Brisbane is forecast to reach 34C on Saturday, which would make it the hottest September day in the city since 2019, according to the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM). The unseasonably hot conditions have prompted local fire bans in Queensland's Ipswich and Lockyer Valley, while Sydney experiences a reprieve from recent record temperatures with a forecast top of 23C.
Unseasonal heat grips eastern Australia
The BoM warned of unseasonal heat in the low to mid-30s across north-eastern New South Wales and south-east Queensland. By late morning, Brisbane had already recorded 31.6C, and the Ipswich suburb of Amberley reached 35.7C in the early afternoon.
BoM's Steve Hadley noted, "It's a bit of an 'all eyes on the temperatures this afternoon' type [of] thing until that south-easterly change gets in, which is probably about 6 or 7pm tonight."
Fire bans and record temperatures
The Queensland Fire Department issued local fire bans for Ipswich and the Lockyer Valley as the state approaches records for early September heat. Areas from Gladstone to the Gold Coast were likely to fall a few degrees short of breaking the state's highest recorded temperatures for the start of spring.
Queensland experienced its third-warmest winter on record, with temperatures 1.8C above the long-term average. The fire bans in south-east Queensland followed a similar ban for the greater Sydney region, where temperatures climbed to 33C on Saturday.
Cold front and severe weather
BoM meteorologist Jonathan How said a cold front swept across south-eastern Australia over the past 24 hours, bringing damaging winds, rain, and storms. "At the same time, parts of eastern NSW saw their warmest early spring day on record," he added.
A dry cool change is moving up the east coast, bringing milder temperatures from Monday. Western Australia is set for more rain this week, while Tasmania and Victoria can expect showers.
Impact of strong winds
Severe weather warnings were in place for south-eastern Australia over the weekend as damaging winds fuelled hot conditions. Two separate incidents involving jumping castles occurred in NSW and Victoria on Saturday.
In Banksia, Sydney's south, two children were treated for head injuries and transported to hospital, while an infant with minor injuries was also hospitalised. In Mount Duneed, near Geelong, Victoria, two children were hospitalised after a jumping castle was lifted into the air.
Temperatures are expected to drop in the coming days across both NSW and Queensland.
