Depending on where they are this festive season, grey nomads will either be finding the weather hot, cold, windy, wet … or just downright dangerous.
The Sydney Morning Herald reports that while Sydney is bracing for near-record December temperatures, there is fire danger in Melbourne and a severe summer storm has continued to wreak havoc in South Australia.
And, over in Perth, travellers and locals alike have been ‘shivering’ through what has been described as an unusually mild start to summer. Perth recorded a top of only 22.7 degrees Celsius on Monday and 22.5C on Tuesday, far lower than the December average of 29.1C.
Oh, and for those still lingering in the Northern Territory, meteorologists are warning of a possible cyclone developing as heavy rainfall continues. A weak low over the Barkly is expected to move north over the next few days as the monsoon trough develops.
For grey nomads, it means only one thing … be ready for anything and everything. The Bureau of Meteorology is predicting temperatures in western Sydney of 42C today, which will fall just short of the hottest December day ever — Richmond recorded 43.7C on December 21, 1994.
The Sydney Morning Herald reports that Sydney city will be slightly more tolerable with temperatures peaking at 37C, which is 5.2C cooler than the record 42.2C day on December 20, 1957.
A bureau spokesman said there would not be much relief in the coming days, with 35C predicted for Friday, while New Year’s Eve will reach 30C.
With the sizzling temperatures, New South Wales Police has issued a ‘heatwave action plan’and urged people to avoid the sun during the hottest part of the day, remain hydrated and limit physical activity. Signs of heat-related illness include: confusion, dizziness, fainting, nausea, vomiting, weakness, headaches and sweating.
Victoria is expecting more high humidity and more winds and thunderstorms … and a high fire danger, although temperatures are expected to drop to 24C by tomorrow.
Meanwhile, in South Australia tens of thousands of homes are apparently still without power, as residents recover from the devastating summer storm that left a path of destruction across parts of the state. At its peak, 125,000 households were without electricity and the State Emergency Service fielded 1600 calls for assistance.
• How is the weather where you are? Comment below
Spent Sept,Oct Nov and Most of Dec in SA. Cold wet and windy with a few storms and hail damage. Could not handle it any more, headed back to NQ. Stanage bay rained for 3 days, Seaforth rained for 4 days. Packed up and we are now back in Townsville. Had a shower the first nite home. Yep weather messed us around but we would do it all again. Our friends now call us the drought busters
Hot and sunny in northern Victoria