If you’re one of the unlucky group of people in Sydney who have had to drag themselves to work this morning after copping little-to-no sleep last night (which by all rights should be about everyone in the NSW capital) you’ve got a historic reason to be tired and grumpy.
Yesterday forecasters were warning Sydneysiders to brace ’emselves for what looked like being the second hottest December night on record. In actuality, the night turned out to be Sydney’s second hottest night ever.
Sydney’s minimum temperature overnight only dropped to a scorching 27.2 degrees at around 6:30am this morning, with the bulk of the night staying well above the 27 degree range. Between sunset at 8:00pm and sunrise at 5:30am, the temperature peaked at 29.2 degrees, according to data collected by the Bureau of Meteorology. At 3:00am, it was still a stifling 28.4.
Not only does this make it the hottest December night on record, exceeding the previous mark of 26.3 degrees set nearly 150 years ago in 1868, but it’s Sydney’s second hottest night ever recorded.
The only time the minimum temperature has been higher overnight was in February of 2011, when the mercury didn’t dip below 27.6.
The daylight is certainly bringing no relief either, with the temperature soaring back up past 32.4 degrees at 9:00am this morning.
Yesterday was also the first time since 1965 that Melbourne, Canberra, Sydney, and Brisbane all had maximum daytime temperatures above 33 degrees.
There is some relief on the way, however. The cool change already being experienced by Melbourne (we’re wearing long pants to work down here today, fer pete’s sake) is scheduled to blow through Sydney later today, after the temperature peaks at a forecast 38-39 degrees.
But until then, try and stay cool, pals. Or at the very least try and keep it… smooth.
Source: 9News.com.au.
