Here we go again. Grey nomads in many parts of the country are bracing themselves for another sizzling few days,
The ABC reports that temperatures are forecast to rise across southern Queensland this weekend, peaking on Sunday, and with no reprieve expected until Wednesday. It says the stifling conditions will remain until cooler air behind a strong front moving north from southern parts of the country brings some relief.
Shane Kennedy from the Bureau of Meteorology said the hottest part of the state this weekend would be Birdsville, which is expecting 46.6C today.
“We’re expecting things to remain very hot over the south and south-west over the next coming days,” Mr Kennedy told the ABC.
Ben Fullager, who manages the Birdsville Hotel, has been busy checking on his cool rooms to make sure he is all stocked up.
“The first thing people order when they come in is an ice-cold beer and a glass of cold water, too,” Mr Fullager told the ABC. “We’ve got to make sure our beers are nice and cold for when they come in … people also tend to order salads or cooler, lighter meals.”
Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service Ranger Don Rowlands manages the Munga-Thirri National Park, formerly known as the Simpson Desert National Park.
“It’s all about heeding the advice and making sure travellers understand the dangers of the heat,” he said. “The desert is probably the worst place to be driving in the heat, because the heat of the salt pans is way above what the gauge reads … thankfully, we are closed during the hottest months so we don’t have many travellers coming through at this time.”
The Bureau of Meteorology says that Australia has sweltered through its hottest spring on record. The mean temperature was 24.53C, or 2.03C higher than average. Spring nights were also on average the hottest they have been in more than two decades, with the mean minimum temperature 17.1C or 1.91C above average, surpassing the 1998 record of 1.46C.
