Despite the first day of spring being a little cool and gloomy in Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne, these cities and much of southern Australia are heading for their warmest start to spring in five years, according to weatherzone.com.au.

“During the first week, almost everywhere in the southern Australia will experience its warmest early spring weather in at least five years. Temperatures will be three-to-eight degrees above average, as northerly winds drag heat from the north of the country,” Weatherzone meteorologist Brett Dutschke said.

Perth is heading for its warmest first day of spring in eight years, going for a top of 23 degrees today.

Adelaide should reach 22 degrees today and will then hit the mid twenties tomorrow and Saturday as northerlies kick in. This will make it the warmest start to spring in five years.

Those in Melbourne, Hobart, Canberra and Sydney have a right to be more skeptical, given the cool and gloomy first day of the season. However, all cities can expect the warmest first week of spring since 2006.

Melbourne should reach 20 degrees tomorrow and Saturday. Two 20-degree days this early in spring hasn’t happened in Melbourne since 2006, when it reached 25 on the first two days of the season. In fact, Melbourne is well placed to go well above 20 on Saturday, potentially making it the warmest day since autumn.

Sydney is likely to have an average maximum temperature of 21 degrees by this time next week, making it the warmest first week of spring since 2006. At this stage, the warmest few days will be Sunday to Tuesday, with temperatures nudging the mid twenties.

“The source of the heat is in northern Australia, where a long run of clear skies has allowed it to reach 37 degrees in the last few days, as much as five degrees above average,” Dutschke said.

Last Sunday, Onslow, in northern WA, broke a 100-year August heat record, reaching 35.5 degrees, beating the previous record by one-and-a-half degrees, set in both 1988 and 1982.

“The warm weather won’t last long. A cooler change will move through Perth as early as tomorrow and reach Adelaide, Hobart and Melbourne this weekend. This change will not get to Canberra or Sydney, allowing the warmth to last a little longer.”

“A much stronger winter-like change will plough through all of southeastern Australia later next week, which will cause the temperature to plummet by five to 10 degrees. The wind chill will make it feel even colder, so keep your jumper handy,” Dutschke concluded.

– Weatherzone