Slap on some sunscreen, because Australia’s oncoming Christmas heatwave is set to make extended family lunches even more uncomfortable.
Australia is bracing for a five-day heatwave, with some southern states expected to reach 40 degrees and above from Boxing Day. It marks the country’s first real heatwave of the summer and promises to make those extended family Christmas lunches even more uncomfortable. In a weather event that not even Glass Animals could prepare for, the heatwave will arrive on the back of a significant mass of hot air, which is currently across Australia’s northwest and will intensify as it reaches southern states next week.
According to the Bureau of Meteorology, South Australia is expected to swelter the most, with the state set to reach the low to mid-40s across much of next week. In NSW, the heat will build in the west on Tuesday (December 27), reaching the high 30s. The hottest day for the state will be Thursday when Sydney hits between the high 20s and low 30s. Tasmania, Victoria and parts of Western Australia are likewise expected to feel the burn over Christmas.
The heatwave is particularly surprising given Australia’s unseasonably chilly start to summer this year. Those conditions, brought on by the relentless La Nina (which seems to have been active for a decade), will return in the new year, with the heat expected to dissipate on New Year’s Eve. “The message to people out and about on Christmas Day and Boxing Day is to stay cool and out of the sun if you can,” BOM spokesperson Jonathan How said. “It’s going to be quite a shock considering how cold it was earlier this month.”
Thankfully, How revealed that the conditions on Christmas Day itself will be quite pleasant across the country, predicting a “perfectly warm and sunny” barometer for most mainland capital cities on December 25. “You really could not have asked for anything better,” How said. After that, La Nina is expected to weaken by mid to late March, just in time for the notoriously outdoorsy season that is autumn. In the meantime, slap on some sunscreen and add Glass Animals to your Christmas playlist (your overbearing aunt will thank you for it).
