Melburnians recently sweltered through three days of oppressively hot days, hitting 40 degrees in the peak of the heat. After that long stint of feeling hot and bothered, the cool change finally provided some much-needed relief. If you felt like the heatwave was especially boiling for a typical Melbourne summer, you were spot on. It turns out that it actually broke a weather record as the hottest three-day period in a decade. So no, you weren't being dramatic when you felt like you were legitimately melting.
The last time Melbourne recorded a similarly scorching heatwave was back in February 2014. We'd be fine with waiting another ten years for it to happen again. The temperature began to soar on Saturday, February 1, before reaching a sizzling top of 39.3 degrees in the CBD on Sunday, February 2. Monday's top temp was 37.8 and Tuesday peaked at 37.3 degrees. In the 'burbs, it was even hotter. We're scared to look at our electricity bills after having the aircon blasting for so long.
The extreme weather meant Melbourne met the requirement for a 'severe heatwave' classification, which is characterised by at least three days of unusually high maximum and minimum temperatures. Thankfully, on Tuesday afternoon the temperature swiftly dropped a stark ten degrees, with the cool breeze emulating the collective sigh of Melburnians all over. But it's set to be a relatively short reprieve, with the forecast predicting a top of 31 degrees on Thursday, February 6.
If the high temperatures of the last month are anything to go by, we're in for a long, hot last month of summer. Keep cool and carry on by heading to one of the best places in Melbourne for escaping the heat. Or if you'd prefer to cool off with a swim, head to one of Melbourne's best beaches or outdoor pools.
Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Melbourne newsletter for the best of the city, straight to your inbox.