Spring heatwave for eastern Australia ‘a heads-up’ of what’s to come, meteorologists say

A deep, deep column of warm air' more typical of January is expected to break records in Melbourne, Canberra and Sydney

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Eastern Australia's first big heatwave of spring will send temperatures soaring 12C or more above average in regions including Sydney by early next week as a weather pattern more typical of mid-summer takes hold.

A deep, deep column of warm air" has built up over Australia, Karl Braganza, national manager of climate services at the Bureau of Meteorology, said. You typically see that occurring in January."

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