It’s a bit freakin’ warm around the south-eastern parts of the country right now, with a streak of warm November weather giving a fair chunk of Australian residents a little early taste of summer. But down in Tasmania – the Greatest State of All™ – not only is it warm as balls, it’s a heat wave the likes of which has not been seen in nearly 130 years. Seriously.
Now, before we begin here I’m cutting all your snide clucking off at the pass: Tasmanian heat is *very different*. It’s raw, brutal, and will strip your skin to a horrific beat red at barely more than 21 degrees. You can literally feel it burning you in the middle of summer. It’s a harsh, inhospitable island designed to be miserable in winter and insufferable in summer. That people manage to live there at all means those who do are tough as shit. So when they say it’s a bad heat wave, they fucken well mean it, orrite? TASSIE.
Right. So.
Officials in Hobart have issued health warnings for a heat wave that’ll see six consecutive days with temperatures either at, or above, 25 degrees. That’s a thing that hasn’t been seen in the island state capital for around 130-odd years.
If the temperatures stay high until Thursday, the heat wave record will officially fall.
The high mark has been maintained since this past Saturday, which reached a top of 30 degrees. Following that, Sunday hit 27, as did Monday, with today’s temperature in the city peaking at 28.6 at bang-on midday.
Tomorrow, forecasters are predicting another sunny day of 29 degrees, and a similar one on Thursday, before things start to cool off a little on Friday with a comparatively mild 24.
A high pressure system hovering over the Tasman Sea is to blame for the constant sweaty weather.
And it’s not just Hobart spooning the fan for the next few nights, up in the north Launceston is copping it sweet too. The northern centre forecast is set to reach or exceed 27 degrees every day until at least next Monday.
Pray for your Tassie mates. They are sweet angels and they are melting right now.
