HOLD ON T O YOUR HA TS, SUMMER’S HERE

THE first day of summer will duly bring a forecast top of 26C for Hobart but, in true Tassie fashion, it will come with rain and a severe wind warning — and temperatures plunging to 17C on Wednesday. Despite the mixed forecasts, Gabriella Lohrey, 17, and Clare Boyce, 22, of Kingston Beach Surf Life Saving Club, are all set for beach patrols from this weekend.

THE start of summer in Tasmania will bring typical mixed weather including high winds and low temperatures.

The state’s capital is expected to hit 26C on Tuesday before taking a dip in temperature on Wednesday with temperatures only expected to hit 17C.

Launceston will reach 23C with a cooler change on Wednesday with a maximum of 19C. The majority of the state will have maximum temperatures in the high teens and low 20s for the remainder of the week.

But it will be the wind giving Tasmanians grief this week according to Alex Melitsis, severe weather meteorologist.

“Strong and potentially damaging west to north- westerly winds are expected to develop across parts of Tasmania Tuesday evening and continuing into Wednesday morning ( with) winds gusts in excess of 110km/ h are possible during this time,” he said.

Summer also marks the return of surf life saving patrols which begin at beaches across Tasmania this Saturday.

Life savers will be at patrolled beaches on weekends and public holidays though to the end of March.

Kingston Beach Surf Life Saving Club life saving manager Philippa Lohrey said the club had about 80 volunteer life savers.

“There’s a wide range of ages, they can start at 13 with their surf rescue certificate and we have a 70- year- old and all the ages in between,” she said.

This Sunday, Tasmanian beaches will be patrolled by allfemale life saving teams to celebrate 40 years of women in surf life saving.