Tasmania has recorded its hottest temperature of the year so far, following an extended heatwave that swept across the state.
Temperatures climbed into the 30s on Monday and while no records were broken, Grove in the Huon Valley and Scotts Peak tied for the top spot, both hitting 36.8 degrees.
Last week, Hobart reached 35.6 degrees, beating the previous high for the year of 33.5 degrees recorded in Fingal on January 4.
Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Alex Melitsis said temperatures were expected to climb into the mid-30s again today.
“We will see a cold front cross the state … and that will bring an abrupt change and an end to the hot weather we’ve been seeing,” he said.
“We’re expecting the cold front to reach Hobart at around midday … and then moving up the east, up towards Launceston and the north-east by … evening.”
Melitsis said the front will end the hot spell and make way for “more normal temperatures” from Wednesday onwards.
“One thing that’s unusual is the fact that we’ve had so many consecutive days above 30 across inland Tasmania,” he said.
“So the temperatures themselves are generally quite common, we’ll see temperatures above 30 across inland Tasmania most summers, but to have three days in a row with temperatures above 33 degrees is quite rare, particularly around Launceston.”
