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Southwest WA heats up before a soaking

Josh Fisher, Saturday September 20, 2014 - 16:39 AEST

The mercury soared in the nation's southwest today with Perth recording its hottest September day on record, however heavy rain and cooler temperatures will arrive on Sunday.

Temperatures have climbed into the thirties across the South West Land Division as northerly winds drew a warm airmass from northern parts of the state into the south. Maximums climbed as much as 10-15 degrees above average throughout the region, with many areas even recording record high September temperatures.

Perth reaching a more summer-like 34 degrees today, which is the city's hottest day since April and more remarkably the hottest September day on record.

Temperatures have been steadily rising over northern WA for the past few weeks, with daily temperatures reaching the mid-to-high thirties each day. This heat migrated south today, with Morawa forecast to reach as high as 36 degrees, which is 13 degrees above the September average.

The heat will be forced away from the southwest tomorrow as a cold front pushes in. The front will source a high amount of moisture off the anomalously warm seas of the southern Indian Ocean, to bring heavy and widespread rain on Sunday. This will combine with strong winds to make for a wild and wooly start to the new week.

Widespread falls of 15-30mm are expected from the Central West to the South West, which will spread inland to provide a soaking to the Central Wheat Belt and Great Southern. The rainfall will give a good boost to water storages before entering the dry months of the year.

On Monday, the rain will push further east with only a few showers persisting across the southwest. The temperatures will also be much cooler, staying as much as 10 degrees below what is being felt today.

- Weatherzone

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