mmg.com.au

A senior meteorologist has tipped a week of blistering temperatures similar to those in the lead up to the Black Saturday bushfires in 2009.

Tom Saunders, a senior meteorologist with The Weather Channel, said he expected six consecutive days of weather exceeding 37.5°C.

The only time that has happened in Echuca-Moama in 48 years was in late January, early February 2009.

‘‘We consider a heatwave to be consecutive days with a maximum daily temperature five degrees warmer than the average,’’ he said.

‘‘We have records dating back to 1964 which show that six consecutive days has happened only once in 2009.’’

Mr Saunders said long periods of sunny weather in inland Australia had helped warm the ground, affecting the atmosphere.

‘‘With a high pressure system approaching, the warm air from central Australia is going to make its way down to southern NSW, Victoria and Tasmania,’’ he said.

‘‘There is going to be a cooler, southerly change on Saturday, but we do not expect it to penetrate too far inland.

‘‘We do not see an end to this heatwave until Wednesday of next week.’’

Mr Saunders said tomorrow was shaping up to be the worst day of the heatwave, with strong northerly winds and a predicted maximum of 43°C.