Severe heatwave in Australia expected this weekend


Severe heatwave in Australia: Map of Australia with swath going up from southeast to north, indicating location of heatwave.
A severe heatwave in Australia is forecast for the weekend. Image via Australia Bureau of Meteorology.

Even though summer in Australia doesn’t start until next week (with the solstice), millions of Australians are expecting a severe heatwave starting this weekend and into the coming week. The Australian Bureau of Meteorology defines a heatwave as:

… When the maximum and minimum temperatures are unusually hot over 3 days.

In this case, winds from the north have produced a dry, hot air mass, expected to move from the interior to the eastern and southeastern parts of Australia in the coming days. The Australian Bureau of Meteorology says the heatwave is expected to develop from Canberra (Australia’s capital, inland from the country’s southeast coast) up toward Darwin (in Australia’s Northern Territory) as early as Saturday, December 14.

Heatwave warnings are in effect for the Northern Territory, Western Australia, South Australia, Queensland, New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory and Victoria. See the map above.

Heat waves and hot weather have caused more deaths in Australia than any other disaster, according to the Australian Red Cross. When the Australian Bureau of Meteorology uses the term severe heatwave, like what’s expected this weekend into next week, it’s talking about an event that isn’t common at this time of year. Heatwaves pose the most risk to the elderly, children, and those with medical issues. Heatwave tips from the Red Cross here.

Severe heatwave in Australia: Temps

As an example of what to expect, in Australia’s capital of Canberra, the forecast highs are:

Saturday, December 14:  33 degrees Celsius (91.4 degrees Fahrenheit)

Sunday, December 15: 36 degrees Celsius (96.8 degrees Fahrenheit)

Monday, December 16:  39 Celsius (102 degrees Fahrenheit)

See weather forecasts for Canberra here and here.

Heat preparedness

The Australian Bureau of Meteorology as well as the Australian Red Cross encourage residents to prepare for a heatwave before it happens. They suggest speaking to doctors and caregivers to see how heat will impact you, or any medications you may be taking.

The Bureau also stresses to do what you can to stay cool, including purchasing fans, making sure air conditioning is working properly. Here are some tips for seniors (and others) on what to do if your power goes out during a heatwave. Many cities now have established “cooling centers.” Look for one if your power goes out when temperatures are high. The Australian Red Cross also has a number of suggestions on heatwaves and hot weather.

Forecasts from the Bureau of Meteorology suggest the temperature will cool off and become more seasonal by the end of the coming week.

The Sydney Opera House and boats going by.
Sydney. Image via Openverse.

Nighttime temps are important, too

An important factor in heatwave definitions is that unusually hot minimum temperatures are typically included as well.

The body recovers from the heat of the day by cooling off overnight, but if nighttime temperatures stay warm, the body can’t recover as easily. That not only stresses the body out when it should be recovering, but means it isn’t properly prepared for the next day’s heat.

The Bureau of Meteorology uses a metric called the Excess Heat Factor, or EHF, to help organize heatwaves into different levels. The EHF uses not just the average temperatures for the period of the heatwave (at least three days) but also the actual temperatures from the past 30 days. This allows the meteorologists to determine how much stress a person’s body will deal with when the heat sets in.

Bottom line: Heatwave warnings are in effect for the Northern Territory, Western Australia, South Australia, Queensland, New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory and Victoria.

Via Australia Bureau of Meteorology

Australian Red Cross

The post Severe heatwave in Australia expected this weekend first appeared on EarthSky.



from EarthSky https://ift.tt/ZhxQKwz
Severe heatwave in Australia: Map of Australia with swath going up from southeast to north, indicating location of heatwave.
A severe heatwave in Australia is forecast for the weekend. Image via Australia Bureau of Meteorology.

Even though summer in Australia doesn’t start until next week (with the solstice), millions of Australians are expecting a severe heatwave starting this weekend and into the coming week. The Australian Bureau of Meteorology defines a heatwave as:

… When the maximum and minimum temperatures are unusually hot over 3 days.

In this case, winds from the north have produced a dry, hot air mass, expected to move from the interior to the eastern and southeastern parts of Australia in the coming days. The Australian Bureau of Meteorology says the heatwave is expected to develop from Canberra (Australia’s capital, inland from the country’s southeast coast) up toward Darwin (in Australia’s Northern Territory) as early as Saturday, December 14.

Heatwave warnings are in effect for the Northern Territory, Western Australia, South Australia, Queensland, New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory and Victoria. See the map above.

Heat waves and hot weather have caused more deaths in Australia than any other disaster, according to the Australian Red Cross. When the Australian Bureau of Meteorology uses the term severe heatwave, like what’s expected this weekend into next week, it’s talking about an event that isn’t common at this time of year. Heatwaves pose the most risk to the elderly, children, and those with medical issues. Heatwave tips from the Red Cross here.

Severe heatwave in Australia: Temps

As an example of what to expect, in Australia’s capital of Canberra, the forecast highs are:

Saturday, December 14:  33 degrees Celsius (91.4 degrees Fahrenheit)

Sunday, December 15: 36 degrees Celsius (96.8 degrees Fahrenheit)

Monday, December 16:  39 Celsius (102 degrees Fahrenheit)

See weather forecasts for Canberra here and here.

Heat preparedness

The Australian Bureau of Meteorology as well as the Australian Red Cross encourage residents to prepare for a heatwave before it happens. They suggest speaking to doctors and caregivers to see how heat will impact you, or any medications you may be taking.

The Bureau also stresses to do what you can to stay cool, including purchasing fans, making sure air conditioning is working properly. Here are some tips for seniors (and others) on what to do if your power goes out during a heatwave. Many cities now have established “cooling centers.” Look for one if your power goes out when temperatures are high. The Australian Red Cross also has a number of suggestions on heatwaves and hot weather.

Forecasts from the Bureau of Meteorology suggest the temperature will cool off and become more seasonal by the end of the coming week.

The Sydney Opera House and boats going by.
Sydney. Image via Openverse.

Nighttime temps are important, too

An important factor in heatwave definitions is that unusually hot minimum temperatures are typically included as well.

The body recovers from the heat of the day by cooling off overnight, but if nighttime temperatures stay warm, the body can’t recover as easily. That not only stresses the body out when it should be recovering, but means it isn’t properly prepared for the next day’s heat.

The Bureau of Meteorology uses a metric called the Excess Heat Factor, or EHF, to help organize heatwaves into different levels. The EHF uses not just the average temperatures for the period of the heatwave (at least three days) but also the actual temperatures from the past 30 days. This allows the meteorologists to determine how much stress a person’s body will deal with when the heat sets in.

Bottom line: Heatwave warnings are in effect for the Northern Territory, Western Australia, South Australia, Queensland, New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory and Victoria.

Via Australia Bureau of Meteorology

Australian Red Cross

The post Severe heatwave in Australia expected this weekend first appeared on EarthSky.



from EarthSky https://ift.tt/ZhxQKwz

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