Hot nights expected in southern states as heatwave sweeps east | Australia weather

A heatwave marked by high humidity and hot nights will hit southern Australia next week as heat that baked western parts of the country moves east.

The period of intense heat for southern and central Australia is forecast to begin from Monday and last until Thursday, with South Australia, southern parts of the Northern Territory and far western parts of Queensland bearing the brunt.

Melbourne and Hobart are also expected to experience a run of unusually hot weather.

It follows a continuation of low-intensity heatwave conditions across much of Western Australia over the weekend, which included a more intense severe heatwave for a coastal and inland stretch between Broome and Perth.

The focus of heat is likely to shift east.

A blocking high pressure system over the Tasman sea will generate a “prolonged period of oppressive heat”, according to Weatherzone, which it says “will direct a hot airmass” over southern states for several days.

The system will cause a hot airmass to linger over central Australia. Temperatures from the high 30s into the mid 40s will last for several days in SA.

Adelaide could experience its warmest run of days and nights of summer so far, with forecasts of four to five days above 30C from Sunday.

The average temperatures at night in Adelaide aren’t expected to drop below 23C for three consecutive nights from Monday. On Tuesday night, a minimum of 27C is forecast.

Meanwhile, Victoria and Tasmania’s temperatures will peak at around the mid to high 30s.

Melbourne is expected to swelter through three days in the low to mid 30s from Tuesday, while Hobart could reach 34C on Thursday. If that happens, it will be the second time the city has reached that temperature in February.

Unusually humid conditions will make temperatures feel warmer.

Humidity in Adelaide and Melbourne could make the apparent or “feels like” temperatures up to 2C warmer than the mercury reading.

A cool south-westerly change will only begin approaching SA on Wednesday evening or Thursday morning, Weatherzone predicts. Relief is tipped to sweep Melbourne by late Thursday.

The cool change is forecast to hit Hobart by Friday.