Christmas for large parts of Australia will be a slightly cooler affair with the heatwave that has marked the start of summer for much of the country making way for rain and thunderstorms.
The rain that settled in over Sydney on Wednesday will persist for another week with showers, humidity and cloudy conditions expected throughout the holiday period.
Temperatures around 27C-28C are forecast for Sydney over Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day, while Melbourne can expect temperatures in the low 20s and possible showers and thunderstorms.
In Brisbane, temperatures are likely to reach the low 30s over the Christmas period, with 33C and a chance of showers on Christmas Day.
To the south, Hobart can expect cooler weather of around 19C-20C. Christmas in Adelaide and southern parts of South Australia will see temperatures in the low 20s, while a hot day is forecast for northern parts of the state.
Dean Narramore, senior meteorologist at the Bureau of Meteorology, said much of eastern Australia and adjacent inland areas were likely to experience showers and afternoon storms throughout the next week.
He said the conditions, a break from the record or near-record heat that has marked the start of summer for many areas, were driven by a near stationary trough over eastern inland Australia and a positive southern annular mode (SAM), which shifts high-pressure systems to the south of Tasmania.
Conditions under a positive SAM are dominated by warm easterly winds off the ocean, which bring cloud, humidity and moisture when they hit land.
“The next week or so will see these daily afternoon showers into the night and morning,” Narramore said.
“We’re kind of stuck in that pattern through to Christmas.
“Mid-next week is when we start to see it shift into a drier, hotter pattern.”
Narramore said if people wanted a sunny and warm Christmas, Perth was the place to head to, where temperatures in the low to mid 30s and lots of sunshine are forecast.
The Top End of the Northern Territory can expect hot conditions and afternoon showers, with Darwin itself forecast to reach about 35C. Temperatures in the high 30s to low 40s are forecast in Alice Springs and further south in the Northern Territory.
El Niño continues in the Pacific, which typically brings drier and hotter conditions in summer for eastern Australia.
