Hobart, like much of southeastern Australia, is having a warm end to winter, in fact it is having its warmest August on record. Days have been a degree warmer than normal, nights three degrees warmer. Nights have even been a degree warmer than the previous record August high of 7.2, set in 2009. Daytime temperatures have been more typical of September and nights more like October. Maximums have been averaging 14.4 degrees and minimums 8.4. Combining the two, the average temperature has been 11.4. The previous August record was set in 1982 when the combined average temperature was 11.3. With only a little cooling between now and the end of the month, Hobart is on target to achieve a record warm August. The city has effectively only had two months of winter and gone straight to spring. Slow-moving high pressure systems over the Tasman Sea have reduced the strength of cold fronts reaching Tasmania. The last two days have been particularly warm, exceeding 20 degrees each day, which is equal to the August record. And it's only the fourth time in 120 years that Hobart has had two consecutive 20-degree days in August. The others were in 1898, 1977 and 2005.