Australian Weather

07 Feb 2025, 1:55AM UTC

Another burst of intense heat will impact Australia’s southern states next week, with unusually high humidity and uncomfortably warm nights adding to the discomfort. This heatwave will likely stretch between Monday and Thursday next week, with the most blistering heat expected across parts of SA and central Australia. The prolonged period of oppressive heat will be generated by a blocking high pressure system over the Tasman Sea, which will direct a hot airmass over the country’s southern states for several days. In the image below you can see hot northwesterly winds ahead of a cool southwesterly change, which will be approaching SA on Wednesday evening. Image: 850hPa wind and temperature forecast for 5pm AEDT on Wednesday, February 12, according to the ECMWF model. The lingering hot airmass will cause the mercury to soar into the high 30s to mid 40s for several days in SA, while Vic and Tas will see the heat peaking around the mid to high 30s. The heat will likely peak in SA on Wednesday ahead of the southerly change, with temperatures soaring into the high 40s. Image: Maximum temperature forecast for Wednesday, February 12, according to ECMWF Australia’s southeastern state capital cities will also feel the punch next week; Adelaide could see its warmest run of days and nights this summer. The city is forecast to see a run of four to five days above 30°C beginning Sunday, with the heat peaking on Tuesday and Wednesday, potentially in the low 40s. Melbourne should see a run of three days in the low to mid 30s from Tuesday, peaking at 35°C on Wednesday. Hobart’s maximum on Thursday could reach 34°C, which would be the second time the city has been this hot this month.   Image: Daily forecasts in the Weatherzone app showing heat building in Adelaide next week. Unusually humid conditions will accompany this heat, with Adelaide and Melbourne’s expected to feel 1 to 2°C warmer than the actual temperature, especially when seabreezes arrive. Warm nights will also chaperone this oppressive run of days, particularly in Adelaide, where overnight temperatures should reach around 10°C above the February average. The temperature in Adelaide shouldn’t drop below 23°C for three consecutive nights from Monday, likely staying warmer than 27°C on Tuesday night. Fortunately, there is relief in sight, with the cooling southerly change expected Wednesday night or Thursday morning in Adelaide, Thursday afternoon or evening in Melbourne and early Friday morning for Hobart. The timing of the change remains uncertain, which could impact the maximum temperature forecast across these states on Wednesday and Thursday, so be sure to keep an eye on the latest forecasts.

06 Feb 2025, 11:04PM UTC

Widespread areas of rain, thunderstorms, freezing rain, and snow will continue to affect parts of the U.S. during the next couple of weeks, under the ongoing influence of La Niña. As noted last week, La Nina has set up to produce a very active weather pattern across the U.S. for the first couple of weeks of February. This dynamic weather has already started playing out, with a storm that has moved through much of the Western U.S., dumping moderate to heavy precipitation in the Pacific Northwest, specifically in northern California. That system continued moving into the Plains on February 5 before cruising eastward with the wintry mix through February 6, then leaving off the East Coast. Image: The first in a series of major storm systems moving through the US with rain and snow on February 5. Source: College of DuPage. The next system will be released through the U.S. in short order, moving into California on Thursday, February 6, then working through the country through the weekend. Like the first storm, this system is forecast to bring rain, thunderstorms, freezing rain, and snow. While rain, thunderstorms and freezing rain could have very similar tracks and amounts across the country to the preceding system, the snowfall will be different. Instead of hitting the Canadian Prairies, this system is likely to bring a band of heavy snow from the Northern Plains through the northern Midwest, Great Lakes, and Northeast. Areas of more than six inches of snow are likely to be found again. Image: The active pattern should bring plenty of chances for accumulating snow across a wide area of the U.S. over the next two weeks. Source: DTN Colder air will push through behind this system, from its current pool in western Canada and the Northern Plains through more of the Central and Southern Plains and Midwest. The coldest temperatures will remain in Northwest, but this deeper penetration of colder air will setup another system or two for next week across the south. Looking further ahead, another burst of atmospheric energy begins to move into the Southern Plains on Monday, February 11, and will move northeast through the Mid-Atlantic by Wednesday, February 12. The same concerns over freezing rain and heavy snow will apply to this system as well, though they will be located a few hundred miles south than the systems this week. That puts the Southern Plains, Ohio Valley, and Mid-Atlantic at more of a risk of the freezing rain and snow, and potential issues. Image: The precipitation forecast from the GFS model shows heavy precipitation over the next two weeks across the West and from the Southern Plains through the Northeast. Source: DTN Another dynamic system is likely to move through around February 14-16, with another the following week, probably around February 18-21. These systems could follow similar tracks to the southern storm, but that is a long way out and models may certainly change with regards to the track, timing, and impacts from these systems.