°C, 48.6°C (a record high), 40.4°C, and 43.2°C. In data kept since 1946, Mildura has averaged 2.9 days of 40°C or higher in January, the hottest month. Today’s maximum will make it seven days straight. There was also a run of three days above 44°C earlier this month. Perhaps more than many of the outback observations, Mildura's relentless run of extreme temperatures illustrates the longevity and intensity of this event. READ MORE: What is a 'heat dome' and why is it super-heating Australia? Meanwhile Melbourne’s maximum could drop into the high teens on Sunday, with a top of 19°C forecast for the day of the Australian Open men’s singles final. The women’s singles final on Saturday evening will also be played in relatively mild conditions.
29 Jan 2026, 3:52AM UTC
34°C at night: why this week's heatwave is still dangerous after dark
Temperatures soaring above 49°C in multiple states have been making headlines this week as a prolonged and intense heatwave grips a broad area of southeastern Australia. But while extreme maximum temperatures are a dangerous part of any Australian heatwave, high overnight minimums also have a big impact on people’s health. What is a heatwave? There is no globally accepted definition of a heatwave. The World Meteorological Organization defines a heatwave as “a period where local excess heat accumulates over a sequence of unusually hot days and nights.” The Australian definition uses the average temperatures (minimums and maximums) over a 3-day period combined with observed temperatures over the past 30 days. This approach aims to measure how much of a shock to the body the forecast heat will be relative to the weather experienced over the past few weeks. Australia’s heatwave classification is split into three categories based on intensity: A low-intensity heatwave is a run of warm weather that most people can cope with. These happen each summer. Severe heatwaves may be challenging for vulnerable people, particularly older people with medical conditions. Extreme heatwaves are rare bouts of heat that may cause problems for people who don’t take steps to stay cool, even those who are healthy. Working or exercising outdoors can be dangerous in these heatwaves. Overnight temperatures make recovery harder Hot days are common across Australia during summer. However, when these hot days happen in succession and the nights in between them also stay very warm, it becomes harder to recover from the daytime heat. Warm nights can be dangerous in two main ways: A high overnight minimum temperature means the day starts off at a higher temperature, which may allow more hours of extreme heat during the daytime. Hot nights make it harder for humans and animals to recover from intense daytime heat, which can put stress on the body. Image: Forecast minimum temperatures over Australia on Friday, January 30, 2026. Source: Weatherzone. Days and nights abnormally hot this week Daytime temperatures have been remarkably high in southeastern Australia this week, reaching above 49°C in parts of South Australia and New South Wales and over 48°C in Victoria and Queensland. This extreme daytime heat has been bookended by some exceptionally warm nights too. In SA, Marree registered two consecutive overnight minimum temperatures of 34.2°C on Wednesday and Thursday mornings. These hot nights both followed daytime maximums above 48°C. Adelaide also had a very hot night earlier this week, with the temperature sitting on 36.2°C at midnight on Monday night. This midnight heat was more than 7°C warmer than the city’s average daytime maximum temperature for January. This week’s heatwave will continue to cause maximum and minimum temperatures to stay well above average over parts of NSW, SA, Qld and Vic until at least Saturday. Image: Forecast for Marree, SA showing temperatures staying above 30°C for the next few days and nights. Source: Weatherzone. How to stay safe during a heatwave NSW Health has the following advice to stay safe during a heatwave: If you have air-conditioning that is used for both heating and cooling, make sure it is set to cool. Stock up on food and drinks for your household and pets, and medicines to last the period of forecast hot weather so that you can avoid going out in the hottest part of the day. Fill ice trays in your freezer or put some cool-packs in the refrigerator or freezer. Check in with family and friends who may be more at risk during hot weather to see if there is anything they might need to help them prepare. Consider how changes in weather might impact planned daily activities and exercise routines. Check alerts for roads and transport during extreme weather events and bushfires.
28 Jan 2026, 11:41PM UTC
After bone-dry January, Adelaide faces low summer rainfall record
Adelaide has had no rain this January, with the city facing the strong likelihood of the first dry January since 2019 and just the eighth on record, in data going back to 1839. It has also been an exceptionally hot month in Adelaide, with minimum temperatures running at 1°C above the long-term average and maximums 3.6°C above average as of this Thursday, January 29. And there’s more heat coming with forecast maximums of 37°C for this Thursday and 41°C for Friday. With little if any rain on the horizon to close out January, or for the first few days of February, it’s possible that this could be Adelaide’s driest summer on record. Adelaide's driest summer was 1905/06 with just 4mm in total. This year, just 2.8mm fell in December, so after a rainless January to date, 2.8mm is the city’s running tally for the 2025/26 summer. Dry Adelaide weather continues recent trend December, January, February and March are Adelaide’s four driest months on average, so it’s not unusual to see parched parks and paddocks in and around the SA capital at this time of year. But this summer has still been considerably drier than usual so far, and it’s the continuation of a dry trend that was evident for much of 2024 and 2025. Image: Australian rainfall deciles in 2025. Source: BoM. The graph above shows rainfall deficiencies across Australia in 2025. As you can see, Adelaide is in the pink zone, indicating below-average rainfall. In 2025, Adelaide received 423.8mm of rainfall, which was about 80% of its long-term annual average of 525.2mm. In 2024, Adelaide received just 346.6mm, which was around 66% of its long-term annual average. The two consecutive years of rainfall deficiencies in 2024 and 2025 are reflected in the next graph (below) which shows that some areas adjacent to the city had their lowest 24-month rainfall on record. Image: Australian rainfall deciles in the period from January 2024 to December 2025. Source: BoM. Meanwhile, hot dry weather persists across South Australia this Thursday, with two more days of extreme heat on the cards for the state’s north and east. The mercury could even nudge 50°C this Thursday in places like Marree in the North East Pastoral forecast district. Down south, a few showers are showing on the radar, skidding quickly across the Eyre and Yorke peninsulas, Kangaroo Island, and parts of the southeast. But no rainfall was officially recorded in the first hour of the meteorological day to 10am (ACDT).