Drew Casper-Richardson, 07 Dec 2012, 11:39 PM UTC
Cool change sweeping through SA
After a hot finish to the working week, parts of South Australia can expect a cooler weekend as a cold change sweeps through the state.
On Friday an approaching cold front and trough drew a very hot air mass into the state. In the northern Pastoral districts the mercury soared up to 41 degrees and those along the coast weren't spared from the heat. Port Lincoln hit 39 and Stenhouse Bay on the Yorke Peninsula hit 38, both a whopping 15 degrees up on the average. For Port Lincoln it was the hottest December day since 2009. Although it was a touch cooler in Adelaide, reaching 36 degrees, the capital sweated through the warmest night since February with a low of 26, 10 above the average.
These high temperatures were accompanied by dry, strong and gusty northerly winds. This lead to extreme fire dangers in some parts yesterday and a Fire Weather Warning is in effect for Saturday.
A trough and cold front will march its way across the state today, giving the south some welcome relief from the heat. Adelaide is expected to reach 29 degrees before the change moves through during the late morning, bringing a cooler afternoon in the mid to low twenties. It will remain hot ahead of the change around the state with temperatures still reaching the mid to high thirties. The north of the state will sweat through another hot day with the mercury passing 40 degrees. Moomba in the Northeast Pastoral is forecast to reach 43.
It will be cooler on Sunday as temperatures drop closer to and even below average, with Adelaide expecting a top of 25. Looking further ahead it will start to heat up again at the start of next week with temperatures reaching into the thirties once again. Wednesday will be the hottest of the days with tops in the mid thirties for Adelaide.
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