Dead heat: Melbourne endures record-equalling overnight temperatures

[depakid]

Melbourne has recorded its equal hottest night ever. The mercury hovered above 34 degrees for most of the night, but slid back to 30.6 degrees Celsius by 9.00am. That's the same as the previous warmest night in February, 1902.

The Weather Bureau's Terry Ryan says the city is heading for a top of 40 today. "We've had a cool change through, another one is expected around one or two o'clock," Mr Ryan said. "The temperature should rise before that change comes through.

"It should get back up into the 30s well and truly, but we'll have to see how close to 40 we get later on. "But it's definitely becoming cooler this afternoon, then by six pm it will be about 24 or 25 degrees Celsius. "So a much better day to come once this change comes through."

Train services cut

The extreme heat is taking its toll on Melbourne's train network, with commuters facing a second day of delays and cancellations. Maintenance crews have worked through the night to repair faults that disrupted up to 200 services yesterday. A power disruption caused delays between Alamein and Camberwell this morning. Most other services ran normally.

Despite the disruptions, Melbourne's Lord Mayor Robert Doyle has praised the city's new train operator, Metro Trains. Mr Doyle says Metro has coped well in the extreme heat. "I pay great tribute to Metro," he said. "I'd rather see Metro out and getting the trains running than giving passengers ice-creams."

...Meanwhile, electricity crews are trying to restore power to three-and-a-half thousand households in Melbourne's north and east. Heat-related problems have cut power supply to homes in Croydon, Watsonia, Eltham, Epping and Ferntree Gully. SPAusNet spokeswoman Natasha Whalley says it could take most of the day to get the power back on.

More: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/01/12/2790181.htm?section=justin

[cutlassmama]

1. Wow, 110-120 F AT NIGHT?! I'd hate to be there right now

[virgogal]

2. I think your figures are a bit off. The daytime high of 40 c would

be 104 F.

Still pretty hot,though.

[depakid]

4. That's todays high after a cool change came through

Yesterday hit around 45.

No fun in a power outage.

[virgogal]

6. God,stay calm,quiet, and drink lots of water and don't forget the

old folks (I'm one of them).

Hope you all get a break soon----it must be awful.

[depakid]

7. Thankfully, we're not in Victoria

(number plate motto to the contrary: it's not "the place to be").

About 30°C here in the Hunter, tops of maybe 34 but we definitely feel for the folks in Melbourne and Adelaide- hoping their luck holds out with the bushfire warnings.

[virgogal]

8. I'll keep my fingers crossed for all of you.

[amborin]

9. wasn't it 120 degrees F in Woodland Hills, California a few summers ago?

[GliderGuider]

3. 34C is "only" about 93F

40C is 104F
43C is almost 110F

Imagine 93F on a still night with no AC...

[msongs]

5. Proof that this heat is NOT particularly new if the equaled record was in 1902 nt