ACT News

Canberra has sweated through the hottest January on record

Canberra has sweated through its hottest January, exceeding the maximum average temperature record by half a degree.

On Tuesday as temperatures climbed to 36.6 degrees the city set a new average maximum temperature of 32.8 degrees, which eclipsed the former mean maximum temperature of 32.3 degrees set in 2013.

Weatherzone's Graeme Brittain said that taking into account the minimum and maximum temperatures during this month, Canberra's average January temperature was 23.85 degrees. 

"That is the second hottest on record behind 1981 where the overall average was 24.06 degrees," he said. 

And if you hadn't guessed it,  the average minimum temperature was also up.

"14.9 degrees is the current average for the minimums," Mr Brittain said. "The long term average for Canberra is 13.2 degrees. So that is 1.7 degrees above the average but it will still need to include the final low."

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Counting back there were 22 days above 30 degrees with the peak temperature for the month, 39.6 degrees, reached on January 13.

The coolest low occurred on January 21 when the temperature sunk to 8.5 degrees.

And it looks as though there will be little relief in the first few days of February.

The forecast high for Wednesday is 27 degrees with a 90 per cent chance of rain.

Thursday is due to reach 32 degrees, 33 degrees on Friday, climbing to 36 degrees on Saturday before a 38 degree Sunday.