After unseasonably hot days in Perth this week, cooler temperatures bring relief with more autumn-like weather over the weekend.

Perth sweated through a warm 34 degrees on Wednesday and a scorching 37 degrees on Thursday, seven degrees above the March average. A heat trough off the coast has been lingering for the best part of this week, drawing in hot air from the interior. 

Despite this, Perth is in for a cool weekend with the mercury failing to rise above 24 degrees. On Saturday, a weak cold front is brushing the southwest of Western Australia, bringing the mercury down significantly. Gusty southwesterly winds and mostly cloudy conditions are also helping to feel no warmer than 22 degrees.

This cooler spell will not last very long, though. A ridge of high pressure developing over the south of WA and a heat trough forming over western parts will bring temperatures up again from mid next week, climbing into the high 20s in the back end of the week. Although days with mercury above 30 degrees in April cannot be ruled out in Perth, it is unlikely to have as many consecutive days this warm during the rest of autumn.