THERE is hot. And there is sweaty, stinking hot.
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Then there is Saturday.
Some weather commentators are describing the weekend weather pattern to hit a large area of Australia as “hell on earth’’.
Most of the Hunter will swelter in three consecutive days of 40-plus temperatures from Friday, while the predictions for Toronto, Wallsend, Maitland, Cessnock, Singleton and Muswellbrook see temperatures soaring past 45 degrees for Saturday and Sunday.
Singleton is expected to peak at 47 degrees on Sunday, while the bushfire prone Coalfields may have consecutive days over 46 degrees.
The predictions have prompted fire authorities to prepare for the worst, with helicopters and back-up already planned to be based at Cessnock as well as trailbike patrols to assist police in keeping an eye on trouble spots.
“I think on days like Friday, Saturday and Sunday – we only see days like this every few years,’’ Lower Hunter Rural Fire Service zone manager Superintendent Jayson McKellar said on Wednesday.
“I would be saying to people, don’t even go in the bush on the weekend, go and find some air conditioning and a good movie in the cinema.’’
Junior sports administrators are also wary of the heatwave, with the Newcastle Junior Cricket Association already warning players and parents a decision would be made on possibly postponing weekend matches in temperatures get too high.
Last weekend, parts of the Hunter again pushed past 40 degrees prompting Hunter New England Health to release a health warning for vulnerable groups including children, pets and the elderly.
Bureau of Meteorology’s senior meteorologist Simon Louis told Fairfax Media the formidable forecast was the result of a heat build-up in the atmosphere above central Australia.
Mr Louis said the pattern, with heatwave weekends followed by cooler weekdays, began in January.
"The record was broken in Williamtown for the average daily maximum [at that time]," he said.
"It was quite significant, the record is now 31.5 degrees, half a degree higher than the previous record of 30.9.
"Cessnock Airport also broke a record for the most January days above 40 degrees, seven. The previous record was five."
Weather service Higgins Storm Chasing described the coming weather pattern as “hell on earth in Australia” and warned people to stay safe.
One of the highest recorded temperatures in the Hunter was during the January 1939 heatwave, where Singleton recorded 49.4 degrees and five people died.
