Melbourne’s heatwave has disrupted the Australian Open tennis for a second time this tournament, as parts of Victoria and South Australia swelter through record-breaking temperatures.
Organisers suspended play on all outside courts at Melbourne Park just before 1.30pm on Tuesday after determining conditions had reached level five on the Open’s heat stress scale.
The roofs of Rod Laver and Margaret Court arenas were closed so the men’s singles could continue.
Melbourne is forecast to reach 45C in the early evening.
That would make it the city’s second-hottest January day on record, behind the 46.4C day before the devastating Black Saturday bushfires of 2009.
A string of Victorian towns have become some of the hottest places on earth as a brutal heatwave pushed inland temperatures towards 50C.
“We have seen some all-time records broken around Walpeup, Hopetoun and Mildura,” Michael Efron of the Bureau of Meteorology said in an afternoon press conference.
“We are seeing a number of those breaking in weather stations that have been around for at least 50, 60 years. So, certainly a significant heatwave event, not just for Victoria, but for south-eastern Australia.”
Mildura had hit 47.5C at around 3pm. Walpeup recorded a top of 48.7C. Mildura had been forecast to hit 49C, which would be the hottest temperature ever recorded in the state.
Efron anticipated further records would be broken throughout the afternoon, particularly in the Mallee region.
Meanwhile, in NSW’s Broken Hill, the mercury had climbed to 46.9C by around 3pm. Extreme heatwave warnings are in place across large parts of NSW, including the Snowy Mountains, south-west slopes and upper western regions.
While Mildura residents were familiar with extreme heat, Mildura mayor Ali Cupper said the forecast was “unheard of”.
“If you’re out in the heat, a couple of degrees can be the difference between life and death,” she said.
The region is set to swelter through multiple days of 40C-plus heat until conditions moderate from Sunday.
Cupper urged locals to put out water for local wildlife, stay indoors when possible, and monitor for the latest weather updates.
While conditions are most extreme in the regions, the slow-moving heatwave has not spared the cities.
After sweltering through its hottest night on record, with the temperature not dipping below 34.1C, Adelaide got off to a scorching start on Tuesday, crossing 41C by 9.30am.
The temperature in the city reached 44.7C on Monday, topping its previous Australia Day heat record from 2006.
A cool change brought some reprieve to the capital shortly after midday and is set to deliver cooler conditions throughout the afternoon and evening.
Severe heatwave warnings are also in place for parts of the Northern Territory, the ACT and Queensland.
Total fire bans in place
Statewide fire bans are in place for Victoria and South Australia as multiple blazes burn out of control amid tinderbox conditions.
In Victoria, a fire in the Otways continues to burn after jumping containment lines on Saturday, threatening the small community of Gellibrand.
There have been unconfirmed reports of property losses within the fire ground.
The weather bureau has warned gusty southwesterly winds will reach Melbourne on Tuesday afternoon, with a risk of dry lightning from thunderstorms.
VicEmergency Colac deputy incident controller Alistair Drayton said the wind change was concerning, with residents in Gellibrand and surrounding areas urged to evacuate.
“The conditions mean the fire could spread quickly and unpredictably,” he said.
‘Extraordinary’ pressure on electricity grid
Electricity demand has jumped as people rush to keep homes and businesses cool, though heatwave states have been assured there’s enough supply to ward off widespread outages.
Evenings are among the toughest times for energy networks as solar generation starts to wind down just as people return home and switch on their air conditioning units.
South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas said demand on the network was “extraordinary” but still off the peaks seen in other times.
“So for as long as that trajectory continues, there’s no suggestion of any risk at this stage,” he told ABC radio.
Victoria’s energy minister, Lily D’Ambrosio, said the state had “quite healthy” electricity supplies.
“Despite the fact that today we’re looking at new records being broken, the market operator is very confident that we have more than sufficient reserves in place to meet our electricity needs today.”
For the latest from SBS News, download our app and subscribe to our newsletter.
