GLOW WITH THE FLOW
Far North tipped to keep sizzling in grip of severe heatwave
A SEVERE heatwave is forecast to keep the Far North sizzling for the next couple of days, with just the chance of another storm offering a break in the weather.
Temperatures climbed as high as 41.5C in Port Douglas and 37.5C on Saturday in Cairns, with little drop-off in overnight heat.
THE Far North’s battle to beat the heat will extend until at least midweek, after a sweltering weekend sent people to the comfort of swimming spots and airconditioning.
Temperatures climbed as high as 41.5C in Port Douglas and 37.5C on Saturday in Cairns, well above the 31.5C average for this time of year.
Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Kimba Wong said the region likely won’t be out of the woods until Wednesday, when maximum temperatures are predicted to drop to the still high but more manageable top of 33C.
“Cairns is in the middle of a severe heatwave, and with high overnight temperatures (as low as 26C overnight on Sunday), there isn’t enough of a recovery period to cool back down,” she said.
“For the last couple of days, there’s been strong westerly winds bringing the heat from inland, without the usual sea breeze from the east to moderate things.”
Woree Sports and Aquatic Centre lifeguard Kenzey Dalglish said the pool was bustling yesterday, with families flocking to beat the heat by having a go on their mega wipeout course.
“We set up a big inflatable wipeout course in the pool for kids to climb on while we splash them with water,” he said.
“It’s a nice fun activity to do at the pool, especially when you’ve got people trying to beat the heat.”
DFO Cairns shopping centre manager Jodie McAndrew said more people have been coming in for some retail therapy, or to have a go on the school holiday ice rink.
“Cairns heat has certainly seen an increase to foot traffic in the centre and the ice skating with customers coming in to get comfortable and use the centres' free activities along with the ice skating,” she said.
“We have one more week to go. Customers will need to get in quick and cool down on the ice or the toboggan before the end of the week.”
The Far North’s tropical humidity has only exacerbated matters, bringing the apparent temperature to a boil.
The apparent temperature recorded on the Bureau of Meteorology is an approximation of what the temperature “feels like” after accounting for humidity, wind speed and other factors.
On Saturday at 2pm, the apparent temperature had climbed to 40.9C when the recorded temperature was 35.9C.
The region’s turbulent conditions extend beyond heatwaves, with heavy rain on the Cape and devastating storms battering the Cassowary Coast.
Ms Wong said storms would likely persist in the Far North until at least this Wednesday.
“The showers and storms are quite seasonable for this time of year, though the storms at Innisfail have been notably windy with not much rainfall,” she said.
“Another factor thrown in the mix is a surface trough on the north tropical coast oriented east-west, which creates a low pressure area which triggers showers and storms.
“The best chance of seeing storm conditions will be over the next two to three days, after which they’re likely to drift further inland.”