Your FINAL Christmas Day weather forecast is here as the mercury is set to hit 43C in parts of Australia as another state cops heavy thunderstorms – so will the rain ruin your big day?
- Western Australia to see an extreme heatwave with hottest Xmas ever predicted
- Sydney and Canberra will reach up to 30C on Saturday with small chance of rain
- Top End is bracing for fierce tropical cyclone with wild conditions forecasted
- Queensland could also see a wet Christmas while Melbourne will be dry and 21C
Australia’s west coast is bracing for a scorching hot Christmas Day – but the east coast could see their December 25 celebrations interrupted by downpours.
Sydneysiders will enjoy their Christmas lunches free of rain, with temperatures to hit 30C on Saturday and a small chance of showers in the late afternoon.
The east coast will be relatively dry on Saturday but Queenslanders could see a rain shower – with severe thunderstorms forecast for central parts of the state.
Perth is on track to sweat through its hottest Christmas on record with the mercury forecast to hit 43C on Saturday, 44C on Boxing Day and 40C on Monday.
The Bureau of Meteorology has warned of ‘severe to extreme heatwave’ conditions over the weekend for a 1,100km-wide region from Shark Bay in WA’s Gascoyne region to Walpole in the south of the state.
Many Australians are in for a scorching hot Christmas Day with Western Australia set to sweat through an ‘extreme heatwave’ while the east coast will also see some sunshine (pictured in Sydney)
Temperatures are forecast to be up to 15C higher than average for December.
Along with the heatwave, those living in the Top End have been told to brace for a tropical cyclone on Boxing Day, with windy and wet conditions to lash the Northern Territory on Saturday.
A monsoon trough and a tropical low are brewing north of the Tiwi Islands in the Arafura Sea and are expected to head south towards the Northern Territory by Saturday and extend across the territory on Sunday.
Darwin could be lashed by up to 100mm of rain per day as the wet season gets underway.
The heavy rain is expected to bring cooler temperatures, with Darwin tipped for a maximum of 31C on Christmas Day.
The bureau says there is a 20 to 50 per cent chance the tropical low will strengthen into a cyclone on Sunday as it heads south.
Communities from Point Stuart to Kalumburu in Western Australia, including Darwin have been told to remain alert.
The Bureau of Meteorology has warned of ‘severe to extreme heatwave’ conditions over the weekend in WA from Shark Bay in the Gascoyne region down to Walpole in the south with temperatures up to 15C higher than average for December
A Weatherzone map shows one modelling scenario for the tropical low developing in the Timor Sea, which could form into a tropical cyclone in the Top End over the weekend
While Sydney is expected to remain dry on Saturday, north-eastern parts of NSW are likely to see rain and thunderstorms develop.
Boxing Day will see most of the state drenched in rain with Sydney having a high chance of storms on Sunday evening with the miserable weather to last into next week.
Melbourne will see a partly cloudy and cool Christmas with temperatures to hit a maximum of 21C.
Parts of central Queensland will be lashed with rain and severe thunderstorms on Christmas
Perth is in for a heatwave, with the Christmas Eve temperature of 35C rising to 43C on Christmas Day. Pictured: People walking along Cottesloe Beach in Perth
Brisbane will be hot but wet over the weekend with rain set to lash the Queensland capital for the next week straight.
Residents in Adelaide are in for a glorious weekend with sunny and warm weather to continue into next week.
The South Australian capital will see a maximum of 27C on Christmas.
Canberra will welcome the sunshine on Saturday with 30C forecast but thunderstorms are possible in the afternoon.
Tasmanians will see a chilly festive weekend with temperatures to hit a maximum of 21C on Christmas and 17C on Boxing Day.