Canberra set to shatter winter record dating back 80 years
Australia's capital city Canberra, renowned for its cool conditions and icy winter chill, is on track to record the warmest maximum temperatures in July since records began in 1939.
According to Weatherzone, though the city had endured "a near-record run of frosty nights", the region's recent mild conditions during daylight hours will see records break.
"As things stand now, counting the max temp on July 25, the running average max for July 2023 is 14.1 degrees," Weatherzone said.
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According to Weatherzone, though the city had endured "a near-record run of frosty nights", the region's recent mild conditions during daylight hours will see records break. Heather/Adobe Stock
"That's 0.4 degrees warmer than the old record of 13.7 in 2019.
"Canberra's average July maximum is 12.7 degrees.
"With less than a week remaining until the end of July and relatively warm north-westerlies buffeting the city on Sunday, there's no end to the unseasonably warm days in sight."
According to forecasts for the next week, the expected average maximum temperature could end up in the mid-14 degree range, which would break the previous record by close to a full degree.
Meanwhile, today's announcement comes as the rest of the nation also enjoy a relatively mild winter, with crisp early mornings and evenings, but relatively warm days, particularly along the east coast where conditions regularly hit the 20 degree mark.
Sydney is in fact in the midst of one of its driest-ever winters on record.
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According to forecasts for the next week, the expected average maximum temperature could end up in the mid-14 degree range, which would break the previous record by close to a full degree. Getty
The start of winter is usually one of the wettest periods of the year in the city but Sydney had recorded just 22.2mm of rain since the start of June.
It makes the start of this winter the driest since 1938 and the third-driest on record since meteorologists started keeping records in 1859.
The lack of rain can be explained by the dominance of dry winds blowing from the west of the city and an absence of rain-bearing winds coming from the ocean to the east.
Meteorologists refer to this phenomenon as a "predominantly negative Southern Annular Mode (SAM) phase".
Adding to that, this season there has been a lack of low-pressure air systems on the east coast of Australia and in the Tasman Sea.
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