Victoria bakes in unprecedented heatwave

January 30, 2011 – “Melbourne is preparing for a scorching day, with the weather bureau forecasting the first day of 40 degree weather for the year. It is expected to be even hotter in the north-west with 42 degrees expected in Mildura and Swan Hill, where many residents are continuing preparations for a peak in floodwaters. Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster Dean Stewart says a cool change should sweep through Melbourne at around 6:00pm or 7:00pm. “There will be southerly winds, initially fairly gusty, but they should settle down and temperatures by around eight o’clock this evening should be around 25 to 30 degrees,” he said. He says an unprecedented heatwave in Central Australia has contributed to today’s extreme forecast for the state. “With a high pressure system in the Tasman Sea we’re likely to see the northerly winds develop over south-east Australia and bring some of that very hot air from the inland down over Victoria,” he said.”We’re expecting a lot of centres to get over the 40 degree mark, even as high as 42 up in the north-west of the state.”  –ABC News.net