Cool break before heat returns

HOBART has cooled off, but more heat is on the way.

While today the city is expecting a top temperature of 20C, there are more hot days forecast next week, with Friday tipped to reach 31C.

Today’s cooler weather follows a hot morning in Hobart yesterday when the temperature hit 31C at 8am.

Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster David Matthews said the temperature dropped as the day progressed, edging back towards the mid-20s.

To 11.15am yesterday hot temperatures were recorded in the northeast, with 36C at Fingal and 35C at St Helens.

Glenorchy pool lifeguard Joseph McMullen, 17, of Bellerive, said he felt the heat early in the day, but was pleased it cooled later in the day.

“I started at 10.30am and it was hot, but as the day progressed it cooled and the afternoon sun came out to make it a pleasant day on the job,” Joseph said.

The Tasmania Fire Service thanked the community for reporting fires and heeding the total fire ban in place on Thursday and yesterday.

Fire service chief officer Chris Arnol said more than 30 vegetation fires were responded to and contained in the 24 hours to 4pm yesterday.

“Staff and volunteers in our fire and land management agencies have worked hard to ensure effective resources were in place by prepositioned fire crews, trucks, machinery, aircraft and incident management teams so fires were responded to quickly”.