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Today, 3:35AM UTC
Australia records first 50°C in four years
Two South Australian locations – Andamooka and Port Augusta – have reached 50°C during the past two days as a gruelling week-long heatwave continues to grip several states. A large pool of extremely hot air has been lingering over southern and southeastern Australia this week thanks to a slow-moving upper-level high pressure system creating a phenomenon known as a ‘heat dome’. A heat dome occurs when hot air gets trapped beneath an upper-level high pressure system and air descending towards the ground makes the near-surface air become even hotter – a process called subsidence warming. When these heat domes last for several days, like we have seen this week, the heat can become extreme. SA outback hits 50°C A weather station at Andamooka, a small town located near Roxby Downs about 600 km to the north of Adelaide, registered a maximum temperature of 50.0°C on Thursday. One day later, Port Augusta also reached 50.0°C shortly before 3pm ACDT. These were both new maximum temperature records at these locations. Prior to this week, 50°C had only officially been recorded in SA on two occasions. These were both in 1960 when Oodnadatta reached 50.7°C on January 2 and 50.3°C on January 3. This week's pair of 50°C maximum temperatures were also the 8th and 9th 50°C on record in Australia. Image: Andamooka, SA reached 50°C on Thursday this week. Source: Weatherzone. Prior to this week, the last time an Australian weather station reached 50°C was in 2022, when Onslow (50.7°C) Roebourne (50.5°C) and Mardie (50.5°C) all surpassed this mark. Other extremely high temperatures this week While Andamooka is the first official weather station to reach 50°C in Australia this week, a lot of other places have hit the high 40s over the past few days. Over the five-day period from Monday to Friday this week, 12 separate weather stations across New South Wales and SA exceeded 49°C. These locations were: 50.0°C at Andamooka, SA on Thursday 50.0°C at Port Augusta, SA on Friday 49.8°C at Marree, SA on Thursday and 49.5°C on Friday 49.7°C at Pooncarie, NSW on Tuesday 49.7°C at Tarcoola, SA on Friday 49.6°C at Renmark, SA on Tuesday 49.6°C at Roxby Downs, SA on Thursday and 49.4°C on Friday 49.5°C at Ceduna, SA on Monday 49.2°C at Borrona Downs, NSW on Wednesday 49.1°C at Fowlers Gap, NSW on Tuesday 49.0°C at Wanaaring, NSW on Tuesday 49.0°C at Woomera, SA on Friday It’s likely that other areas of outback SA and NSW exceeded 50°C this week in between official weather stations. Image: Forecast maximum temperatures over SA on Friday, January 30, 2026, according to the ACCESS-C model. Source: Weatherzone. What makes a temperature official? Measuring temperatures is remarkably easy these days. You can find thermometers in many modern cars, and you can even buy digital weather stations off the shelf at some shops. However, the Bureau of Meteorology has strict guidelines for measuring official temperatures across Australia. The Bureau measures temperatures using a thermometer placed inside a white louvered box called a Stevenson Screen. These boxes are used by most meteorological organisations around the world for international consistency. Image: A Stevenson Screen in Wagga Wagga Airport, NSW. Source: Bidgee / Wikimedia Commons Stevenson screens are typically placed over grass away from objects like buildings and trees that can reflect or absorb heat. The thermometer inside the Stevenson Screen is positioned at 1.2 metres above the ground and the screen is faced towards the south in Australia (so its door opens away from the sun). A Stevenson Screen allows air to circulate inside while sheltering the thermometer from rain and direct sunlight. It is common for non-official thermometers to register higher temperatures compared to official weather stations, particularly when they are exposed to direct sunlight or heat radiating from nearby objects.
29 Jan 2026, 11:35PM UTC
Heatwave to ease this weekend after final searing burst
The prolonged heatwave that has made large parts of southeastern Australia feel like a furnace is finally set to ease off this weekend. Saturday will be the final day of widespread intense heat before cooler southerly winds push the hot air into western Queensland. While Australia’s record temperature of 50.7°C (jointly held by Oodnadatta in SA and Onslow in WA) has not yet been broken, this event has been remarkable for its longevity, its geographical extent, and for the numerous local records that have fallen. A record-breaking week of heat in review On Monday, the coastal South Australian town of Ceduna hit a record 49.5°C. On Tuesday, Victoria sweated through its highest temperature on record with 48.9°C at two locations in the Mallee district, while some Melbourne suburbs topped 45°C. Also that day, the SA Riverland town of Renmark emphatically broke its old heat record with a maximum of 49.6°C, while the New South Wales town of Pooncarie hit 49.7°C – the state’s hottest day since 1939. On Wednesday, NSW again topped 49°C when it reached 49.2°C at the official BoM weather station at Borrona Downs cattle station in the state’s far northwest. The 49-degree threshold had only been passed three times previously in NSW before this week. Meanwhile Wednesday also brought record heat to the snowfields, including the first measured 30-degree day in the Victorian ski village of Falls Creek. On Thursday, the outback South Australian town of Marree hit the highest temperature of this entire event to date, with 49.8°C. That was the equal 7th-hottest temperature ever officially recorded in Australia and the 4th-hottest in SA. This Friday, Marree could again nudge 50°C, as could Port Augusta, almost 400km south. Both towns are officially forecast to reach 49°C. Image: Forecast maximums according to the ECMWF model for South Australia and adjacent areas for Friday, January 30, 2026, with purple and grey shading indicating the hottest temperatures. Source: Weatherzone. By this Friday evening, it's highly likely that temperatures will have topped 49°C in the southeastern states for five consecutive days. Boiling on the Murray Spare a thought for locals in Mildura, the northwest Victorian city on the Murray River which is by far the largest population centre (approx. 35,000) to cop persistent extreme heat this week. Mildura is expecting a high of 46°C this Friday. From last Saturday through to Thursday, its maximums have been: 42.6°C, 41.8°C, 45.1°C, 48.6°C (a record high), 40.4°C, and 43.2°C. In data kept since 1946, Mildura has averaged 2.9 days of 40°C or higher in January, the hottest month. Today’s maximum will make it seven days straight. There was also a run of three days above 44°C earlier this month. Perhaps more than many of the outback observations, Mildura's relentless run of extreme temperatures illustrates the longevity and intensity of this event. READ MORE: What is a 'heat dome' and why is it super-heating Australia? Meanwhile Melbourne’s maximum could drop into the high teens on Sunday, with a top of 19°C forecast for the day of the Australian Open men’s singles final. The women’s singles final on Saturday evening will also be played in relatively mild conditions.
29 Jan 2026, 3:52AM UTC
34°C at night: why this week's heatwave is still dangerous after dark
Temperatures soaring above 49°C in multiple states have been making headlines this week as a prolonged and intense heatwave grips a broad area of southeastern Australia. But while extreme maximum temperatures are a dangerous part of any Australian heatwave, high overnight minimums also have a big impact on people’s health. What is a heatwave? There is no globally accepted definition of a heatwave. The World Meteorological Organization defines a heatwave as “a period where local excess heat accumulates over a sequence of unusually hot days and nights.” The Australian definition uses the average temperatures (minimums and maximums) over a 3-day period combined with observed temperatures over the past 30 days. This approach aims to measure how much of a shock to the body the forecast heat will be relative to the weather experienced over the past few weeks. Australia’s heatwave classification is split into three categories based on intensity: A low-intensity heatwave is a run of warm weather that most people can cope with. These happen each summer. Severe heatwaves may be challenging for vulnerable people, particularly older people with medical conditions. Extreme heatwaves are rare bouts of heat that may cause problems for people who don’t take steps to stay cool, even those who are healthy. Working or exercising outdoors can be dangerous in these heatwaves. Overnight temperatures make recovery harder Hot days are common across Australia during summer. However, when these hot days happen in succession and the nights in between them also stay very warm, it becomes harder to recover from the daytime heat. Warm nights can be dangerous in two main ways: A high overnight minimum temperature means the day starts off at a higher temperature, which may allow more hours of extreme heat during the daytime. Hot nights make it harder for humans and animals to recover from intense daytime heat, which can put stress on the body. Image: Forecast minimum temperatures over Australia on Friday, January 30, 2026. Source: Weatherzone. Days and nights abnormally hot this week Daytime temperatures have been remarkably high in southeastern Australia this week, reaching above 49°C in parts of South Australia and New South Wales and over 48°C in Victoria and Queensland. This extreme daytime heat has been bookended by some exceptionally warm nights too. In SA, Marree registered two consecutive overnight minimum temperatures of 34.2°C on Wednesday and Thursday mornings. These hot nights both followed daytime maximums above 48°C. Adelaide also had a very hot night earlier this week, with the temperature sitting on 36.2°C at midnight on Monday night. This midnight heat was more than 7°C warmer than the city’s average daytime maximum temperature for January. This week’s heatwave will continue to cause maximum and minimum temperatures to stay well above average over parts of NSW, SA, Qld and Vic until at least Saturday. Image: Forecast for Marree, SA showing temperatures staying above 30°C for the next few days and nights. Source: Weatherzone. How to stay safe during a heatwave NSW Health has the following advice to stay safe during a heatwave: If you have air-conditioning that is used for both heating and cooling, make sure it is set to cool. Stock up on food and drinks for your household and pets, and medicines to last the period of forecast hot weather so that you can avoid going out in the hottest part of the day. Fill ice trays in your freezer or put some cool-packs in the refrigerator or freezer. Check in with family and friends who may be more at risk during hot weather to see if there is anything they might need to help them prepare. Consider how changes in weather might impact planned daily activities and exercise routines. Check alerts for roads and transport during extreme weather events and bushfires.